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Original poster

Hicksville > London ... right or wrong?

465 replies

spacemonkey · 27/04/2004 17:36

Rather than hijack the other thread, I'll start one of my own.

I'm thinking about moving to London from the provincial town where I now live. My children are nearly 13 (dd) and 10 (ds), so if we moved in the summer ds would start Year 6 at a new primary school and dd would start Year 9 at a new secondary school. They'll both be going to state schools.

I don't like the idea of uprooting them, BUT there are lots of good reasons for the move, for them as well as me.

We're looking at moving into Camden LEA, and I am told the schools are very good. I also think as the children get older there will be many more opportunities for them educationally and socially in London. My sister and brother both live in north London and I would dearly love to be nearer to them, and so would the kids. Plus my mum wants to move in with us on a trial basis - she is very close to the children and more importantly is very good for them, and would be my general factotum in terms of childcare.

And of course the work opportunities for me would be stratospherically better than they are where I now am.

I'd like to hear from anyone who has made a big move with kids at a similar age, and what impact it had on them. Of course a lot comes down to personality, and I know it would be hard for them to adjust at first, but any advice or experience would be most welcome.

Thanks!

OP posts:
bossykate · 27/04/2004 17:41

um, who told you the schools are good? camden girls' has a good rep, but the others don't look anything special. however, i don't live in camden so will bow to superior knowledge of camden dwellers if they have any insights. also, camden is a very mixed borough with poverty stricken inner city areas as well as the affluent enclaves of hampstead and primrose hill.

sorry don't want to rain on the picnic, but i suppose it is unusual to move in this direction - which is why you are looking for comments of course!

i'll shut up now.

Beetroot · 27/04/2004 17:42

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bossykate · 27/04/2004 17:43

er, didn't you move to the country beety?

Beetroot · 27/04/2004 17:43

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Beetroot · 27/04/2004 17:45

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Original poster
spacemonkey · 27/04/2004 17:51

to give a bit more info - i live in a council house and have got a potential swap to a 3 bedroom ground floor flat in Hampstead - right in the village in a listed building. Surely I'd be mad not to?

OP posts:
suzywong · 27/04/2004 17:55

Spacemonkey
you forgot to mention another factort tipping the scales in favour of the swap is that you would be very near me!!!!! hurrah

bossykate · 27/04/2004 17:58

yes, you'd be barking, go for it! but do look at the schools carefully.

august24 · 27/04/2004 17:59

I think you WOULD be mad not to. And as an expat who moved to London without any knowledge of schools and got stuck with no spots for my 5 year old, I stayed away from the "worst" school in my area, put up with a cr* fee paying school because I listened to what other people said(and read a 5 year old ofsted report) long story short, we are now at that "worst" school and we love* it! London is a great city, Hampstead is a great area, your kids are at an age where city living may be good for them. I say go!

Beetroot · 27/04/2004 18:01

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soyabean · 27/04/2004 18:16

Living in London is great if you are in an area you like and schools are OK. My kids are 4, 8 and 12. We considered moving out 2 years ago when panicking about sec school but we are so glad we didnt and he got into a great school that takes siblings in the end.
Theres so much going on and lots of it is free or subsidised. House prices dont affect you (and we bought ours before the boom so pay a tiny mortgage and can live (just) on 3 part time salaries.
Adding the fact that you have family here I would say go for it, but one thing: will you be able to get your children into your wished for schools in years 6 and 9?

Crunchie · 27/04/2004 18:18

How can you call Colchester Hicksville I moved FROM London to be here Seriously Camden is nothing special and there are far more dodgy areas than here. Please don't go

Janh · 27/04/2004 18:23

Hampstead = Camden???

(Hick northerner!)

bossykate · 27/04/2004 18:25

camden town and hampstead are both in the borough of camden.

Marina · 27/04/2004 18:32

Spacemonkey...centre of Hampstead? Three bedroom flat? Start packing now, I'd do it! But others are right to mention schools. I'm a lifelong urbanite and think the huge cultural opportunities for teens in London and other big cities are well worth putting up with the grime etc. One of London's best small theatres will be right on your doorstep.

Original poster
spacemonkey · 27/04/2004 18:43

I'm going to look at the flat on Saturday, but the tenant is out of the country until the end of May, so I won't know for sure for at least a month. However, having heard a detailed description of my house and the area, she has said "your place is exactly what I'm looking for". She only wants to move because she can't afford to buy in London.

If this one doesn't come off I'm still going to look for another exchange in any case. I agree with Marina about the cultural opportunities. My kids are just reaching an age where they will be able to appreciate what London has to offer, and I have half an eye on the advantage of living in London when they reach college/uni age.

Beety - how did your kids adjust when you moved? And how old were they?

OP posts:
Janh · 27/04/2004 18:44

Thanks, bk!

beansprout · 27/04/2004 18:44

Hampstead is bloody gorgeous, and very middle class, but very nice. And you would be on top of Hampstead Heath, half an hour from the West End, in one of the nicest parts of London...

Camden is a mixed borough, but most of them are these days, just stay in the bits you like!

Good luck (and if you do move, I'm not far away either!)

Original poster
spacemonkey · 27/04/2004 18:46

yes, when i said Camden I meant Camden LEA!

OP posts:
Kayleigh · 27/04/2004 18:47

Hampstead Village !!!!! Fab. I went to a school in Hampstead Garden Suburb( girls school)which has a brilliant reputation.

Kids will love Hampstead esp as they get older - loads to do, great shops, easy to get to town.

Go for it !!

Batters · 27/04/2004 19:33

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Original poster
spacemonkey · 27/04/2004 19:35

I don't set a lot of store by league tables. If the swap comes off, I'll get straight up there and look around. The woman I would be swapping with told me there are two excellent primary schools within walking distance, but secondary schools are really more relevant to me.

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Original poster
spacemonkey · 27/04/2004 19:37

If anyone knows anything about state secondary schools in the NW3 area I'd be MOST grateful!

Have already checked out Acland Burghley school, which looks great, but not sure which catchment area I'd be in. All things I will find out in due course, I'm just impatient

OP posts:
Blu · 27/04/2004 19:41

Doesn't Haverstock in Camden have an excellent reputation?

Original poster
spacemonkey · 27/04/2004 19:42

OK so I think the league tables are crap, but have looked anyway. Only one school in Camden LEA scores worse than the school dd is currently attending. All the others are a little higher.

I'm far more interested in the atmosphere of the school and the arts provision for dd.

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