State schools

[Nermine]

Hi everyone, I'm a mother to 3 kids girl 14yrs and 2boys 11yrs and 2.7yrs. We will be moving to London in 3months and I'm searching for the best place with state schools. My work will be in Piccadilly and I don't mind living in the suburbs as long as there are good schools. I also need to know the difference between comprehensive, grammar and independent schools.

Comprehensive = mixed ability
Grammar = selective
Independent = got to pay for and cost goes from quite a lot to eye watering. Some are mixed ability some are selective.

You need to decide first of all whether you want to pay for private education or use state schools.

Selective schools. Appreciate if someone can help me understand the difference between these 4types of schools.

Well I think if I find good state schools I think I will go for this option

You mean to say that grammar schools are stronger in terms of education.

Comps- all types of students go here from genius to special needs. They cater for all (unless there is a severe special or medical need)

Grammar- students are tested and only the very able are admitted. Depending on the area you find different numbers of grammar schools available, different entry requirements, different standards of teaching.

Confusingly, the word "grammar" in the name of a school doesn't necessarily mean it is a grammar school. It may be a left over from earlier status, and the school now be either comprehensive or independent. I can't think of a comprehensive still called 'grammar' in London area, but there are several independents with 'grammar' in the name. It's abundantly clear from websites what sort of school you're looking at.

State schools have to follow their published entrance criteria; which will also be on the website. For in-year ad hoc admissions, your LEA will have to find you a state school if you apply for one, but it will be the nearest one with a space; not necessarily the school of your choice, though you can both appeal for a place or go on waiting list (in which case, how well you fit the usual criteria for entrance to the school will determine your position on the waiting list),

'Selective' schools are those which select on specific ability/potential for their intake (some state schools in London are partially selective, which means a mix of academic and ordinary community places). It is tested by exam in the run up to entry, and usually refers to academic ability, though there are also specialist performing arts etc.

Is your 11 year old in year 6 or 7?

There is an additional type of school - church. What religion, if any do you follow? If you are religious, would you be able to provide letters from your priest confirming regular observance for the last 2 years? If not then about a third of the most sought after schools are much more difficult to get into (as a generalisation - each religious school has its set of entrance rules).

Re selective schools, what level are your DC working at? If top of the class (and the 2 year old seeming reasonably well advanced) then maybe think selective, if more middling then you'll want an area with good comprehensives.

Ooh yes, when was 11 year old's birthday? - this is vital.

Muswell Hill - outstanding state primary & secondary schools. Fabulous family friendly place to live - lots of green space and lovely Edwardian housing stock. Plenty of children sit entrance exams for selective state grammars (Henrietta Barnett, Latimer, & QE Boys), but as these are "super selectives" - ie hugely difficult to get in to - they have a minimal impact on the intake of the local comprehensive schools. Muswell Hill doesn't have it's own station, but can get to Piccadilly via bus to Bounds Green (Piccadilly Line) or bus to Finsbury Park (Piccadily Line). Downside is that it is £££, albeit a bargain compared to neighbouring Highgate!

In August he turns 11yrs

So Yr6 then. The Grammar and selective independent school exams have been sat already I think.

So he's 10 now, not 11? What's your housing budget?

Thank you so much for making things much clearer. But I need your advise as to which area in London could have the best schools. I have been surfing the Internet and I just got more confused. An advise would make a big difference.

Nermine, it's not just about which schools you like, more importantly at this late stage, is which schools are likely to be able to offer your DC a place in the school.
Or as tiggy says, you will need to accept that DC may not get a place and will have to go on a waiting list. Then until, and unless, a place becomes available they will have to attend a school that you have not chosen but is the only one with spaces. Unfortunately, thus could be at the local "sink" school.

Nermine, I think you assume that London is a city with some distinct areas with good schools. London is 32 different boroughs and all of them are mixed, with some areas in a borough having more good schools than others.

However, to reiterate what earlier posters have said, it's not about where there are good schools but about where there are good schools THAT your children can get into. For example, there are a number of very good Catholic schools, but if your children are not Catholic then they will have no chance of getting into them so they are not relevant for you. Similarly, at second level (starts September after child turns 11) there are grammar schools, which only take children that perform highly enough on an entrance exam, but unless your child is able to do the exam and perform highly enough to get in, they are not relevant for you.

For independent, i.e. fee-paying schools (and assume cost of minimum £12,500 per year per child for fee-paying school), location is only a case of how convenient it is to get from where you will live to the school. However, almost all state schools base admissions on distance, i.e. if more children look to get in than there are places, those nearest the school get admitted first (assuming also, in the case of a religious school, that they need the religious criteria).

Another poster has asked for your housing budget because obviously there may be areas of London that would simply not be affordable for you and that would also be ruled out.

There is a huge amount of knowledge on these boards and a huge willingness to help people, but there's no point in you asking again and again which areas have good schools, because it's not just as simple as that. The more information you can give the better people can advise you.

What is your housing budget and what is the length of time you are prepared to commute into work: 1/2 hour, 1hour, 11/2 hours. This will determine where can live and where your dc will attend school

On the upside, there's a lot of turnover in Central London, so if you can move extremely close to a large school you fancy within the next few months then the odds are high that someone who has a place will move or simply won't turn up on the first day of term to take their place, and if you are close enough to be top of the list then you will get that space.

But you do need to say what sort of school and what sort of area you want. Religion, mixed or single sex, and academics are the big three school issues.

Ok I got the point. I'm willing to commute from half an hour to 1hr to work and I'm looking for a 2 bed room apartment in a causy green area with a friendly neighborhood and I can afford paying upto 1.5k or maybe slightly more depending if I find a good school that requires to move closer to. I'm not looking for religious schools and I would prefer grammar schools. My kids are both currently studying at one of the sabis schools network which is a tough system and they are A graders and I would like to keep up the same level. They are also both athletes they are volleyball players each in his age group and I would also like them to play for their school or if their are any teams that they can join. I hope this info would help

Single sex and mixed schools are ok as well also depending on how good and disciplined the school is.

Schools in Richmond and Kingston boroughs are considered good - areas such as Teddington, Richmond and Mortlake would be worth considering. There are grammars in Kingston which won't have places available but the alternatives are likely to be good. Your commute will be longer than an hour, though.

Here is a link to the latest Secondary League tables; you can browse by "local authority" which means London borough or county or city. I've put Sutton (south London) in as an example as it has grammar schools, comprehensives and an independent school. You can sort the tables to compare results in different categories, GCSEs etc. They give explanations for what they all mean! Good luck. www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/education/school_tables/secondary/12/html/eng_maths_319.stm?compare=