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?

Wimbledon Chase Primary School has 3 classes per year from Yr 2 downwards as it is becoming 3 form entry, there are always places available in later years because a lot of pupils move into the private sector for KS2. It has a well-respected special needs unit.

I believe that West Wimbledon primary has a unit for autistic children as well.

Raynes Park is part of Merton borough for schools.

I have been told that Joseph Hood has places. and Hollymount and West Wimbledon have short waiting lists.

and Raynes Park High School, Rutlish Boys school and Bishopsfood Arts college have places.

They cant provide information about the church schools.

I don't know anything about those schools, but am presuming that the really good ones are full!

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but London has a massive shortage of primary places. Any application received now will be treated as an in year application and you'll basically be put to the bottom of the waiting list of the borough that you are applying to.

It's worth doing some research on which boroughs have least pressure and basing your decision on that.

hi there 2cats, yes I know about the schools situation, and we won't move if we can't get a reasonable school for the dcs.

I am tempted to stick to the area I know in N London as it is too difficult to know which schools are good when you don't know the area at all.

it isn't very promising news though so far.

I was going to say Tufnell Park or HIghbury, but you'd be lucky to get a house for £700k round there.
Might have better luck in Archway?

we are in hackney & love it. great primary schools, rapidly improving secondary schools (lots of academies), cheaper than highbury! masses of family stuff going on & it's very vibrant & close to the centre of town. and we have a new tube line!

did i meet you years ago beattie, at a meetup on hampstead heath?

Have you thought about East Finchley? close to Muswell Hill, fast tube into town, mix of good / outstanding schools and a hop & a skip from your old stomping grounds. £700k would buy a good 3/4 bedroom house near the tube.

You did Hoxtonchick had to name change due to my mum stalking me in here. Big fallout from that. I like Hackney but not sure dh does, but I'll have a look at schools there. What are primary schools like?

I am now thinking that we should stick to N Or E London because we know those areas and have friends there too. But schools situation is v worrying - we really don't want to move not having any idea about schools.

BeattieBow - we live in Merton Park, SW19 - my boys went to Pelham and then Wimbledon Chase - both excellent state primaries - I'm a bit and that Quint would say there aren't good state schools here!

Both boys then went to Rutlish (DS2 is still there), which is a massively improved school and where the results are above average and getting better every year. Great resources and they benefited from a £9m investment in new buildings about 5 or 6 years ago.

You'd be very very very pushed to get a 4 or 5 bed house in Balham (I know unbelievable isn't it) close enough to Ravenstone for 700k and even more pushed to then get into Graveney and the Heaver has been the wrong side of a million for several years.
I hear good thngs about East Sheen and some of Wimbledon.

I was going to suggest camping in the playground not very helpful sorry

hello again in that case :). about stalking mama...

i will PM you about schools.

Biwi - I only went by recent ofsted reports, as I dont know anybody who could tell me their own first hand experience in that area. The part of wimbledon I was looking it, had schools like Rokeby and Kings.... The only I found with ofsted outstanding, was Dundonald!

What about Pelham and Wimbledon Chase? They always used to be outstanding - although it is a few years now since my boys were there.

Quint - did you get my PM?

oh, yes! thank you! (sorry, did not pay attention to the red little dot!)

Just checking out Wimbledon Chase. It does look like a good option. And decent houses nearby. Cheers! One to watch!

what will you do QS - just move and assume/hope there will be places somewhere, (or take the places you are offered wherever they are?) or wait until you think there are places for your dcs?

I spent the evening looking up schools for my ds1 - it strikes me that secondary schools are more important than primary ones, as it is more difficult to get into a good one. Put his aspergers into the mix and it makes it impossible.

We can put him into an indep school though as mil pays those fees, (although we were hoping to save her), so I could look for an indep school.

Any ideas of either state or private schools in London that are good for AS?

It is a difficult one. When I spoke to the LEA they said that the advise they were giving regards to school places were not set in stone, because things could so easily change. Ie, people move so much. He said it was a lot harder to get a place in KS1, as most people move prior to this, and tend to stay with the school for the first 3 years at least before they move on. He said from his notes he could see that there were places in East Sheen, but this could have changed by the time we got there. We could not put our names down for the school until we had actually moved there and could provide them with an address.

