Top Independent Primary School in kent

[Manji]

We are planning to move to any place in Surrey or Kent which has the best independent primary school.

Our situation is:

1. My son is year 2 in a State school, we would like him to start at Year 3 in a independent school. I am looking for a Co-Ed primary only as I heard the options for transitioning in to a Secondary is well planned if its just a Primary. What I mean is I am not looking for a Primary cum secondary college as they don't prepare the kids well for other secondary school and kids gets struck in one school (that's my personal opinion)
2. My Husband travels in to London Bridge/Waterloo so Commuting should be a feasible
3. We would like to buy a 3/4 bed house. Our budget is about 500K. Our most important consideration is that the place should have the best Independent primary school.

Any suggestions where we should move and which independent Primary school we should consider?

Many thanks for reading my post.

Most preps are attached to secondary schools I think ?

Have you thought about Thanet in East Kent? Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and surrounding villages.
There are two independent primaries (although one is TINY, I think maybe 45 kids on the roll?)
I don't know how good they are but I haven't heard anything terrible about them?
HS1 means Ramsgate to St Pancras takes 1hr 20 tops, or you can get a slower train direct to London Bridge and Waterloo, and 500k would go a very, very long way. You can get a 4-bed for under £200k.
Alternatively, there are lots of private primaries in the Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks areas, although your budget wouldn't go anywhere near as far.

Sevenoaks Prep? It used to have a good reputation, at any rate, although my current knowledge is sketchy.

Where are you hoping their secondary education will be? 11+ or 13+ transfer? Or a school with a good track record for both?

Have you thought about Thanet in East Kent? Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and surrounding villages.
There are two independent primaries (although one is TINY, I think maybe 45 kids on the roll?)
I don't know how good they are but I haven't heard anything terrible about them?
HS1 means Ramsgate to St Pancras takes 1hr 20 tops, or you can get a slower train direct to London Bridge and Waterloo, and 500k would go a very, very long way. You can get a 4-bed for under £200k.
Alternatively, there are lots of private primaries in the Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks areas, although your budget wouldn't go anywhere near as far.

Shernolds in Maidstone, get a lovely house round the corner from school, up Bower Mount Rd. Walk to Maidstone west train station to get fast train or walk a little further/drive to Maidstone east to get a three stop (50 min) to London bridge.
Maidstone has 4 grammar schools.

That's what I'd do if I had the money.... I dream about this life, I've written about many times

Sorry no comma after life!

Tunbridge Wells has Rose Hill (outstanding but often completely full), Holmewood House (v v good), or you have several options between Tonbridge and Sevenoaks, Schools at Somerhill (Tonbridge), St Michaels (Otford), Sevenoaks Prep.....but it depends on the needs of your child as to which prep will be 'the best'. The commute is good, but £500k doesn't go far in housing terms here!

Agree it will make a difference whether you intend a 11+ or 13+ transfer and where to. Bear in mind that prep schools attached to senior schools tend to only prepare for that option so don't give you advice about other secondaries and prepare for their entrance exams unless they are actively seeking to manage that pupil out. "best" in what sense - size, facilities, fees, sport, academic ....?

Also a "top" school is normally one with a waiting list and any Year 3 places for September will be allocated by now. Perhaps worth considering an area with more than one option ?

Really depends what you're looking for. Kent Test coaching? Common Entrance? Sporting excellence? Just a really nice school? I'd guess that these are mutually exclusive criteria.

What about caterham school it is in Surrey but you could live in Kent if you wished or Oxted in Surrey is a fair commute to London Bridge.

If your son is in year 2 now, i imagine it is too late for him to gain entry for year 3. The boys entering year 3 in September 2014 would have sat their 7+ for school entry last year. If you are looking for ' the best independent primary school' then you should be preparing your son for the 8+ exam this year for entry in 2015. And yes what sort of prep do you want? One that preps for 11+ or Common Entrance?
By this age you should have a fair idea of the type of school that would suit your son, I wouldn't discount the preps which lead on to their senior school if it is an excellent school. Most preps prep exceptionally well for all senior school entry. You can tailor make any difference to the senior school exams yourself.

