Where are better independent or state schools in Surrey

[LostMumWheretoStart]

Hello mums, we are planning to move to Surrey next year over summers. So we are looking for areas within Surrey for a good independent Secondary school and a state primary school.

Can you please give some recommendations also considering that we will need to travel to London for work also.

Surrey is the independent school capital of the UK so you will need to narrow it down a bit..... coed/single sex? Where in London do you need to be? Do you want to be in a city/big town or rural?

Having said that, Guildford would be a good place to check out first. It’s commutable, got fab shopping and brilliant state and private schools, and easy to get to green spaces quickly.

Agree with the PP - you need to narrow the criteria a bit else you'll drive yourself mad!

1. Are you looking for single sex (in which case which one) or co-ed?
2. Day or some element of boarding?
3. How long a commute do you want?
4. Do you want to be in a town (large or smaller) or a village?
5. What's your budget and what do you want to get for that?
6. Would you want to/could you get the younger one into a catholic primary?
7. What year is the younger one going into ie are you very bothered about the primary or is the main focus the secondary?

Surrey is large and varied, can you narrow it down a bit.

To give more details

• Looking for Co-Ed secondary school with no boarding
• Commute can be around half an hour
• I would look at more of a town than a village
• Also we would prefer non faith schools
• younger one will go to Year 2 in Sep 2020.

Commute to London in half an hour from Surrey?

That’s not a possibility although you might get a 30 minute train journey, that will be from your home station to Waterloo station, obviously you will have to go on from there to wherever in London you actually need to be.

I’m not sure how familiar you are with London, but at the risk of sounding patronising, it’s vast. It’s not a case of nipping in on the train really, it’s can be a really lengthy and laborious commute.

You need to find out where in London you will be working and go from there.

Where do you need to commute to? It can take half an hour to get from one London terminus to another on the tube!

Half an hour into where? Most secondaries are good in Surrey, state and independent. Are you looking for one with sixth form, A level or IB, budget for independent, selective or not?

OK - as very rough starting points, how about:

Weybridge - St George's Weybridge for senior (but it's broadly catholic)

Kingston - Kingston Grammar School

Both are the shorter side of the commutes, towns and co-ed. Any good?!

As above, 30 min commute isn’t possible unless you just mean the main train journey.
Generally, 1h door-to-desk is considered good in London and people who love a quaint village/town will often commute up to 1h30 each way.

Things to consider would be availability of places in Y2. Not sure where you’re coming from and what the system is but in the U.K. you get offered a school with a place which might not be close by or desirable (but you might get lucky).

I’d suggest two places in London for easy commutes, great state primaries and accessibility to tons and tons of independent schools.

If you want somewhere fancy, try Richmond in zone 4. Great state primaries around there and loads of independent senior schools close by (in London and out in Surrey). Lots of fancy shops and eateries, riverside. Downsides: London traffic (including actual roads inside the park etc) and planes noise (Heathrow flight path).

For down-to-earth, my neck of the woods is perfect. Sutton. Zone 5 trains, loads of amazing primaries and it’s very accessible for tons of independent senior schools in London and Surrey. South Sutton is very leafy and quiet, large houses and gardens with the coutryside on the doorstep. Downsides: tatty High Street (you’ll definitely go elsewhere for your boutique fix), very few rentals.

Upper Warlingham station is the first station in Surrey with south London border - 30 mins into London Victoria. Good independent schools - Whitgift boys, Woldingham girls, Trinity, so many. Atwood primary is excellent, many other outstanding primary’s nearby. Also near to the Grammar schools. My children are at Riddlesdown secondary. It’s a fantastic school, one of 60 super schools - best of all its free! Lol. Seriously though it’s a nice area, just on border with London but greenery of Surrey on your doorstep