Good primary schools state/private in Surrey

[Siasl]

Hi

We've been considering moving out of SW London into the Elmbridge area of Surrey (Weybridge, Walton-on-Thames, Esher, Claygate, Cobham, Oxshott).

While we can find a decent selection of detached 4/5 bed houses to buy, we've become a bit concerned about schools. Our child is still less than 1 year old but we'd plan to stay for up to 10 years in the area.

Are there any top primary or prep schools in these areas (state or private)? Clearly there are some good ones but what about excellent?

Thanks

Tiffins (separate schools for girls and boys) are state-funded grammar schools. They have no catchment area, but just take the kids who get the top marks in the entrance exam. As there are often more than 1000 children taking the exam, the odds of getting in, even for very bright children, aren't great.

Sutton also has grammar schools - Wilson's, Sutton and Wallington for boys and Nonesuch for girls (maybe more, am not up on girls' secondary options yet ...)

If you think that Epsom's not 'nice' then you obviously have a different definition of 'nice' than I do

Lots of boys at the Croydon independents (Whitgift & Trinity) live in Epsom and surrounding areas, so you also have those options for secondary as well

I'm sure Epsom is really nice. Sorry if I offended anyone. I don't think I've ever been! Since my DH and I have spent most of our time together in Richmond (recently Wimbledon), we tend to use that as our benchmark. Based on house prices alone Epsom seemed quite a bit cheaper than some other areas so we thought something might be amiss.

The Tiffin schools seem perfect for my DH. Super-selective for geniuses only ... unfortunately our children may not be blessed with his brains.

The key for us is to live somewhere where we have a good choice of options because we have no idea what our DC we be like.

don't worry - I hold no torch for Epsom (in fact I think most of those Surrey commuter-y bits are rather dull )

Richmond (and Wimbledon) are much 'nicer' than any of them (grew up in Richmond). Personally if I could afford a £1-2 million pound house with no mortgage I'd live in Wimbledon or Richmond - all the best bits of being near central London and lots of open space ...

Problem with Richmond is the housing stock is not to our liking. We don't want a semi-detached townhouses on 4 levels and we want a big garden. Outside of central Richmond in Sheen you can get somethng like but the trains takes as long as many places that are further out.

Realistically to get what we want in central Richmond or Wimbledon Village we're probably talking about £3mm-4mm. We don't see any reason to lumber ourselves with a mortgage when we can be mortgage free for 15min extra on the train.

sorry Siasl - don't think you're going to get too much sympathy on here

oh, to have the problem of not being able to find a £2 million pound house with a big garden in Richmond

Heathside is a very good school (ds1 goes there) and a lot of the pupils come from Cleves, which is an outstanding state junior school in Weybridge. Very difficult to get into, though.

Claygate is a lovely village (am hoping to move back there in the not-too-distant future), good junior schools BUT at the moment the state secondary most generally used is Esher High. Apparently it is improving year on year but has long had a poor reputation. Hinchley Wood school (state secondary) used to have a very good reputation but I believe is dropping slightly. Also hard to get into unless you're on the doorstep.

I used to travel from Claygate by train to Surbiton to attend Surbiton High School (Church of England independent). It now incorporates a boys' prep school (it merged with another school, I forget which) but is girls only in the senior school.

Walton-on-Thames- I don't know about the infant/junior schools but the state secondary is Rydens. It's not a school I would choose to send my DC to, tbh, although I believe it is improving, but nowhere near to the standard I would like.

Oh I didn't know that about Heathside. I am due to go to their open evening next week as DD is in Year 5!

We are quite a way out of their catchment area map but apparently you can apply to get in on a 'challenge'

Not sure what that is exactly but hope to find out more next week

Ach.

Cleves is hard to get into, I meant, cece. Heathside just has the normal entries.

I think there are four challenges- sports, sciences, music and something else. Or maybe just three... I can't remember! You'll probably see my ds1 next week then- he's due to do his bit at the open evening!

I know some pupils from ds1's old school in Molesey got in on challenges, btw.

