Moving from US with 6yo, where to live?

[americexit]

Hello Mumsnet, first post here.

My husband's company is moving the family (of 4, two kids 6 and 2) to London sometime in January. We are currently in downtown Washington, DC. and sending our 6yo to a local public (state) school. DH will be working near St. Paul's Cathedral.

We can not afford private schools, so are looking for some good state schools to help us narrow down our search. We have a few expat friends in the Nottinghill area, but none of them have school-age kids. We'd like to live near them though, and be relatively close to Central London. We can afford around 3000/month rent for a 2-3 bedroom.

So...where should we live?
What schools should we research?
What should our strategy be to try and secure a good spot?
We are open to home-schooling as a short-term option.
What else should I know?

TIA

I have no advice about Housing or schools as my kids are grown now but I have been an expat myself and thought you might be interested in this for yourself awclondon.org/activities-overview it's the American Women's Club. You might find they can help you with info. and there are coffee and tea meet ups when you get here. Welcome to the UK!

We are working with him, as much as we can. My DH didn't read until 7 and he was able to catch up and advance his peers. DS has been surrounded by books all his life and loves being read too. I am optimistic that when it clicks he'll catch up.

That said, we would be open to redshirting him. His birthday is in July, is that possible?

I'm sure he will catch up very quickly I was merely thinking of him settling and being able to do the other work they do in Year 2 which requires them to be able to read.

Not sure what redshirting is? Do you mean holding him back a year?

I think you can in theory hold them back a year now if they are summer born but I'm not sure that it applies to Year 2 entry and you have to make a special application where they consider things like SEN (special education needs) and delayed development. They can also refuse.

You'd be better posting a specific question about it on the education boards though since the rules only changed a year ago and so those of us with only older children have no experience of this,

In terms of schools, a good starting point is to pick an area and go to the local authority website and they will have a list of every primary school. This is Islington

www.islington.gov.uk/children-and-families/schools/find-a-school

They list every school with links to their websites and the Ofsted report (the official inspection that is done every couple of years). For Notting Hill you need Kensington and Chelsea although confusingly Notting Hill isn't down as Notting Hill, it's probably bits of Holland Park and Ladbroke Grove

www.rbkc.gov.uk/children-and-education/schools/join-school/find-school

Both Islington and Notting Hill are very big areas. For the very popular schools you will have to live within two streets to stand a chance of getting in, unless it's a faith school and then you have to prove you go to church.

Both are lovely places to live although expensive so have a look on housing websites like Zoopla to see what you can afford, or try estate agent websites (avoid Foxtons, which overcharges massively). Notting Hill to St Paul's would be about half an hour on the Tube, Islington to St Paul's about the same on the no 4 bus. Some days it would be a bit less if everything's going your way, but rush hour can be hellish in London so there will be times it will take more than an hour on either route I'm afraid.

London is great though!

I think you can in theory hold them back a year now if they are summer born but I'm not sure that it applies to Year 2 entry and you have to make a special application where they consider things like SEN (special education needs) and delayed development. They can also refuse.

Starting school at normal entry point only, and as you rightly identify is only a right to request with no obligation to accept.

The school will be all over the reading writing thing for a 6 year old - you will find educational standards and expectations in the UK to be higher than the US.

Hmmm honestly I wouldn't put a 6 year old into the UK state system for only a few years. The US runs a year behind and he's summer born so going to get hit with a double whammy. They will drag him up to speed and in my experience it's not pretty because they sit SATS at the end of year 2 in the state sector. The class size in London is almost always 30 and might be a bit overwhelming for him. I would insist on your husband's work paying the fees for the American School in London which is lovely.

What about Tufnell Park? It's friendly, an easy commute into the city (yr husband could cycle in in less than 30 mins - quicker than tube), and there are a number of good popular schools in the area.
Or Kentish Town (tighter on schools tho)

I don't agree with Philomela on the dragging up: I think it depends a good deal on the school. Yes to 30 in a class tho. Pretty much always.

I think you might need to go to some of the cheaper areas for that money. Not that anywhere is cheap in London!

I second Tufnell park or Camden, or East to Bethnal Green Hackney.

I'd set your sites on getting an Ofsted good school rather than an Ourstanding one. They may be more used to children who can't read coming in mid year.

If in Camden Area look at Carlton or Brecknock which are likely to have spaces. They aren't fashionable schools btw. If you are after white middle class only they won't be your thing.

I understand that American schools still use a lot of mixed methods to teach children to read English. Have you tried him with phonics which research says is far superior and its what all English state schools ( are supposed to ) use? Have a look at the Sounds-Write app for the iPad. Also try the free initial code from Phonics International.

Welcome and I hope you all have a great time in London.

Is a 2 or 3 bed flat without a garden acceptable? Or would you like a house?

Your budget would be a stretch in Notting Hill. Islington is probably a more realistic, and an easy commute. Richmond would be a very long commute.

To reassure you, yes plenty of school will be full, but there are many 'hidden gems'. These are schools that are very good (often outstanding ofsted) for various reasons are not oversubscribed. I would look at all the local schools near to wherever you move, and keep an open mind. Reputation is often outdated.

