Where to move in London for secondary

[LondonSchoolsHelp]

Feel like this is a classic topic but haven’t found a recent one.

I’ve got a boy and girl, currently year 2 (summer born) and preschool (autumn born). We live in an area with lots of well-off families and private schools (which we can’t afford), a couple of super selective grammars (which are 95% Asian - we are white and I wouldn’t want the kids to be in such a small minority, even if they got in). As a result the local comp isn’t really a comp, results not great and there is a drugs problem.

Planning to move to the catchment of a good state school in the next couple of years. But where?

It’s very early to say but I don’t think DS would get a place in a super selective grammar - he is in the top handful in his class (and is summer born) but it doesn’t sound like this would be enough (or is it too early to tell at 6?). I’d be more confident about DD who is only in preschool but ahead of the game (typical girl). But I think really for safety we are looking for a good comprehensive.

I work near Liverpool Street and DH works in Victoria, though I am in the office 3-4 days a week and DH only 1-2. We’ve always lived East but I don’t think there are any areas near us that fit the bill.

Our house budget is probably £1.3-£1.4m if we were to move now…who knows in a couple of years.

I feel sad as love our current area and we have made so many friends here, but I can’t see things changing at the local school, even with the VAT increase. All the parents at our (excellent state) primary are just saving up for secondary.

So where should we go and when?

Sorry, what I meant is that epsom and woking (and maybe guildford, but not sure) are in catchment for some grammar schools (which are technically state schools). So Epsom has loads of children at the sutton

Nope- there are no state grammars in woking- though if you find some, let me know! It's comps, some highly rated religious schools, and indies all the way!

It’s likely to be more “urban” than Redbridge but if you moved to Waltham Forest you’d get a nice house in the Church Hill area for your budget. 15 mins overground to Liverpool St and 40 mins tube to Victoria. Walthamstow School for Girls, Frederick Bremer (of educating east London fame) and Leytonstone schools all within striking distance. Then there’s also the Redbridge &Latymer Grammar options on top. Only private option is Forest School or in the city. So most people stay local as they’re arent lots of wealthy people taking their kids out of comps. Genuinely mixed area ethnically. The social housing tends to be dispersed through the housing stock so there are relatively few big housing estates like in Islington which seems to work well. Big turn out of local people against last summer’s riots. Slightly down at heel high street because there are too many good shops only a short hop away on tube or at Stratford. Not far from your current place/friends

You obviously didn't read the rest of my post! Where I said that now I was confused as I remember woking families TALKING about grammars but on a quick search, I could not find any! I am still in contact, sort of (we bump into each other at a particular activity once or twice a year!) with one of the women who mentioned this to me... I'm definitely going to ask her what she meant when I next see her!!! I can't help wondering if she was planning for her son to commute to Kingston or something?! I do know that he went to Winston Churchill (which until 10 minute ago, I thought WAS a grammar school! It was the only school name I remembered).

Sorry quote fail- anyway I imagine OP will want to avoid Surrey in general if they want to ensure balance in the diversity stakes. The selective indies are more balanced here than real society but in reality vast majority are white

@pippitypoppitypoo I find the grammars and comps not as bad, but you're right, diversity is not exactly huge. It's definitely shifting though - DD's primary school has become a LOT more diverse in the last few years. Her class looks completely different to DS's class when he went to the same school 5 years ago. I drive past Nonsuch often and it does seem to be quite diverse - based purely on girls I have to stop to let cross the road!

Both DD and DS have fairly diverse friendship groups in their respective schools, but I suspect that is influenced by us being white but not English and in DS' case by the fact that he does karate and plays basketball and both activities around here seem to have much more diversity than other sports.

The other schools you mentioned were discounted on grounds of being too expensive (private) or drugs, not because they weren't diverse.

I don't think it's racist to want a mixed environment, but you really didn't need to bring race into it which invited others to tirade. You have to ask yourself if you'd still be looking to move house if that third school was 95% white instead of Asian, on your grounds of needing diversity 😉.

OP I think it's really important that you focus on an area not a specific school. You say yourself that you don't know if DS will get into super-selective, so in your shoes I'd be looking for areas that might have a selective grammar, but equally have a good range of state schools so you don't have all your eggs in one basket.

Richmond/Twickenham - loads of outstanding secondary options
Bromley
Ealing
Barnet (mostly selective but at least more than one)

Would be my suggestions.

All really nice places to live.
Each of those areas has more than two good schools so your plan won't collapse if one DC doesn't 'get in'.

To be clear, I have discounted the local comp, which is what I would otherwise choose, because it isn’t truly comprehensive aka diverse, in light of the proximity of the grammars and privates. It also has a drugs problem so not a great choice, and is probably about 90% white fyi. So re your other question about whether I’d move to avoid a 95% white school the answer is yes, that is in fact what I am doing.