I think we will move to an area with a good school where we can find decent accommodation (rental to start with) and hope for the best. We will probably get a place for ds1 quickly, and then ds2 will be on priority list due to having a sibling in the school. This might mean they are in different schools to start with.

What do you think you will do?

I dont know about secondary at all. My old neighbour's son has dyspraxia. He is in secondary in Richmond. He is doing really well. Only thing is that she had hoped that his teacher, who has asbergers would be more understanding to her sons needs, but he is quite rigid and refuse to follow the recommendations from the special needs team. Like he should be able to use his notepad and type, rather than write, as he has problems with fine motor skills. The teacher insists he practice his handwriting, and is less than sympathetic. But aside from this she is very happy with the school.

Well, I dont know if its in your price range but the schools are good in Muswell Hill, 4 good non religious primary schools plus a Cof E and catholic, 2 good secondary schools, an it is a very nice place to live with access to lots of green space.
You do have to be very careful where you live re catchment areas but there is quite a bit of movement at primary and secondary and it is possible to send them to different schools (if you had to to start with) as they are all quite close to each other.
The tube from East Finchley to Vauxhall is very fast only one change or if you go from Bounds Green no changes.
Like someone else said you have missed the application for this Sept (reception or secondary) so you will have to wait and see whats left, but your children will all be in different years anyway so you need to get one into your prefered school and work from there.
Secondary seems to cause the most heartache, we find out tomorrow for this years intake and lots of people are really worried that the catchment will have shrunk again, 2 of the primary schools have had their intake increased in the last few years and Rhodes Avenue is getting a 3rd form as well, the new secondary school in Haringey is a bit too far from MH for most to consider it, but quite a lot of children sit for the grammer schools in Barnet and Enfield as well (if thats your thing).
Haringey should tell you which schools have places, but this is a really busy time of year for them and of course they will not give you a place without an address. It used to be quite easy to get into Highgate primary in the upper years as lots of people move for secondary school, (the state school not the private one) but they now have a great new headmaster so that may have changed.
It used to be that the yearly places were given out by the borough, but any places that came up in the year were given out by the school, for which they held a waiting list, I don't know if that is still the case but if it is you would need to speak to the schools you are interested in.
Good luck with you difficult search.

Sorry didn't read your message properly, re one of your children being autistic, do you think that you will always stay in private provision for him?
There is Treehouse in MH (but you need a statement) or Eagle House in Crouch End (private).
The provision in the state sector in Haringey is suffering due to lack of funds, but the new secondary school has an autistic unit and there are plans for an aspergers unit at APS secondary school. At primary level there are not any units attached to state schools, but there is a very good special school.

Thanks isgrassgreener , I just spoke to Haringey and picture is bleak. All schools full ATM and we are v unlikely to get more than one in any one school . Secondaries also full.

Camden lea looks better, I found a school with 2 spaces at the moment and 2 secondaries have spaces already. Dh saying it is a but urban though!

ooh I have a school in haringey with 3 places!! eek.

I would have to live in Muswell Hill.

isgrassgreener do you know schools in Muswell Hill? if so may I PM you about this one.

it looks ok from the ofsted etc. I'm v excited!

(there's no spaces at Tetherdown unsurprisingly for ds1!).

Fortismere even.

What other secondary schools are there in that area? Are there any CofE ones?

otherise do children travel down to all of the ones near Hampstead Heath?

Yes I can tell you about Muswell Hill primary and secondary schools
not being a real regular on MN how do you PM ?

Comber Grove school in Camberwell is very good

I agree with Wilbur. I grew up "between the commons" between Clapham and Wandsworth Commons in the 1980s - SW11. This is the area which I think has become known as "Nappy Valley". It was nice then, and even nicer now (i last visited about 3 years ago, but we have friends happily bringing up a 2.5 yo there). Good schools. Handy on the 77 bus for Vauxhall too. Lots of green open space. No tube, but plentiful trains from Clapham Junction and Wandsworth Common to Victoria, Vauxhall and Waterloo.