sandy09 wrote:
Hi
Both DH and I work full time in the City. We are currently living one of London boroughs with very good primary schools however secondary schools in our catchment are underperforming, rated Inadequate and Requiring improvement, with well below average Progress 8 scores. Better performing schools in the borough are faith schools which we won't qualify.
DC1 is 9 and DC2 is 5. DC1 is quite academic so we're thinking of grammar schools. DC2 just started school so we're going to wait and see. Nearest grammar schools are 20 miles away, in the other direction from London. So we are looking for places to live in London with grammar schools (ideally no catchment so we can move after results, if not we can move next year to be in catchment), very good primary schools, and within less than one hour door to door commute and reliable trains. Also since we're waiting to see if grammar schools would suit DC2, we want to be in catchment of good non-faith secondary schools as well. Budget wise we could afford up to £800k.
Would appreciate any advice/recommendations.
Hi
May I just point out that wanting a grammar school with no catchment, so that you don't have to move until after results and wanting to be in catchment for a great non-selective school in case the results aren't good enough, may be a little fraught? Unless you had proof of an in catchment address by October 31st, you would have to apply for secondary school from your current address and would only have until about January 12th at the latest to get said proof of local address in order to be considered on that address for the non-selective school in the March 1st allocations (for a non-catchment grammar, it wouldn't matter where you applied from, unless your DC tied for last place).
Also, if your new address was a considerable distance from your DCs' current school and they were still apparently attending that school (you had not asked the new LA for primary places for them together with providing proof of your new address, for instance), the new LA might suspect, and investigate you for, address fraud. You would have to be completely ready to Peter tier with your previous address within the required time frame.
After all that - Chelmsford is quite nice, has grammar schools accessible to non catchment applicants, is an easy commute into Liverpool St and most of the non-selective schools are okay. There are also non-catchment grammar schools in Colchester which your DC could access, also grammar schools in the Borough of Southend with guaranteed OOC places, with transport available if they don't mind sitting on a coach for a while each way. Travel by train is also possible and more flexible. Or somewhere near to Shenfield station, from where all the Essex / Southend grammar schools are more or less accessible.