I think it's just the three - science sport music - up to 10% of places for challenges - it's all on their website

Guildford not good for Waterloo? A fast train is about 1/2 hour. DH has done door to door to the city in about 1 hour. Woking is even better for the commute, but for secondary is best if you are Catholic. (DH rides his bike around Guildford too, lots of mamils here.)

The problem of Weybridge etc. is secondary schools if you are going state.

Yes lots of people cycle to the station here too. And trains from Guildford/Woking are fast. Woking is 28 mins I think.

shodan - yes I wa told
sport
music
science/technology

I know Esher/Claygate well and all the private secondaries (LEH, Hampton, Surbiton High, St Georges etc...) have good coach services from there so you don't need to live on the doorstep.

Notre Dame in Cobham, Rowan - girls preps
Esher Church School notoriously hard to get into (State primary excellent)
Milbourne Lodge for boys v academic

v good fast commute to waterloo from Claygate

what kind of house are you after, £2m is not that much in Esher/Claygate i'm afraid, certainly not a big detached with pool budget.

have you looked at Teddington?
gorgeous houses down near the river (near Lensbury etc...) and £2m is a good budget
v good state secondary (Teddington) or Waldegrave for girls.
good commute
you can still walk to richmond if you like
Richmond Park, Bushy park
good (best in country) state primaries
close to LEH, Hampton for private secondary

Ok .. total information overload has been reached!

Shodan/Cece/Little: what on earth is a "challenge" ... is it so bad they make your DC do an assault course before letting them in!

mummytime/cece: suppose we're going to have to take a look at Guildford.

Amidaiwish: we can definately get the type of house we want in Claygate. We've looked at Teddington/Hampton. These are nice places to live but suffer from a shortage of good housing stock on the market right now. Also it would hardly feel as though we'd actually moved out of London at all.

The "challenges" are all in here:
www.heathside.surrey.sch.uk/page16.html

Seems in UK like every school almost has its own admissions policy. Community, Voluntary Controlled, Academies, Foundation and Voluntary Aided schools all seem different and only some are controlled by the LEA.

Being nosey I note that for Heathside the A level results are that 52% got A*/A/B. Would people consider that very good for a state school? Clearly the school isn't academically selective so not fair to compare to grammer/private.

I haven't looked at any of the school's results! Perhaps I should, but hadn't thought to look at moment. So no idea if that is good or not.

TBH a school is so much more than it's exam results to me, so was looking more at the ethos and atmosphere.

I think in area where there are very many private school by defaul the state comprehensives are going to have lowish A-level results due to the availability of scholarships etc.

"I think in area where there are very many private school by defaul the state comprehensives are going to have lowish A-level results due to the availability of scholarships etc." Not Guildford though? There are other nice places though, I like parts of Epsom etc.

Guildford has lots of private schools realtively close by???????????????? I grew up in an area where only the seriously wealthy even considered private education - the schools just don't exist!

In Guildford the A-level results are good - yes? Who can afford to live in the catchment area for those good schools? Parents who have achieved well enough in life to have high incomes and for whom a good education is important.

It's just a cheaper form of private education - good schools = sky high house prices = for the wealthier (often better educated in life)

Where I live, the very bright but less wealthy children get creamed off to Heathside! Best thing that ever happened to my local comprehensive was the catholic diocese changing their admissions criteria as there is now an increased number of able children attending the local comp.

Getting back to the OP - if you can afford private and you won't be working (so you can taxi if necessary) then really you can live anywhere around here because there are many decent private schools to choose from. I would visit the schools and get a feel for which ones you like.

It is too soon to make choices on current A-level results for a child that is only a baby now

If you have a girl there is more choice, if you have a boy Hoebridge is a lovely school - never heard anyone negative about it, if you end up this way.

"Best thing that ever happened to my local comprehensive was the catholic diocese changing their admissions criteria as there is now an increased number of able children attending the local comp."

What happened? I think I know which comp you mean - did the Salesian criteria get stricter?

It's the whole diocese - same issue with SJB in Woking.

Non-catholic younger siblings are now something like F on the admissions criteria so catholics in and out the diocese are above those sibling places. So basically unless you are catholic by what they deem as catholic - ie baptised by x months old you don't stand a chance of getting in anymore.