Where to live for easy commute to St Pauls School

[Zaggybuns]

Hello all, I hear Barnes is lovely and easy for DS to commute to SPS. He will be joining in 2 years time, but wanted to just understand what other areas might be within 20 minutes of the school and with a friendly community feel. Thanks !

[mystuff2018]

We got habs boys, marchant tylor school and St. Paul’s. Which one you choose, if money is not a matter. Does anyone have preferences on habs over St. Paul’s.

[EdwinaMarlow]

If your ds got in effortlessly to St Paul's then he will do very well at any school. No, it is not worth bankrupting yourselves to move close to SPS when Habs is a very good school too. No school is worth that.

[mystuff2018]

sorry for posting in wrong thread. i know this thread is meant to be for journey. Please excuse me. we are evaluating the moving costs and came to know that its so much even for Barnes.

[mystuff2018]

then why St. paul is a buzz word in everybody's mind?. We were influenced by other's as everyone around us say so much of St.Paul and says its very difficult to get in. DS (not from prep. just local good school)did it effortlessly and was in top 10 in both tests said by headmaster.
Does St.Pauls helps in careers or make a child all rounder and perfect compared to other private?.
Does the facilities more richer and advanced than others?. teaching makes it different?. improve child confidence?
Does brand name on a child CV makes more weight during uni application or career?.
those things coming to us since the offer letter came.

[jeanne16]

Of course it’s not worth moving. No one school is that much better than others, even St Paul’s! (I say this as a SW London Mother who is aware of how sort after that particular school is).

[mystuff2018]

Hello, got St.Paul 11 offer and very high chances of getting into HabsBoys. we are based in MiltonKeynes and no where near to st pauls or even any good school so planning to move any where. But moving near St Pauls is very expensive compared to borehamwood(habsboys) which is reasonable than St.Pauls for us. Also have Y1 DD and has to look for possibilities for her as well. is it worth moving for St. Pauls when we compared to Habsboys?.

[JanisJoplin73]

Barnes is not fabulous.... it’s a tiny high street with a pond and river and lots of bankers in loafers and red trousers - if you like that sort of thing?

[SaturdayNext]

Given the closure of Hammersmith Bridge, you're probably better off looking at places the other side of St Paul's, e.g. Mortlake, Sheen, Richmond, Twickenham, Ham.

[Zaggybuns]

Nearess, such good advice - thank you !

[Nestess]

One thing that might be useful for you to know is that he can do the odd night/s boarding. My friend's son who is 13 and started last term has boarded a few times because he has had late night sport + early morning sport - requiring carrying heavy equipment on public transport. They have found it brilliant. A life saver. Sorry, I do not know the cost of random boarding nights but it's always good to know there are options out there.

My two cents worth is that I would hold fire on the move for now, stay with your network, his local friends, doctors, dentists. Do a term, see how he finds the school and where the friends he makes live before you make any big decisions. It's expensive to move these days so worth waiting a term just to take stock.

[TheMythicalChicken]

I think I would move to Barnes.

[Roseredvelvet]

We live in Richmond, 2.6 miles away from SPS, my son is in the Junior school. To give you an idea, It takes around 12 minutes to drive there and anywhere between 20/40mns to get home! They are planning to shut Hammersmith bridge for 2 years so unless you move close by, I think public transport would be the quickest option.

[LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD]

The school bus deffo goes from - hmmmm Waterstones I think. The journey can be an absolute bitch at rush hour though. Can you drive/carpool?

[Mulberry10]

There will be lots of St Paul’s boys (and girls) living in and around Notting Hill - no question.

[Westfacing]

Chiswick is very close and quite big so lots of different areas within to choose from, say the streets off the High Road, Stamford Brook, Bedford Park, or the more leafy parts nearer the river. There are 4 tube stations along the High Road, and a railway station.

[MrsEricBana]

Lots commuted to SPS/SPGS in my day. Commuting itself ok but issue was once home, no local friends and tricky for weekend sports fixtures etc.

[Xiaoxiong]

The North London coaches to St Paul's don't stop in Notting Hill, it's too close. St Paul's Juniors has a coach from Notting Hill but I can't imagine it would be more than 30 mins as it's about 15 mins to drive directly.

Most boys I knew took the 27 to Hammersmith Broadway. Or if they were further up in Notting Hill they took the H&C line to Hammersmith or the 209 and then walked or bussed over the bridge. 15 mins bus time depending on traffic, plus the walk from the broadway.

[Zaggybuns]

Hello lovebeingmum, I haven’t had any direct feedback on distance from Notting Hill to SP.... however I am increasingly convinced if we do go for SP in the end we would ideally like to move closer

[lovinbeingmum]

zaggy I’m curious. Did u get any info on the commute from Notting hill? We’re struggling with the same issue - NW London to SPJ - to move or not to move? And, if move, where?

[DoraJar]

Oops - was thinking of city of London school (opposite St Paul’s!) - in my defence I used to walk to work at the same time as the school kids and as I now live overseas felt wistful!) - now I realise I’ve got the wrong school then Barnes is a much better idea - south of the river but much further west!! City of London is a good school though!!

[KingscoteStaff]

DS is lucky to have a 15 min bus trip to Hammersmith then a walk over the bridge or (on days without lots of bags) a 20 min cycle ride. Lots of the boys cycle when it’s a bit lighter.

He has friends with up to an hour commute, though. One moved into the boarding house during the week for Year 11 and found it so congenial + convenient that he’s carried on in Year 12.

[Ridleyxf]

Dorajar - walk from Southwark to St Paul's each day. I don't think so! Have you seen how far away they are?

[Ontopofthesunset]

Ah, well, I don't live in Barnes and certainly don't look good in running tights, but there are lots of that type all around south west London, and in Hampstead, St John's Wood and Muswell Hill too.

[DoraJar]

Southwark best place to live for an easy commute - could probably walk!

[Hothouseorflophouse]

Ha I'm so sorry I didn't want to offend with my Barnes comment! I'm only going by those that I know who may be atypical (all the women are blonde and look good in running tights too). It is, I would say, notably more homogenous than other bits of London, more (but not exclusively) white and affluent.

Of course no area is hermetically sealed and isolated, but I do think the congestion on Hammersmith Bridge does give it a bit of an island mentality. Having said that they all love living there and I feel envious of how thriving their social lives are!