Childcare, housing and education for poor people? :)

[Jennlx]

My DH works in Wandsworth and I work in the City (once I go back from mat leave) and we're really wracking our brains as to where to move to for childcare, education and housing purposes. We have DS, 2, and DD, 5 months. We haven't bought yet, but our mortgage budget is £200k, which rules out pretty much everywhere - I really would like a 3 bed and garden, even tiny garden. I am very education focussed and want my kids to go to the best schools we can find for them. I am also a massive snob. OK, so I'm not going to get everything I want, but has anyone any suggestions for somewhere nice to live (budget for rental £950), where I can get childcare for less than £10 per hour (for both) and great schools with more than 0.2 km catchment? I know, it's hopeless, I have spent the past six months looking...

Is Dartford too far out for you? Great schools and property is really good value, good train connections to London too...

A few have suggested Bromley. It's true that the state school selection in Bromley is generraly good but you pay a premium to live on top of the really good ones. As with most places, you will generally pay more for the transport links and good schools.

Also have to say that £200k sounds ambitious for a 3 bed in Bromley. I live in a less expensive part of Bromley and you would probably only get a 2 bed flat for £200k or less and £5 per hour each would probably be the bear minimum you might get away with paying for childcare but it would limit your options.

Happy if I am wrong though - just my thoughts as a Bromley local.

If you like tunbridge wells, have you considered tonbridge? Not quite as nice, but commute to London is much better, 35-40 min, houses are a bit cheaper, schools generally still good. You could then see if one or both of you can move jobs to be closer, save the cost of one of you communting, and maybe make move to TW at a later stage.

As a fellow Bromley resident I agree with you Spatsky, and I know you can buy a lot more house for your money in Dartford. I'm not sure what the primary schools are like but the boys' and girls' grammar schools are excellent.

I have one (snobby) friend in Dartford who didn't think the primaries were up to much.
Secondaries will be same as all of Kent, (exc bromley) not as good as they should be!

Not posh but do tick the other boxes:
Maisonette in Hounslow or Feltham, or maybe Dagenham, or an ex-council house in the other areas you like.
Schools are actually pretty good.

but shattereddreams, the Dartford Grammars are excellent, and not super-selectives (the take the top 25%), so an intelligent child would have a reasonable chance of getting in...also there must be SOME good state feeder primaries one would have thought?

Mariamariam, the ex-council idea is good (it's what we did!) but may not be what the OP is after

There are ex-council houses that may be affordable in Hayes, Bromley, and the state primaries and secondaries there are outstanding.

Take a look at the London Borough of Bexley. Outstanding childminders are £5 per hour. Schools are good. Look in the areas around Bedonwell Infants and Juniors and Bursted Woods School - both outstanding. The houses are cheaper because they are in the North of the borough alongside the Labour supporters.

200k will get you at least a three bedroom terrance house with a decent sized garden.

Mumeuro
Sorry, didn't word that very well. Grammars are excellent across Kent.
The secondaries (who get the lower ability kids) are nowhere near as good as they should be.

Bexley, hmmm...will look into...

Afraid OH won't move to Dartford, Feltham or Dagenham - he has lived/worked here before.

TONBRIDGE would be the move of our dreams! But sadly OH commute no good, I looked it up 1 hr 20 mins + walking time each end. Bit much. Plus his train ticket would be £100 more than my London Terminals monthly ticket!

Booo....

PS. I KNOW childcare is ambitious - we'd pay here £1,550 for two in fulltime nursery. We did searches across all of England (!) and think it is extremely cheap. We'd be topping up with savings until Sept 2013, when we would have a surplus of £20 per month (yippee!). I really really really don't want to tap into savings too much, as we really want to buy and the savings isn't enough as it is (and OH is almost 40, so clock ticking for getting 25 year mortgage!).

Really wished I'm been a bit more prudent years ago when I was swanning about getting drunk, travelling, having fun....Hmmm, maybe not! ;)