Where to move in West London? How do State Primary Schools work?

[maymove]

Hello,

Thanks so much in advance for any advice!

We are negotiating a move to London. We lived in NYC for 12 years and although both 42 years old, with 2 young girls (Almost 5, and 2) we still enjoy city life. We are both a little familiar with central London, but not at all with West London.

My husband's job would be in Iver Heath, and I am currently looking for work - but I'm assuming my commute would mostly take me roughly to Oxford Circus.

We'd have no car initially, so using tube, etc. Ideally we'd like a 2-3 bedroom - £1,250 - £1,500 per month, with a very good state primary school as for us that's the most important element.

We have no idea how that works? We'd base where we'd live on this however! We are at least the initial year on a tight budget, so although we'd love to send our daughters to Catholic school - not sure how much that would cost? From what I read Montpelier is a good state school? What is Catchment? Vicinity to school? How do you know what streets are in it?

So, where to live? Help?

We were thinking Ealing, Acton, Chiswick? Seems like it's not too bad a commute for my husband (Piccadilly, central line)?? and my commute would most likely be oxford circus...

Of course we'd like someplace with a nice high street etc... but beggers can't be choosers - so we'd love someplace that's not too, too suburban, but with our two girls - school area is most important to us - although unfortunately for our budget not sure what we can get.

Sorry if I'm all over the place! This is overwhelming - but exciting!

Really appreciate any input!

Thanks so much. Looking forward to the adventure.

Maymove,

Just bringing a few points made in different posts above together:

• Your older child, as she is already 4, would already be in Reception class in England. This would mean that the main 'application round' for school places for her age group happened early in 2011, and the cohort were given school places for September 2011 [in some schools, children born later in the school year may not start school until Christmas or Easter - but their places have already been allocated at the start of the school year].

• This means that you are an 'in year' applicant, gaving missed the normal point of entry. To get a place, you are relying on a child leaving the school you are interested AND being the top of the waiting list at that moment.

• For the first 3 years of primary school (called Reception, Year 1 and Year 2), class sizes may not go over 30 except in exceptional circumstances - and a child moving into the area from overseas is not counted as exceptional.

• Popular, good schools in nice areas are often massively oversubscribed. They maintain waiting lists, and if a child leaves the school then the place is immediately offered to the child at the top of the waiting list.

• Waiting lists are maintained in the order given in the admissions criteria for each school. these are published, so you can look them up for schools of your choice. Highest priority is given to looked-after [fostered / children's home] children, children with statements of special educational needs, and then top some combination of siblings of existing pupils, children of a particular faith, children who live closest to the school.

• You normally need an address (with proof of residence / rental) to be placed on the waiting list or to be given a place at a school.

• The factor that you can influence, moving into the area, is distance from the school. Some schools have very tiny catchment areas, with children only from the surrounding couple of hundred yards getting in. To get to the top of the waiting list for a popular school, you may literally have to live next to the school.

• If you are Catholic, you may be given priority at a state-funded Catholic school BUT to gain this priority you may need a form signed by a particular local church to say that you have attended Mass for a long period at that church. You won't be in a position to provide that. In your position, it might be wise to get a letter from your local priest in NYC stating that your children have been baprised, how long you have attended that church for Mass etc in the hope that that might be of use for some Catholic schools.

• If you move into an area needing a school place but have not been able to find one at a school of your choice, then there is a procedure to find you onea place somewhere. This may well be in a less popular school, which may well be one you would not normally choose. It may be quite a long distance away. if there are genuinely no school places, then there is a protocol to give you a school place somewhere, but again that does not allow you to demand a place at the school of your choice.

I suppose what I am saying is that a 'dream list' of schools such as those suggested on here is not really a realistic option for you, given the age of your child. You need to be very hard-nosed and realistic about it. Target good schools with high turnover of children, investigate the 'worth' of a statement from your NYC priest with particular Catholic schools, and then move right onto the doorstep of your target school ... and hope!

The rent you are quoting is not much for London.

Most rental places come unfurnished too don't they - I might be wrong on this but I thought that you usually bring your own furniture when you move in.

Oh, and the point about school transport is a good one, and very different from NYC. It is your responsiblity to get your child to school. In a metropolitan area like London there is no school transport, even if your child is allocated a place in a school some distance away (I think that you have to be 3 miles away to be offered transport - and that 3 miles has to be a school you were allocated, not that you chose. If you turned down a place at a closer school, or chose not to apply for a place that was available because you didn't like the school, then the transport is your responsibility).

An hour's travel time is established through case law as 'reasonable' in allocating your child a school place - so for example if you cannot get a school place where you want one, and are allocated one an hour's travel time away, that is considered 'reasonable'.

Some schools offer breakfast club, and parents use childminders to get children to school, if through working hours etc it is not possible for the parent themselves to get a child to school at 8.50...

Kingston is lovely, 40 minutes into Waterloo, or Surbiton only 15 minutes from Waterloo, but it really isn't at all convenient for Iver Heath.

I think the most important thing to consider for now is your husband's commute, as that is the fixed point you are working around.

Kingston is great, but I think that could be a beast of a commute to do each day to Iver Heath.