Lack of racial diversity is the reason I wouldn’t consider the local grammar schools, which is why I mentioned it. That doesn’t make me racist.

Edited to add: I’ve had loads of helpful posts from people who have understood perfectly well what I’m saying so im not going to engage in this any further as it’s sidetracking the thread. Feel free to DM me if you’d like to continue.

I see that you've already lived in Hackney. But there are some great schools in the borough. Truly diverse, some a little rough around the edges but students achieving great things.

@bickering that sounds really good - proximity to where we are now sounds very appealing!

Ive always lived in East London since moving to London (from outside the U.K. to those who think I’m a xenophobe) so it definitely sounds more in my comfort zone.

Hard to go wrong in Muswell Hill - good comprehensive schools and you can try for the Barnet and Enfield grammars if you wish.

I don’t think you’re a xenophobic. I know exactly which area you’re talking about and it’s not at all mixed/diverse. I prefer our area because it’s like the United Nations!

I initially assumed you already lived in barnet as you are describing QE boys... and i was thinking 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 so what? you have loads of choices...

Anywhere in left hand side of Barnet and Enfield gives you hugeeee choice.

Dame Alice Owen - unisex
Finchley catholic high - boys
St michaels - girls
Latymer (although its edmonton and wouldnt be for me its popular)
Henrietta barnet
QE girls

List goes on

You also have allll the private school options if you fancy that for 6th form

I’ve heard good things about non-selective state options in Barnet. Queen Elizabeth Girls, Totteridge Academy, and Ark Academy. Although no personal experience of them. You’d get a beautiful house with your budget!

Haberdashers is anything but great if you look at reviews from parents. It needs to be inspected again,

I'm not convinced the issues with the Redbridge comps are as bad as it's being made out. There are plenty of bright kids locally, with engaged parents that can't afford or don't want to pay for the independents, and who also aren't keen on the state grammars or religious schools. Therefore, they will go for one of the comps. Woodbridge comp in Woodford Green is doing very well, although the catchment area is now smaller as a result.

Haberdashers does not look great results wise.

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/135073/haberdashers%27-hatcham-college/secondary

Wanstead High School has a very good head teacher

Indeed!
We made this move 2 years ago to get DC into APS for secondary.
Oldest DS started Y7 last September and loves the school (although still struggling to make friends). The younger one goes to MHPS.
I do miss our prior primary school, but secondary schools in our previous area were not good at all.

The nearest grammar schools to Guildford and Woking are all in London although I’m not sure if any of them actually have catchments as such. I guess Reading would just be about doable from Woking too. I live in Surrey, albeit right on the Sussex border and don’t know anyone who has sent a child to grammar school but I suppose it would be feasible if you live on the northern edge of the county. The local 11-16 comps and 6th form colleges are very well regarded so I imagine there would be less benefit to inflicting a horrendous commute on a child from here.

Really do look at Muswell Hill (and Crouch End). APS as others have said has a great reputation, and Fortismere is still a good option (they are near each other with very different ethos). For girls there are a couple of decent girls schools in the area too. The primary schools in the area are great, mine was at Coleridge in Crouch End (and I can't speak highly enough) but I've heard lots of good things about the other primaries too. You can afford the area on your budget.

We have just sold a house in Redbridge, the Cathedral estate, its the nice part..big houses go for around 820k...4 beds, garage, drive and huge gardens...area was all jewish when we moved in, 1970's, now its mostly indian and the catchment area has excellent schools...hence the indians moving in and buying up houses sold by the jewish people who are now all elderly...central line is close by, elizabeth line also close and good roads...A406, M11 all 5 mins away.

@MinnieMowse excellent, well reasoned points.

I don't think it's fair game for the OP to write something on a public forum and then say they won't engage. So I won't go away as a PP has said to another poster who challenged the OP.

So, OP is ok with a few "darkies" but not too many.

Supposing their white sibling had a dual heritage child at one of these schools. Would they tell them they wouldn't send their child to the same school because there were too many who looked like them? Or behaved like them. Or shared their faith (I note OP mentioned one religion, you know the one everyone piles on).

Minorities are always being told they don't integrate but OP shows how hard it can be when OP is literally moving house to get away from too many educated brown people.

I'm guessing the white comp has a working class cohort. So OP wants white middle class classmates, a few brown middle class ok, but not too many.

OP says they're not racist but I can see that a racist would post similar.

I'm Redbridge and our local comp is Woodbridge - it's outstanding and gets very good results. I'm not sure about how diverse it is but it's a fairly diverse area. I would say Woodford is not the most exciting area to live but it's nice and very good schools.