Where is a strategic place to move to in south London for secondary options

[LDNmeetsSurrey]

We're currently in Purley (Croydon Borough) and will have outgrown our home in a couple of years; right about the time we'll be picking a secondary for our DD (our DS will be a couple of years behind).

We're trying to assess where is not completely bonkers financially yet is well placed for single sex (one for DD and DD) or coed options.

From our current location in Purley, we'd maybe (catchment has narrowed)) get into coed Riddlesdown Collegiate which seems fairly well respected, "outstanding" but is placed at 866 academically by Locrating and is quite a large school. Yet last year we would have been one street out so not certain by any means.

By comparison, Wallington girls (Sutton borough), is no. 192 and Wilsons (also Sutton borough) no.13 we could just about drive to (would be a pain of a commute though.)

We would still (I think) be included in the Sutton Grammar catchment from where we are, but I'm wondering is there somewhere else - Kingston perhaps - that would be more strategic to move to that would offer us some coed state options that are well regarded (Eg Grey Court School, up at no.335) as a back up but leaves the grammar option open, eg. Tiffin? The Croydon borough is also really struggling with a failed transformation of the town centre, a bankrupt council and crime that makes the headlines - so growth on a property here is smaller than almost everywhere in London meaning that gap will only widen if we delay moving for a few years.

Kingston is much pricier than Purley - but it's not as costly as missing out on a decent school and feeling compelled to go Independent (which it would be a real struggle to afford for two kids). Would that be a good location for multiple school options? Where else? Feel like I've scoured every league table and catchment map and now can't see the wood for the trees!

The Fulwell area of Twickenham can be in catchment for Waldegrave (girls), Turing House (co-ed with a remote admissions point), Teddington (co-ed with a wide catchment) and also the Tiffins. It's expensive, but no more so than the Grey Court and TKA catchments.

Thank you.

I had looked at that area due to Waldegrave, but struggled for a boys options as found, from the data at least, that Turing House School and Teddington school were very average. Turing House ofsted 'good' and 1101 out of 2552 results wide, with Teddington being in the bottom 26% for results (1914 out of 2552 on Locrating) and ofsted good. Of course data only tells part of the story, they may be lovely places, but at the property premium of Fulwell / Teddington it doesn't seem ideal for boys?

1101 out of 2552 results wide

Where are you getting this from? It's a very strange measure. There are lots of different ways to rank schools. It's best to just consider GCSE Results, as so many students move for A levels. Also consider progress measures as well as attainment, because if schools have a non-selective catchment they're more relevant.

THS and Teddington are both very good schools for boys and girls. Turing was recently re-inspected so maybe look at their latest report rather than just the grade.

From Locrating which uses alll the measures you mention, but yes there are different ways of cutting it.

It does better for GCSEs

North Kingston if you can afford it - you would be in catchment for Grey court, TKA, Teddington and both of the Tiffin schools (if your DC’s pass the entrance exams for the grammars). You would also been in the catchment for Wilson’s as I know people who travel from Kingston to that school too. Very pricey because of all the outstanding state secondary schools.

We must live quite close to you, although we are technically in Sutton. We are not in catchment for Riddlesdown, but did look at it to compare with other schools. It has a good reputation and decent exam results. Although it's large, I thought it was well structured so that pupils felt they had a base. The issue with the Sutton grammars you mention is that they are v competitive and even bright, tutored children don't get places. Have you looked around Cheam High as one option (which would then also include the grammars)?

What filtering options did you use? There are more than 2552 schools in the UK, so is that just London? And does it include private and selective schools?

Bright children do very well in good comprehensive schools.

You'd be better off getting the raw data from .gov.uk rather than using a commercial website, then you'll know what you're looking at.

Just to say, I’m not sure that Wilson’s has a catchment, does it? Sutton Grammar, Tiffin and Wally Boys do, but I thought Wilson’s was purely on score. It does make it super-hard to get into though, and Kingston to Wilson’s would be quite the journey. I think parts of Worcester Park are in catchment for both Tiffin and the other two Sutton Grammars. There are whole threads on this in the elevenplusexams forum.

@Trickleg I think you’re right about Wilson’s. Tiffins does have an inner and outer catchment area - and apparently since they have introduced that no one has got in from the outer area. I don’t know if Worcester Park would be in the inner or outer you would need to check.

But as said already the grammars are incredibly difficult to get into so you need somewhere with outstanding state schools unless you can afford private.

West Wickham for Langley Boys (and girls), or Hayes for Hayes Secondary?

@beztees

No filtering. I can only imagine the number of schools is based on the number offering A-levels, as the GCSE ranking ranks the school out of 6683, which feels about right (including independent and selective). All Locratings data is drawn from DfE for results (you can click through to the source data) and local authorities for catchment (from last distance offered where applicable etc). I wouldn't get too hung up on it. It's an indicator, but not the complete picture.

Example here if useful

@12345change - spot on, need a non selective back up which is what I'm trying to determine: where can you base yourself that you're on the door of a decent non selective state and have the option (without a hellish commute) for a decent grammar. That's the key.

Re Tiffin girls, the School's Inner Area comprises the following electoral ward:
Berrylands
Canbury Gardens
Coombe Hill
Coombe Vale
Green Lane & St James
Kingston Gate Kingston Town
New Malden Village
Norbiton
St Mark's & Seething Wells
Surbiton Hill
Tudor
Ham, Petersham and Richmond Riverside

It goes out as far as Mitcham in the "designate" outer area but have heard this is much less likely. The boys seems to have a broader area - "All applicants who live less than 10km from Tiffin School live in the Priority Areal"

@Trickleg - yes sorry, think you're right about Wilson's, I was recalling Wallington girls grammar that does have a distance criteria.

Tiffin Girls catchment goes as far as Wimbledon and (very, very bright) girls regularly get in from there, btw.

Honestly, if grammar schools are your thing head for the elevenplusexams forum on their website. Prepare to be terrified by it though

@Trickleg yes, the putter area does and goes even further (mitcham). Thanks - have had a look there already

@LDNmeetsSurrey if you don't mind me asking, are you quite new to the UK?

@beztees - bizarre question. No, i was born in London and have lived here my whole life. Why?

It really depends on your budget and personal preferences… North Kingston is great but then so are parts of Wimbledon, Richmond, Worcester Park etc. all which will probably fulfill your requirements. Best to pick an area and then come back and ask for views on particular schools in that area.

Just because you seem a little naive.

No worries. Good luck!

If your looking at Kingston you would really need to be either Surbiton or North Kingston… as central Kingston and parts of Norbiton seem to be no man’s land and children end up at Hollyfield school which is not that popular. Although it has made great improvements in the past 5-10 years its last Ofsted was good.

@beztees naive? About what? I'm just asking questions... what an odd thing to say

Teddington and Grey Court have terrible reputations for drugs and bullying. Or at least they did when looking at schools for my son 6 years ago.

@12345change thank helpful. North Kingston does seem to be strong base to apply from (as well as a nice area of London)

@Fiddlersgreen interesting to hear. I'll look into that. Thank you