Moving to the UK - the education system

[MumDownUnder16]

Hi everyone, I have recently discovered this site and there is so much information on here it looks like a great place to ask for advice. My hubby our 10 year old son (turns 11 at the start of February) and I are moving over at the end of the year, just for 6 months at this stage. We live in NZ and whilst hubby has UK passport and lived in the UK 25 years ago I have only ever been once on holiday for a couple of weeks. We loved it over there so have decided to see what it is like to live there. Short term at this stage, with a view to maybe making the move permanent if I can live through the winters.

Hubby has at least 2 job offers, with a 3rd potential offer coming. One job we have discounted due to location - up north, the other is near St Albans and the potential one which he really wants is near Southwark/Tower Bridge in London.

I know virtually nothing about schooling in the UK and it is very different from the system here in NZ...the more I read the more I freak out about whether or not we will even get our boy into a school anywhere! It just sounds so complicated and competitive and downright confusing.

That's before my other worries of is bringing up a child in the UK actually a good idea given we live in boring but safe little old NZ, how will he (or I) make friends, would we ever find somewhere safe to live where we can let him play on the street with other kids like he does here...blah blah

At this stage we have the option of living anywhere in greater London, though obviously we want to keep commuting time to a minimum if possible. Our son currently goes to a private boys school here in NZ (think that is the same as an independent school there), although the fees are half of what they appear to be in the UK.

From a financial perspective it would make life a lot easier not to have to pay 4-6 thousand pounds per term in fees but I am worried that we will not be able to get him into a local school because they are all full. And it looks like you can't choose the school you want, the local council makes the decision for you so even if we get a place it will be because the school has a bad reputation and no one wants to go there.

If that is the case and we have to pay to send him private then we will have to manage but we aren't wealthy by any means so we would probably stick out like sore thumbs.

I have tried looking for 'The Complete Idiot's Guide to UK Schooling' but such a book doesn't seem to exist so apologies for the rambling, but as you can see I really have no idea. I would love any advice that anyone can offer about how the system works, which schools/areas are to be avoided, which schools are good (fee paying or not), how to apply and any other information a newbie might need.

Thanks in advance fellow mums!

If you want to live in London and have a fairly normal salary I think you should start by looking at a property price map and find what you can get in each area. Then think about how far you want to commute and then realise you may have to double that time if you want to live somewhere 'nice' where your son can play on the streets!

Personally I think you'd have a far better quality of life if you moved to St Albans (or similar) and took the job there, or the job in Southwark and commuted from outside of London.

If it's only for 6 or so months though I would definitely try and live as centrally in London as possible- not much point in coming half way round the world to live in St Albans- very nice but like a 100 other towns. People tend to move there from London when they want a bigger house etc for the long haul.

There are fast commuter trains to Blackfriars/City Thameslink from St Albans, so many people live in StA and commute to near London Bridge.
Though ideally in your circs I'd get a flat in walking distance of London Bridge - apart from certain housing estates, there really isn't an area of London unsuitable for raising children and putting your 11yo on the bus/train to secondary. Near Southwark Park or other parks would be fine.

Places for Y6 should be available thanks to high pupil turnover in London.

St albans train line is £££££

Thanks all...every post gives us even more information and more to think about.

We are still in limbo land waiting but know we will have to make a quick decision if/when the formal job offers come through so we are trying to go through the pro's and con's of each incase we have more than one option.

Kangenchunga1 your thoughts were really interesting given you are familiar with this part of the world. Thanks ever so much!

London in the summer is a great place to be a kid, with a lot of activities happening and things to do. In winter it's more overcast, so there will be less of an outdoors lifestyle - but there are lots of places you can take him - museums, concerts etc.
There are few places in London that are unsafe. Your son is most likely to be at danger from traffic.
He may see things that he wouldn't back home, but kids on the whole are pretty safe. At 11 he is a bit young for drink/drug culture etc.
If he is only there for 6 months, any school will be fine. Even the ones most parents desperately want to keep their kids out of, tend to provide a generally okay education - and are often are islands of safety in a tricky environment.

London is a real melting pot city, with a rich range of cultures to explore.

If you were coming for more than 6 months, I'd probably recommend somewhere like St Albans, but 6 months you can't go wrong most places. I'd look pretty central, or somewhere like Greenwich/Hackney/Clapham (expensive).

I think the safety aspect of London depends on perspective! If you want an 8 year old to be able to play on the streets I'd say hardly anywhere is safe. But if you want a 14 year old to be able to take themselves to school I'd say the majority of places are fine. There are lots of fantastic places to raise kids!

Could you book a serviced apartment / short rent for a the initial month in your favourite area and then move after that, once you've had a look around?

While you are in the UK for your 6 month stint do go 'up north' for a look around. Derbyshire Peaks, Hereford and the Welsh borders, Northumbrian coast. You may well decide against London if you do come to stay permanently. (I know I would)

"would we ever find somewhere safe to live where we can let him play on the street with other kids like he does here."

This bit worries me OP. The UK is quite backward in allowing children to play outside and have some independence (and yes, before I get shouted down, there are some idyllic pockets of real life where children do play unsupervised). Where I am, there are no groups of children outside anywhere. It's all structured activities supervised by adults and being ferried around by car. Prepare to be a taxi service...

I wouldn't say the UK is "backward" about allowing children to play outside - because that is how it used to be. Admittedly that isn't going to be that likely in London, it's far too busy with traffic.
If that is really what you are looking for rather than a six month adventure - then maybe look at the suburbs - and places like St Albans.
It depends on what you really want.

My vote is for Prep which ends at 13. That way there will be less of a 'thing' about kids leaving at the end of year 6, plus for those not taking 11+ the work will continue as normal(ish) until the end of the year, rather than having such a large focus on an exam which is pointless for your DC... Though if you do apply for 13+ preps I'd try to say that you're 'really hoping' to stay long term.

Also, if you stay long into the summer after the end of term, see what good holiday camps are around.