I came on to recommend Shernold School in Maidstone, but I see Thetimes beat me to it. Shernold only goes up to 11 and most of their children go on to grammar, it's a really friendly little school, there's always a lot going on and DD loves it there. 500k should get you a pretty nice house near Maidstone East and Maidstone Barracks stations, making commuting easy and being walking distance from school.

Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks have some lovely schools (I quite like Schools at Somerhill in Tonbridge and Fosse bank in Hildenbrough) That area would be easy to commute to London from but the house prices are high.

Which one is best really depends on what would suit your child best and what you want though, best bet is to have a look round as many as you can as the atmosphere in each school is different and its difficult to get a sense of them without visiting.

If he's in year 2 now, you'll be pushing it to get him into a good independent school at year 3-let alone "the best".

Not sure what you mean by "the best" anyway, but if you are talking academically competitive, he will have to take admissions exams- and it's probably too late to do that for year 3 in September.

Merton Court Prep in Sidcup (just on Kent outskirts) is excellent. Family run school and gets excellent 11+ results. Most go on to grammar schools or selective independents with scholarships. Also very close to the Dartford Grammar schools which are meant to be some of the best in the county.

Further in Kent is Kings Rochester which is a good school.
Both schools easy commute to London either on high speed or south eastern.

I would recommend Fosse Bank School in Tonbridge. My children love it there. Its a small friendly caring school with brilliant teachers. It is close to Hildenborough Station and the school has a large car park where parents can leave their cars all day if they need to. They get good results most children do the Kent 11+. Because it has small classes they can gear the teaching to each child's individual needs. They have some open days coming up on Friday 16th May, 9.00am - 12.00noon & Sunday 15th June, 3.00pm - 5.00pm. www.fossebankschool.co.uk/

Howabout in and around Ashford? You could afford a house for the amount you're talking, either an urban one further into Ashford, or a pretty rural one 2 minutes outside in places like Kennington, Mersham and all around. 37 mins into St Pancras from Ashford International. Then there is Spring Grove School in Wye, or Ashford Friars (attached to Ashford School), both great schools that I'm sure you'd have no trouble getting into in year 3.

but you've missed the boat for entry into Year 3 this September? Any decent prep school won't have any availability? If your son is in year 2 now then maybe you need to wait and move him for year 4?

Thanks a mil for all your suggestions. My DS has gone a place in Eltham College, but I am not pursuing that option as I felt he needs to be in Coed. He got 2 more offers one Breaside Prep(Near Sundridge Avenue Bromley) and St. Christopher The Hall (Beckenham, Bromley). We are in a dilemma to choose between the 2.

We were looking at Ashford for Schools and relocation, but since its bit too far to move and too late now, we thought we will put our DS in one this school and the for secondary I will have to look for either grammar or independent.
Any idea on which is the best school between the 2...Any advice more than welcome.

Try
St Olaves Prep
Benedict House
West Lodge

All are within 5 min drive of Eltham College.

We looked round Breaside and liked it a lot - and £500k would get you more house for your money than further into Kent, if you allow for the reduced travelling costs.

Vinehall in East Sussex is co-ed and very academic plus great facilities.

Trains from Battle/Robertsbridge/Etchingham etc all go straight into London Bridge (about 1 hour 20 mins or so).

Why are you desperate for coed?

Eltham college is an excellent school, although I agree that it will not prepare your DS for a grammar, if that's what you have in mind. Your DS will get a proper all round education, with lots of sports, music and so on. The year 4 national curriculum is taught in year 3, year 5 in year 4, and so on.

Breaside is one of those schools that crams prepares for 11+ for the Bromley and Bexley grammars (possibly Kent as well).

I don't know much about St. Christopher's.

You would be able to get a 4 bed house nearish to these schools for £500K.

I'm amazed that you say you're looking for a "top" independent school, and are looking at either of those two, though.

I was not impressed with Merton Court, incidentally, which has been mentioned, upthread. It's absolutely rubbish for any kind of SEN, and from about year 3 or 4, they start to pressure parents into paying for additional tuition, which is how they get their outstanding 11+ results.

Sadly I've heard the exact same as SanityClause about Merton Court.
It's not well regarded generally by local population.

The other Sidcup schools I mentioned generally are.