Hertfordshire/Kent, Which would be better???

[luckyjames]

We currently live in london but would like to move in the near future before our son starts primary school. We don't want to move too far due to my partners job. Was looking at somewhere in Hertfordshire or Kent. What are the schools like, Primary and secondary? What are the area's like, the people etc? I am chinese and my partner English so preferable like to be in a friendly area where we would feel comfortable and welcome.

Kent is (I think) exclusively grammar schools. So very much depends on how you feel about them....

Kent! (But I'm biased) Sure Hertfordshire is nice too but I've never lived there.

Kent is very big so it depends which area in terms of schools. Where we live (Sevenoaks) is dominated by private schools. The state primaries are very good though, you can hardly go wrong. State (non-selective) secondaries are more hit and miss, though we've just had a new academy so we'll see how that turns out. None of the state (selective) grammar schools are very close but plenty of kids from the local area go there as there are buses provided (at a cost) by the schools. Grammar school places are getting mroe and more difficult to obtain as more children are passing the Kent test (at age 10/11) and some are admitted from out of the area. So even if they do pass the test they may not be offered a local place. There is talk of building a more local grammar school but that's all it is - talk, I fear.

Tunbridge Wells in kent is lovely - people are friendly, lots of parks and open spaces for children. Fifty minutes to 1 hour from London. Good primary schools state and private though you have to make sure you live very close to the school to get into the most highly regarded state primaries.

Unfortunately four out of the five secondary schools in the town are selective either on 11 plus or religion and the only comprehensive is not every parents first choice though hopefully this will change.

Depends where you live in Kent; states secondaries here (having been to one and worked in many as an outreach worker) can be... interesting to say the least.

Another vote for west Kent. There are good preps and some outstanding state primaries though it is good to not rely on a place at the grammars and have a plan B ready just in case.

Seems like there are a lot of good grammar schools in Kent. There is no telling that our son will be academic as he's only 3 at the moment! Therefore, i'd like to ask which areas in Kent are there good grammar and state primary schools? Also, good secondary schools as we are looking for somewhere to settle and not having to move again for secondary school. Many thanks for all your posts, it's been really helpful.

I live in east kent and it is lovely but i would say the schooling system is a real problem. Most non selective schools round here are pants (special measures kind of pants). The grammer schools are good though.

I think north essex (colchester, chelmsford area) have the best schools near london

Herts has some very good comprehensives, no grammars as such but some schools eg Watford Grammar, Dame Alice Owens or Parmiters are partially selective. That means some places are allocated purely on proximity to the school, and the rest on academic ability (some of the schools also have music places). I guess ideally you find a place where you have a shot at one of these schools, then try and ensure you're in the catchment for a reasonable comp. if not.

My DH is from Tunbridge Wells, he went to Skinners (boys only grammar) and had a fabulous education - but I gather it's now incredibly hard to get in.

We lived in Herts (moved out from London) and now live in West Kent. I think you need to pick carefully and you must consider the secondary schools too - in Herts we had an excellent village primary school but the secondary schools weren't great and consequently a lot of people moved away at that time.

Hertfordshire has some excellent schools but you need to live in the town where they are if they are very popular. And certain schools in Herts (at least when I was there) had introduced a lottery system for allocating places in secondary school - so look at the admissions criteria which you will either find on the school's own website, or on the local county council website.

In Kent we have a grammar system - and that may nor may not suit your child and your own views, where I live there are also church secondaries and then there are some comps. As other posters have said, West Kent has the lion's share of the grammars.

My advice would be to do lots of research which is easy to do online, start with commuting and see where is commutable from, find out which schools are oversubscribed, look at the Ofsted reports and then definitely definitely take some time out and visit the areas and see if you like it and go and look round the schools. If you are not happy there then there is no point in being there. It is a lot of work to do, but then it's a big decision to make.