Trying to get two boys to primary and secondary school in Sept, SW how do you get both boys to school in time when all schools are far away

[filipnoa]

We are moving back to London and I need to find schools for my 7 and 11 years old. Obviously they will be going to two different schools. I nave no idea where to start. We would like to live in SW Wimbledon area or rather Merton council and would even consider Sutton. But I have problem after problem, my kids do not speak English and we have lived in a small city for the last 10 years so for the first period I will have to take them to school until at least the older one build up the confidence.I do not seem to be finding any state schools that have primary and secondary under the same roof, they both have to be at school by 8:40 so how do you make it? Also how does one manage to get to work in time.
Going crazy, please help!!!!!!!

Drop one at breakfast club and other at normal school start time? I'd be more concerned about the lack of English, particularly for the 11 yr old, than the school start time.

Or you could use a childminder to take the youngest to school for you. You can then take the eldest to school - they could be dropped earlier and have breakfast in school canteen. You can then leave for work.

I have been told that every school has a special program for children with English as a second language. They both speak and understand basic English but what I meant is that they do not speak fluent English. Does every school has breakfast club and after school club?
I have looked up Cheam High School and they seem to be the only school in the area that has a primary at the same site, but when I checked availability at Sutton Council web site they seems to be full. What are the chances to get in does anybody know??

Secondary schppl children generally are expected to get themselves to and from school.Practise over the summer holidays

I've never heard of a state school having a primary and secondary school on the same site. They are usually in different locations. It is also perfectly normal for 11 yr old children in Year 7 to get to and from school on their own.

Cheam High School is only a secondary school, just looked at it's website. It's for children aged 11 - 18.

It's normal for them to travel on their own, yes, but I can see that if I was settling a nervous 11 year old into a new school and new country, I'd want to help them over the first few weeks at least.

There is more chance of a breakfast club at the primary, but also more chance of an early start for the secondary: it will depend on the school, as not all schools start at 8:40. One of my lot starts at 8:15, one at 8:25 and the other at 8:55 (guess which one tends to be late? Sigh). You might be lucky and find two schools on your route to work, you never know.

At this stage you are going to be reliant on wherever has a space but until you have an address to apply form you are not really likely to make progress. The secondary aged dc may well have to make his own way (by foot/bus/train) or could probably arrive early or as others have said use a breakfast club or local child-minder for younger one.

Possibly the school may be able to put you in touch with another pupil who could travel with your older DC for the first week or two, or a teacher? I think my school would do this. Or if funds allow send him in a taxi to start with? I think getting the school places is going to be more of a challenge than the travel, however.

Oh, in answer to your question, schools are not required to offer breakfast or after school clubs and needing them does not give you priority. I understand that private schools mostly offer 'wraparound care' but at a cost of course. Possibly you may have to be prepared to home educate one or both children while you sort school places and the other logistics? It is legal to do that here.

If they have lived in this country for 10 years why do they not speak English?

I read that as 10 years in a small city , not necessarily in UK. OP, SW London is very leafy suburban not inner city , so may not be as daunting as you fear.

There are very few, if any, mainstream schools in the UK with primary and secondary on the same site. You will also be dependent on where there are places left at this late stage.

Most secondaries start earlier than primaries, and certainly are open earlier so it shouldn't be a problem to drop the older one a bit early.

Most primaries, especially in London, do have breakfast clubs.

Almost all primary schools have before/after schools clubs.

In my town, (nowhere near the SE) every high school had a primary close enough for a parent to drop the high school child off, and then drop the primary school child off.

The first thing you need to do is find a house near a decent secondary school, and then chose a nearby primary.

The new Catholic school in Twickenham, St Richard Reynolds will have both primary and secondary on the same site, it is not private. Will be good if you are Catholic, but it will also take non-Catholics in the catchment area.

Website here

In Sutton many secondaries start about 8.30 and primaries 8.50-9.00. Almost all primaries and secondaries are oversubscribed. Think very carefully where you move to and rent somewhere ASAP to get yourself on the waiting list for September. Providing you move close enough to one of the good secondaries your son will probably get in, as I know there is movement in the waiting lists. I suspect the primary place might be harder than the secondary one, depending on where you want to go. Good news is that many of the secondaries have a sibling rule to get your second child in.

Nb there are plenty of primaries with breakfast clubs and secondaries are open well before 8.30, usually also serving breakfast.

I recently moved back to the UK and had to find a school place 'in year' ie AFTER all resident children have already been allocated school places. (Places for a September 2013 start have already been allocated.) You CAN'T apply until you are actually living in London. So when you know where you will be living, go to the Local Education Authority (LEA) and ask for a school place. You may be asked what your preference is but the reality is that there will be very few places left so you will be offered the nearest school that has space. You could try asking the LEA (or each school) where they think there might be places BEFORE you move so that you can try to find accommodation near a school with space. I would suggest moving BEFORE the summer holidays if possible so that schools are still open for you to visit. Some LEAs also slow down/virtually shut their admissions department during the summer holidays. I agree with Lynette that the priority is to find a secondary school place. An in-year school place for a 7 year old may be slightly easier to find. Most primary schools in London, especially the bigger ones have Breakfast Clubs - you need to check with each one. Also whether or not they have spaces at the Club. Breakfast Club for your younger DC will hopefully mean you can take your older DC to school until DC is able to go alone and you can get to work on time. It's hard but possible, good luck.

tiggy I know. But OP may be Catholic, and could be keen to live in Twickenham!

But if you are set on Wimbledon/Merton, you may have a problem. Are you keen to explore other areas?

East Sheen, for example, as a good secondary (Richmond Park Academy), and lots of primaries dotted around (East Sheen, Barnes and Mortlake to name a few areas - incidentally two of those names are also names of primary schools) For a 7 year old (Y2) they may not be oversubscribed.

Wou, thank you so much for all these helpful hints . I have used RM web site and it looks very helpful as it grades all schools and gives option to find schools close to each other. When I said that Cheam High school has a primary under the same roof I meant they are almost next to each other which would be really helpful. RM web also has option to look for properties near by and that's brilliant service. I have already checked Worcester Park as I found lovely flat there but have been told by friend who lives close by that it is not such a nice area all together?! Today I even went as far as Cobham so God knows where I will end up but i definitely would like to be as close as possible to SW London as all my friend and member of family lives there. Unfortunately they have no kids so have very little experience with schools. One thing worries me too and that is what happened to kids after school. When I used to live in London it was very unlikely to leave even 11 years old on its own not to mention 7 years old.
As to my 10 years away , we have lived abroad for last 10 years in Croatia and my kids are quit used to going to school on there own and being quite independent and that makes me even more concerned that they will be quite unhappy about all the restrictions that I will have to introduce. That is why I am trying to find areas that are not hectic.

Thanks again for all the information you all posted.

I think a lot of secondary schools may have a library and perhaps the canteen open from 8 or 8.15, so your older child could go to school early - but this would mean he or she was slower to get to know other children on the same bus or train route.