Hampstead/West Hampstead/Islington/Muswell Hill

[mjl1984]

Hello!

Hoping some mums can help me. My husband, 3.5 year old and I will be moving back to London this summer. Our DD has been in preschool (Montessori) here in Toronto where we currently reside. She is absolutely thriving. I have managed to get her into St Andrew's Montessori for this September, which seems like a great fit. That being said, in terms of living location we are a bit torn. St Andrew's is in Islington and while I would love to be within walking distance (25 min is no issue), I'm not sure where we are best to locate ourselves for her primary education (and potentially secondary), which would begin Sept 2026.

We are looking at the following areas (all commutable to St Andrew's):
Islington
West Hampstead/Hampstead/Belsize park
Hackney (Used to live E8 which we LOVED, but unsure about schools/safety now?)

Does anyone have any thoughts on these areas for state primary schools? How about state secondary schools? We are not opposed to independent schools however we are more than happy to go with a state school if it's a good one!

We are somewhat familiar with Islington and Hackney but we are not super familiar with the Hampstead area. From what I've read it appears to be very family friendly. We are lucky to have a good budget to rent as well and I do love how well connected West Hampstead is too! Thoughts on Hampstead as an area to live on the whole? Also, which part is best for safety, beauty, connections etc?

With respect to private education this is my concern:
DD is very bright girl and has a great imagination, however she is also very shy. If she's in a new environment she tends to cling to me (or won't let me leave). I fear any assessments for private education would be biased against her as she probably won't go in (or will cry if I leave), or simply won't answer any questions. At her current Montessori school she transitioned quite well and loves to do her work, but it took her several weeks to open up. Any thoughts on how private schools look at shy kids?

Side note: I'm thinking far too ahead in my planning, but also considering Muswell Hill for secondary school as I've heard great things about the state schools? Don't think we would head here straight away as the commute would be a bit tricky for my husband and also it's a fair distance from St Andrew's.

I know I'm a bit all over the map here, but London is so large and it's all a bit daunting with a kid in tow! Any help or tips would be appreciated :)

It would be quite unusual to choose a nursery which isn't in walking distance, and I think you could regret it. It is also a great way to make friends who would be going to the same primary school and live in the same neighborhood.I live in Islington and it isn't particularly tricky to get a nursery place for a 3.5 year old - could you find somewhere to live first and then sort the nursery place based on that? There are a few excellent schools in Hackney, so if you loved it, I would go for that. What about Stoke Newington?

Thornhill Primary School is just up the road from St Andrews and is consistently very good. A real mix of families but a happy and thriving school.
For secondary if you stay in the area St Mary Magdalene Academy is about half a mile up Liverpool Road and is the most sought after secondary in Islington.

Hampstead has some good church based schools. Depending where you are in Muswell Hill it has some really wonderful primaries (though catchments are v small)

I wouldn't recommend Stoke Newington for secondary schools. Also it's a bit of a shlep to Islington.

St Mary Magdalene, mentioned above, might be a good bet for a shy child. I've only been on a tour, but was struck by how calm and well-ordered it was. (Conversely, it didn't seem very creative.) It is a church of England school so you'd get some religious teaching but not loads.

Maybe look at Canonbury, some beautiful properties there, or Barnsbury?

I'm not sure you need to choose a rental accommodation based on where your 3.5 year old might go to secondary school, so that might help with the decision making process. Secondary schools in London change wildly over time. A few years ago Fortismere in Muswell Hill was very sought after, but it's no longer flavour of the month and I think the catchment is up to 3 miles or something.