Where to live for both parents commuting to London?

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Daogroupie
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Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Herts

Re: Where to live for both parents commuting to London?

Post by Daogroupie »

Lots of great primary schools in Potters Bar with students doing really well. One Potters Bar primary had the student that came joint second at QE this year and another single class entry has 4 with academic places at DAO this year who got either HBS or QE and Latymer as well and another has 2 going to DAO in a single class entry both of whom also got QE

Wonder how many Barnet schools can match that?

Hatfield also has great primary schools and good commute to London and DAO and QE.

Watford has a consortium with one exam for seven different schools.

If you are prepared to move you can sit the non catchment schools all around London.

If your dd is academic as you think she is I would have thought she should manage to get one of them.

Forget distance places. Much better to sit the exams for the non catchment schools and move to the area where you secure a place. DG
Last edited by Daogroupie on Mon Apr 23, 2018 3:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Guest55
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Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Where to live for both parents commuting to London?

Post by Guest55 »

sandy09 wrote:Thanks Guest55. The school in question has been in special measures for years. Attainment 8 score for high attainers is just over 50%.
Attainment 8 isn't a percentage .. it can't be your only local option.
doodles
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Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:19 pm

Re: Where to live for both parents commuting to London?

Post by doodles »

How about coming this way towards Kent.

Sevenoaks has really easy commuting into the both the City and the West End (25 mins by train) great primary school and GS options and easy M25 access.
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad !
sandy09
Posts: 34
Joined: Tue May 23, 2017 1:54 pm

Re: Where to live for both parents commuting to London?

Post by sandy09 »

Thanks DG

I've been thinking the same, ie becoming accidental 11 plus tourists going for non catchment places.

I tried DC1 on some 9-10 Bond papers and she managed very well despite no preparation so far, so I hope with preparation next year she can secure some places then we will move.

Next question is, since I want to focus attention on types of tests, which grammar school is close to non selective schools that if my DC2 is non academic he might still flourish? Grammar schools with no catchment are notoriously difficult to get it.

Maybe I'm asking too much and should just take whatever comes without thinking too far into the future. Looking at DCs being so happy where they are now we just hope whatever decision we make they will still be happy like this.
Last edited by sandy09 on Mon Apr 23, 2018 5:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
sandy09
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Joined: Tue May 23, 2017 1:54 pm

Re: Where to live for both parents commuting to London?

Post by sandy09 »

Thanks doodles

Never thought of going that far but will consider. Are the trains reliable? My impression, which could be wrong, about places outside London is that it doesnt suit both parents commuting. If one works locally and one commuting then it's doable.
doodles wrote:How about coming this way towards Kent.

Sevenoaks has really easy commuting into the both the City and the West End (25 mins by train) great primary school and GS options and easy M25 access.
doodles
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Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:19 pm

Re: Where to live for both parents commuting to London?

Post by doodles »

It's really not that far. Sevenoaks to London Bridge is 27 minutes and trains go to both Waterloo/Charing Cross and Cannon Street, there's even a coach into Canary Wharf which DH used to get and cut his commute time considerably.

Many families here have two parents working in London, it's is very doable.

Worth looking into.
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad !
sandy09
Posts: 34
Joined: Tue May 23, 2017 1:54 pm

Re: Where to live for both parents commuting to London?

Post by sandy09 »

Thanks doodles

Which grammar schools are accessible from Sevenoaks? I only know of the private school which looks amazing with co-ed and IB offerings.

One more thing, how is it like living within walking distance to the station?
doodles
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Re: Where to live for both parents commuting to London?

Post by doodles »

Boys or girls? As the accessible gs are single-sex.
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad !
PettswoodFiona
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Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2014 11:24 pm
Location: Petts Wood, Bromley, Kent

Re: Where to live for both parents commuting to London?

Post by PettswoodFiona »

SE London has grammars too, Bexley just requires a pass and then it is distance and Bromley Borough has two superselectives in Orpington (Newstead Wood for girls and St Olaves for boys). Many from the borough also head into Kent but usually as they are Out of County (OOC) they have to get a higher score to gain access to the likes of Dartford or Tonbridge. Good train links into London including Charing Cross for the West End, Cannon Street for the City, Victoria and Blackfriars. Orpington has an excellent comprehensive in Darrick Wood (not to be confused with the junior school of the same name). As Orpington only has the two superselectives and is on the edge of other grammar areas whilst it does lose its brightest to some of the grammars there are still bright children in the comprehensives so it is very unlike Kent in that regard. Some further in like in Beckenham choose to stick with excellent comprehensives like Langley Park to avoid the commute.
Sorrel
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Re: Where to live for both parents commuting to London?

Post by Sorrel »

Sevenoaks is good for Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells grammars - there are several, as well as the annex for Weald of Kent GS in Sevenoaks itself. Also easy reach for St Olaves and Newstead in Orpington (I'd think you're in the 9 mile catchment for Newstead?)
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