What state primaries in London to get into top private secondaries?

[newbieLdn]

We’re thinking of buying a house in London within a year or two. Baby's on the way, hopefully followed by second at some point.

We’d love for the kids to eventually go to Oxbridge, but will not really have the money for top-class private education for both kids for the whole 14 years. Or put it differently, even if we do think we have the money now, we may not have it in the future. We figured it’d be more sensible to put aside some funds for really good secondaries in the future, and in the short term, buy a property in a catchment area of a really good primary. This is, at the moment, the best we can afford. I’d definitely want to avoid the kids the trauma of being taken out of a good private school that they already got used to because daddy can now no longer pay the tuition fees, etc.

Initially, we thought they’d go to really good state primaries and secondaries; but looking at Oxbridge acceptance rates, it seems that all the top schools are private, at least in London and South East they are…

Does our plan sound sensible? I want to stress we’re both quite academically-oriented, and will always strive to help kids with homework, read them stories at bedtime, etc.

A friend of mine insists that at the top secondaries (the likes of Eton, Westminster, St Pauls) majority of students come from private primary schools, ideally – a prep school affiliated with the given secondary. Is it really that difficult to get into these top schools from good state or religious primaries? And which state/religious primaries in London would you recommend?

We were thinking of buying in Islington or Putney/Wandsworth/Southfields/Wimbledon; some place close to the Tube for our commutes. But we’re very open to suggestions!

Jesus I'd rather hack my ear off with a rusty sword than commute from Winchester - I hate commuting from Richmond to Spittalfields when I have to!

Travelling is a problem if you are both working. If trains delay or worse cancel or anyday like today strike then you'd want to cry because your children are their somewhere in the cold hungry and tired and you have to pay £25 every 15mins you are late collecting them. Unless you have the luxury of staying at home mom then it might compromise a little as then only your husband is surfuring

There is no "both" here only a "me"

@Kew: then its double hardship.

Not really there are advantages - but commuting long distances without a live in Nanny would ensure I lost my marbles very quickly!

I know I suggested it, but I wouldn't do a long commute either.

That said, a live in nanny/housekeeper, a commute and free good schools could be a viable option.

We had live in nanny for 2 years then my husband lost his job for couple of months. We now start saving for private for secondary and its ok as it will get better. I love Richmond, everyday we feel that we have made a right choice for us all

Newbie, you cannot get a constructive discussion if you try to instigate a heated political one. There is nothing wrong with any of your options. They all are lawful and moral. The choice is only yours and anyone who has a problem with that tell them to mind their own business.

I personally will be happy to have a discussion about hypothetical elevation of inequality due to private schools and general unfairness of private schooling system. But only after the state sector is completely fair. When the faith schools change their criteria to distance rather than church attendance, when gaming of the catchment areas by renting a small flat into it for 1 year is gone, when the state school starts giving education adjusted to each child individual abilities rather than to the worst performing child in the classroom, when Labour party finally elects a leader not from private or grammar school and its top members stop sending their kids to private schools themselves.

Regarding your original question the answer is no state primary school will prepare your child (especially boy) for 11+ entrance exams into top private or grammar schools. You have to do it yourself or hire tutors. Because of that any decent primary school will work for you. Find a borough you like, if you need good commuting link to the City or Canary Wharf go with the North London, if commuting is not important go as many suggest here to Richmond/Kew/Twickenham/Teddinghton/Kingston. All are very good and family friendly areas. You will get a decent place for your budget and probably save something to afford private school from the start. Majority of primary schools in Richmond borough are very good.

Put your child name into the waiting list of a few local private schools regardless of what you decide now. Especially if you are in North London, the private primaries there are very competitive some parents register put the name down before birth. In Richmond we applied when our daughter was 1.5 and got offers from 2 out of 4 schools, only through the waiting list though. Again, both schools we got offers from are girls only. The other 2 are coeducational, so with a boy you might have to be more proactive. Registering with the school costs £50 only, but it will keep your options open until your child is 3.