Rattusn I'd be very interested to know of even one ofsted rated outstanding in London that isn't over subscribed.

DH's company is generous, but an extra £50k for private school is the cards right now. If he does well in a couple years, maybe. (Hopefully?)

We are in a 2-bd/2-ba city apartment now going to a "hidden gem" of a public school (high quality teachers, very diverse, involved parents). We're comfortable renting a small place and value diversity so a nurturing school with quality teachers and friendly families we'll be happy.

I know it will be a tough transition for DS and maybe public school is less than ideal. But living close-in is important so we see DH and have at least a little extra money to visit the rest of Europe. My hope is that this amazing opportunity will make up for whatever mess I make of their formal primary education.

Once I visit in October I'll have a better sense of place for London. I've been, but only as a tourist. Really excited for that...everything feels so abstract from here.

Has he just started First Grade? If so, then he will be going into Year 2 when you move to London in January, which is the equivalent of 2nd Grade academically (because kids in the UK start school a year earlier). I'm sure it's doable, but obviously you need to find a supportive school. I hope the relocation agent can help, but does your husband have any colleagues who've been in the same position? (Or friends/friends of friends in DC?) You may find that a school that doesn't do so well in the standardised tests (SATs) actually works better, because it may have more experience of welcoming children from abroad (recent immigrants/refugees).

Philomena I can pm you the names. Just because a school is outstanding, it doesn't mean it is oversubscribed.

Citymapper app is great for checking journey times and is very accurate for London. Islington is 2-3 miles from St. Paul's do easy walk or cycle. Further up the northern line, Highgate is lovely and has great schools with some turnover of pupils. The state schools are Highgate primary, Whitehall park, st Michael and st Joseph's, all pretty well though of. The last two are church schools, no fees, follow the national curriculum but have an extra Christian flavour. Church schools in London are often very good. Tube journey from Highgate is 20 mins plus walking.

You might want to consider other areas, in Z2 with a good commute for your DH. You'll get better housing for your money (NH & Islington are both expensive, even for London).
Maybe look at Herne Hill (train in under 20 mins to City Thameslink then a 10 min walk to St Paul's), East Dulwich (15 mins into London Bridge) or West Dulwich.

We have great primaries round this way (ours is a pretty diverse, vibrant school with an awesome staff) as well as private schools. There's normally some turnover each year in our school as people relocate.

There's loads to do for families, great parks, millions of toddler groups and a strong sense of community. It didn't take me long to make friends around here via school, baby groups etc!

I've bumped into a few US expats at various things around here too. Happy for you to PM me if you want more details on the area.

Check out rightmove.com to give you an idea of rental prices in different areas.

Welcome to the UK!

Thanks I'd be really interested to know Rattusn. Might be helpful to post them here for the OP? I've just never heard of such a mythical beast in London.

Have a look at areas like Rotherhithe / Canada Water - much cheaper than better known bits of London, lots of expats, lots of really good Outstanding primaries (Redriff/St James's/St Joseph's/Riverside/Alfred Salter) and a couple of good nursery options. Very diverse community in every sense and I never felt unsafe even late at night.

It's a very easy commute into the City - Jubilee Line & London Overground, plus buses straight into the City and to London Bridge, Victoria, Westminster etc

It's very central, but also very green and open. Lots to do - watersports centre, city farm, nature reserves, cinema etc

You could get a flat on the river for a lot less than £3k a month.

I've sent you a pm Philomena

I'll pm the op too in case she is interested.

Absolutely interested...thank you!

rattsun could I know too please? Just out if sheer nose ointment. I'm really happy with our Good primary the Outstanding one is nearer but I find it frightening ( and we will never get a place :) )

Americexit, I absolutely think you should move to Tufnell Park and try for a place at Tufnell Park Primary, or you could move right next door to Eleanor Palmer but Yerbury might be more your thing. You'd have to be right next door and hope for the last two. If you fancy pm me and if you've got an afternoon in October free I'll show you round.?

OtherPlacesInLondonAreAvailable...

I've pm'ed all those interested. I didn't want to post as it would give away my location.

OP have you found the ofsted reports yet? Once you narrow down where you think you want to live Google "school name ofsted report". All the state schools will have one. There are plenty of flaws with them but they are a good starting point. An outstanding school may not be your best bet as previous posters have said as your kid could end up being the very bottom of the class. It depends on how sensitive he might be to that. I've not known anyone with a kid going into year two who can't read who doesn't have special needs in the uk. Your kid will essentially be skipping a whole year of school. A school that has a higher population of immigrants and ESL might just suit him better. In the US I have plenty of friends with 6 year olds that can't read and it isn't anything exceptional. I'm an American and have been here 10 years with kids in both the US system and UK. Happy to answer any questions openly or in PM if you prefer.

Thanks Rattsun :) I tried to reply to you via pm but it won't send- my aged phone rather than an MN issue I think.

Now really oddly I have today been offered a place for my child at an Outstanding primary school. It's not our nearest school and when we started on the list 4 years ago we were about 22nd. So places do come up. I think this was perhaps a child who sat the 7+ and left state schooling at the end of infants. Anyway OP places do come up and people with children already settled in other local schools might not want to move them.