Help! I need to move to London, get 4 children into state schools and find a nice area to live in - any ideas?

[BeattieBow]

So we need to move to London - probably for Sept, but I don't have a clue where to start!

How do I get 4 state school places (3 at primary level, so in the same school please) before I have an address?

And where are nice areas to look in? We have lived in London before - in Hampstead (lovely, but can't afford it now!) and Kentish Town (do really like it) so know about schools etc there, but dh wants to live in a different area. We want somewhere nice and family orientated, with victorian/edwardian houses and quite alot of green - we spent alot of time on Hampstead heath when we lived there. I don't mind a bit of grit, but like the odd coffee place/nice boutique [shallow]

We were thinking about Wimbledon/Raynes Park/Kew, or possibly Teddington. I also like Crouch End/Muswell Hill but Dh not so keen because they're not on a train line.
But don't know which schools/roads are good.

We will not buy straight away and will rent so that will make the move slightly easier, but when we do buy our budget will be around £700k I think.

oh and to make things very difficult ds1 is autistic, and we presently send him to a private school - a very small quirky one which really suits him. Any ideas?

our budget for renting will be up to £2.5k a month, but preferably lower!

where will you/dh be working?

I think it may be difficult to get 3 children into the same primary school in September. Your best bet may be to get one or two of your children into a good school, and then you will have priority for any other spaces that come up over the next year or two.

I'm working in Vauxhall. Dh is currently working out of London but I don't think he'll be there for long. This is one reason why he wants to live in SW London because that it is close to his current workplace, but I don't want to base everything on his current job.

Teddington is lovely
It is near Bushey Park and lots of cafes, restaurants etc
I think the train goes straight to Vauhall or maybe just one change at Clapham Junction
I have friends who send their children to Teddington School [secondary] and are very happy.
There is a unit attached to St James Catholic Primary for children with autism but not sure if you have to be Catholic for the unit. I know if it is named on the child's statement you have priority unless it is full regardless of distance, religion etc

Ealing? Cheaper than Kew, very family oriented, good parks, good transport, good shops. Try Northfields area - Fielding and Little Ealing primaries seemed good when we lived there. Pitshanger also lovely with good primaries. Several private schools too.

I am looking at East Sheen myself, SW14 (check properties on Rightmove), possibly SW13, both rental and sales are in your budget.
East Sheen Primary is Ofsted outstanding, I know people with kids there, past and present. It is a lovely area. ( I used to live in SW15, so know the neighborhood fairly well.) There is also St Mary Magdalens on Worple road, which is also a good RC primary.

Ealing is nice but Fielding, Little Ealing & North Ealing (Pitshanger) all oversubscribed, you will find it hard to get 3 in.

I seem to spend my whole life on these threads recommending Teddington. I'd better spend or everyone will move here
Seriously, though, there's something to be said for a safe, community-minded area with a good train service to Waterloo, five great state primaries and a good state secondary...

just looking into different schools and rental properties.

is the way to do it just to leap in and rent something and then apply for schools? it seems a very risky strategy if all schools are full. Then again I'm not sure we'll get a school without a property.

we will look at East Sheen, Teddington and Raynes Park i think to start with. (trying to ignore my bias for North London!).

Not sure about Ealing - haven't liked it there when i've visited before, but west london is pretty alien to me anyway.

Come to Balham/tooting/streatham hill! Great schools, ravenstone and Henry cavendish primaries and amazing tooting graveney secondary school. Good small private schools too, several with excellent sn provisions. Green space on tooting, clapham, and wandsworth commons and your budget sounds about right - maybe not for the lovely heaver estate houses, but near there.

And very good transport. V easy to get to vauxhall. Go on, you know you want to...

Try Willesden Green, Cricklewood, Queens Park - NW London Nw2, NW6 postcodes. Beautiful houses, lovely parks, close to the Heath. Have you checked out www.upmystreet.co.uk gives you info on local areas.

Hi, I made the move from Hampstead to Wimbledon and love it. Hampstead village and Wimbledon village have very similar vibe and the heath and common have a 'wildness' that I haven't I haven't found elsewhere in London.

As far as primary schools are concerned I am not so sure as my children are younger and I am only just looking into it. I know a lot of the local primaries which are oversubscribed at reception have a bit of a problem with kids leaving at 8 to go private so there might be spaces for older kids

Oh yes- and 10 minurtes from Wimbledon to Vauxhallon the train

Have you looked at SE London - very convenient for Vauxhall (though would be bus I suppose not train!) You will also get a lot for your money and some great schools too.

Some great schools in raynes park from what i have heard- quick train into waterloo and you could get a good rental at that price.

good luck with it

QS I saw your thread the other day, and have seen something of your story. Can I ask something because I think you're similar to me - iirc your children and dh are really happy where you are, but you really miss London (and I know that it is very difficult for you too), so you are the driving force to come back. Well I am too as my dh and children are very happy where we are. How have you come to your decision? i feel very bad uprooting my children just because i miss London.

I am going to look at Wimbledon too I think!

Not sure how to go around schools - do you contact the schools direct?

There are very few state schools in Wimbledon though. At least good ones. That is what I have discovered in my search. Except the Dundonald. And equally Coombeside. For schools it seems it must be either Raynes Park or East Sheen. (At least in the area I am looking)

(I am not sure if I miss London or Life as it was in London, as life the last few years here has been so shit and hard to deal with. It is difficult for us both workwise and we have problems with double taxation. Dh is quite happy, but from a work perspective not. The kids love it here, as they are quite outdoorsy. Because of my parents situation, I am not sure when we will be able to move, but I have my hopes before the next school year. Though, it is looking unlikely now. Whereabouts do you live at present?)

TBH I would ring round the schools in the area you are looking at and explain you are moving to area in few weeks and need to know spaces ect. If they have spaces, rent a place nearby ASAP and go from there.

I had to speak to the council. They had the overview of places in ALL the schools in their local authority, except from Faith schools. Those I had to speak to direct.

we do have the option of a faith school as the dcs go to a faith school here and we go to church.

we are going to try to visit the areas too as we have no idea about South London!

QS which LEA is Raynes park and East Sheen? I really need to think about senior schools more than junior schools I think as dd1 will be in y6 in sept.

(QS we are in Brighton at present - I hope I don't out myself,- moved out about 4.5 years ago. We didn't really think the original move through properly and rushed out. but also i wasn't working then, and now am working in London - the commute is just killing me, and I am not seeing the dcs. Whether this is a good enough reason to move back i don't know).

I have just moved from Finchley, which I loved. It's green,has interesting buildings and is close to Hampstead Heath, Brent Cross and main routes out of London. I sold my 3 bedroom semi in a quiet area near Finchley Central tube for £450,000.

did you move out of London Waterworks?

Merton have been very helpful - they have told me which schools have places, although not the church schools who I have to contact myself.

Haringey were just crap and said they couldn't tell me anything until I've got an address and make an application.