Re: Primary school in the City

[mgats]

Hi everyone, Due to unforeseen circumstances i have to relocate from up North, going to work and study in the city. With almost a 4year old who is due to start school in september am having to find him a school convinient enough for drops and pick up as you can imagine. Does any one know whether i can get a school around the city even if i do not reside in the city? Any help or advice will be grately appreciated. Thank you

By the City, I'm assuming you mean London ie Square Mile?

It is extremely unlikely you will be able to find a school near work. If you can, it will probably be an undersubscribed school, all the good ones are over-subscribed, lets face it. Admissions criteria are normally looked after children, siblings, then distance.

Your best bet would be to find a good area and a good school with wraparound care ie before and after school clubs, which is also a short commute to town. Best buy a London A-Z and start looking at the tube map. Good luck!

Thank you so much ludixon, i guess i have to do just that. Thanx

Ther is only 1 state primary school within the City, Sir John Cass Primary and it is oversubcribed.

You could try Christchurch Primary School in Brick Lane. It is in Tower Hamlets, but a short walk from Liverpool Street Station. In previous years it hasn't been oversubscribed. Latest Ofsted shows it is improving, so worth a shot if closeness to work is your top priority.

It depends also on where you will be living. If it is outside the City then ask yourself if you really want to take a small child on that commute. Some of the tube lines at that time of the morning can be brutally crowded.

Where do you want to live mgats? I agree with the others - be hard pressed to find a school anywhere central. Lots of schools do good wrap around care though, so breakfast clubs/ after school clubs.

Also, don't want to put a dampener on things for you, but there's a shortage of school places atm, so I reckon you're going to find it tough to find a place in a school for September. Don't want to scare you, but some kids who live here didn't get allocated one, even though they applied by the deadline.

Agree with smee re lack of school places, however, around here waiting lists are a moveable feast and towards the end of the summer holidays it's like dominoes. Try and live as close as poss to your chosen school (I know easier said than done) then you'll jump up the waitlist due to proximity.

English Martyrs is a Catholic school that is quite close to the City (near towerbridge/aldgate) and has wraparound care, I know several people with children there who are quite pleased with it, though it is quite sought after so might be difficult to get a place for September at this point.

If you are prepared to go private, look at the Lyceum Prep (search these threads for info) which is close to Moorgate, Liverpool Street and Old Street tubes (and lots of buses).

Thank you everyone for your advice. Really appreciate it

Several islington schools are just north of the city (e.g. Clerkenwell area) so it would be worth looking at the islington council website schools map this should be it

Also there are a couple of southwark schools that are very close to the river and bridges over into the city.