I lived in Ealing for several years and I think it, or its surrounding areas, would probably be ideal. The commute wouldn't be too bad to Iver Heath and I think that the train line coming out from Paddington might also stop there. Depending on where you live in Ealing, you are also on the central line direct into central London and Oxford circus. Plus, there are also quite a few opportunities for local employment as some large companies have their headquarters on the A4 road heading out of London - not too far from Ealing. Glaxo Smithkline has a huge office nearby, for example.

Best wishes.

And just to sound a positive note, though the hardnosed approach is absolutely right and you need to be v realistic (esp about not being able to afford anywhere central), you could also get lucky. My friend moved down to Wimbledon in-year for reception and managed to get a place at a really good popular primary. The people in the admissions office of wherever you end up living will help you when you get here. Lots of luck!

Bucks resident here: you probably want to look for somewhere on the M40/A40 corridor. Iver Heath is a quite reasonable area to find a house, but you'd be looking at mainline train (Chiltern line) to Marylebone station for yourself.

The M40 can get a little crowded at times...

Catholic schools further out this way that I know are Our Lady's in Chesham Bois (easily reachable from Amersham) and then the senior school (St Joan of Arc) in Rickmansworth should you still be around at that stage! There's St Joseph's primary in Chalfont St Peter. There's St John's primary in Ricky too. If you're in Bucks then your DDs could take the 11+ and possibly get into a very good grammar, and if they didn't pass, could go to Joan of Arc anyway. (That's what our neighbours did with their girls!)

I used to live in Harrow and commute out on the A404: this road is the one past Eastcote too. You could get to Ricky in about half an hour and then parallel the motorway to Iver. Now I live in the other direction and commute in and it's much easier.

To be honest, given that all rail lines go straight into Town, it makes more sense to get close to your husband's job to save him an hour's stressful drive every day, then commute in yourself on the train or tube. I commute inwards by car, and it still takes 45 min to go 13 miles, dropping DS off at his nursery school on the way.

Oh just remembered, there's a really good primary in North Harrow. St John Fisher, halfway between Rayner's Lane Piccadilly Line or North Harrow Met line. A good friend's children went there and to the attached church. Really good reputation and children from there again go to St Joan of Arc in Ricky or, as her DD did, to La Sainte Union in Highgate. Girl's-only Catholic school. Her DD goes on the tube every day with other girls from her church. (Not sure where her DS goes - prob St Joan). So there's a good option - Harrow is quite city-ish (lots of restaurants, cinema, shops, very multicultural and only 15-20 mins from central London on the train.

Good luck!

I wouldn't wish living in Harrow on anyone unless you are on the hill near Harrow school. The town centre has become really scummy in recent years.

Hmm well I did move out some 14 years ago! (yikes) though I still miss the really fast access to central London. Quickest we can get in from Amersham is an hour to Baker St on the Met then another 15 mins faffing about to get to Oxford Circus.

maymove, I'm told Montpellier is really hard to get into unless you live across the street from it.

West Acton Primary also seems a good option, and you could move somewhere near North Ealing tube (Picadilly line) or even West Acton tube.

As other posters said, £1500 in Ealing means a 2-br flat, not house. We moved here this year and that's how much we're paying.

We're looking at Kew, Twickenham, Teddington, and Kingston for next year (but we're thinking of buying this time).

Good luck with finding a good place to live - I have to say, London is not an easy one, on the contrary...

ps. at least you don't have to pay private nursery fees, our housing budget would have been bigger if we didn't have to pay £1000 for nursery for a 3-yr old (after council discounts).

i dont think you will get that rent easily for a 2-3 bed in london, i dont know specifically about the areas you mentioned but in most places price has gone up a lot so you will be lucky to get that price and definitely not for a 3 bed i think.
a lot of people mentioned eastcote, i am in eastcote too and i think its good for schools. when we were looking to move here we checked most of them have ofsted outstanding and secondary schools haydon is supposed to be a good school, dont know about catholic schools though. agree its not really like proper london but it is good value for money and quite good for schools round this area

You really need to weigh up the less space/more ameneties/more London feel with the More space/more suburbian feel.
That was a big one for us.
We went for the less space (MUCH less space!!!) option but dc is in great school in Chiswick and all the schools there are great. And tbh Chiswick still feels quite suburbian to me....!!
We have a similar budget to you and we are in a teeney weeney 2 bed flat. But there is lots of green space and ameneties in the surrounding area.
I doubt you'd be hanging out in the coolest cocktail bars in the city with two small children, so probably a bit of suburbia is what you need!

Hi, Can anyome give me any feedback, good or bad about Haydon School in Northwood and/or St Joan of Arc in Rickmansworth as I am considering these schools for my son. Thank you.
Cristina

I think Windsor would be a good option. The catholic first and middle schools are fantastic (St Edward's) and it is just as vibrant (if not more so) as the suburbs of London.

If you can find somewhere to live where you can walk into town and the stations you wouldn't necessarily need a car.

This for example is minutes walk from restaurants, bars, the theatre, lovely parks, the river. Much nicer than London IMO!

Haydon in demand as takes all sorts (real comp) yet gets good results and has an Oxbridge programme apparently in 6th form. However despite being big you have to live quite close now.

When calculating the cost of renting, make sure that you check what is included in terms of bills, and don't forget to include council tax in your budget as this can come as a big shock otherwise.