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We will be moving to the London area with two kids - 6 and 7 years olds. My job is in Guildford. I am trying to figure out what would be best for the kids and check the areas. Any idea how we should start looking for schools?
We are pretty much the type of people that like to be in the middle of everything and would like to have access to everything that London offers however the kids are priority number one.
Shall we consider staying in Guildford or go for London?
Guildford is a pretty nice town. It is a decent size with a good town center, lots of nightlife and good transport into London. I lived in the center for about a year and commuted to Woking (about 20 minutes on the train from what I remember). The train station is centrally located and has good links to almost everywhere. There is a good size university there also.
As for living in London - if you really want to live there and experience London then you could live there and commute in. However, you will find almost everyone else going the opposite direction! London is very expensive, far higher than Guildford. I don't know what your budget is, but renting a place big enough for a family will be very expensive in London. However, if you want to work in Guildford and then travel into London for day visits etc then it is very easy.
We will be moving to the London area with two kids - 6 and 7 years olds. My job is in Guildford. I am trying to figure out what would be best for the kids and check the areas. Any idea how we should start looking for schools?
We are pretty much the type of people that like to be in the middle of everything and would like to have access to everything that London offers however the kids are priority number one.
Shall we consider staying in Guildford or go for London?
I will appreciate your suggestions.
Thanks!
You'd be right in the middle of the Surrey heartland as far as upper middle class schooling options are concerned, so it'll be an embarrassment of riches as far as secondary school options are concerned, from state-funded grammar schools to prestigious private schools. I can't speak for elementary schools, but if you are looking at a long term future in or near Guildford for your children, I would say it would definitely be preferable to Inner London.
You can check national league tables for how these schools perform objectively, to get a vague idea of where to start looking.
Any idea where to look for elementary schools there? Thanks!
a good start point is ofsted site, reasonably accurate and unlike where I live in the USA is not written on parents opinions. However go check out schools for yourself as firm believer in chose the school that suits your child and you will get a feel visiting them. Site is Find an Ofsted inspection report Can search by primary (elementary) and high schools/secondary (middle/high school)
Can put in postcodes and distance and will bring up closest schools
a good start point is ofsted site, reasonably accurate and unlike where I live in the USA is not written on parents opinions. However go check out schools for yourself as firm believer in chose the school that suits your child and you will get a feel visiting them. Site is Find an Ofsted inspection report Can search by primary (elementary) and high schools/secondary (middle/high school)
Can put in postcodes and distance and will bring up closest schools
Doing an ofsted report search with the narrowest radius parameter (5 mi) from around Guildford will bring up literally hundreds of results!
Doing an ofsted report search with the narrowest radius parameter (5 mi) from around Guildford will bring up literally hundreds of results!
You can narrow it down by setting the "provider" parameter to "primary" and "secondary". That will reduce it down to around a hundred primary and secondary schools in the Guildford-Kingston heartland. Maybe not the best starting point, though, I agree. Unless you're looking for schools specifically within walking distance of Guildford proper.
You can narrow it down by setting the "provider" parameter to "primary" and "secondary". That will reduce it down to around a hundred primary and secondary schools in the Guildford-Kingston heartland. Maybe not the best starting point, though, I agree. Unless you're looking for schools specifically within walking distance of Guildford proper.
which is what I said in my post originally. Plus if doing on postcode then narrows it down not town. We have hundreds where I come from but this is a useful tool and gives you a feel and description of the school. I would have thought walking would be a consideration. Traffic is murder at school run time and its the easiest option to be able to walk. I hate having to drive my kids to school here in the USA now as we are renting and not buying and so found it tricky finding a house near the school we decided to send our kids. Had no problem in the UK where we lived. Several great schools in walking distance and catchment.
Good luck
Doing an ofsted report search with the narrowest radius parameter (5 mi) from around Guildford will bring up literally hundreds of results!
That's Surrey for you. So many educational options within driving distance that you wouldn't know where to begin with web research, nested, geographically localised or otherwise. A lot of the knowledge regarding best schools is local/word of mouth within affluent established communities (many of whom went to the same schools) and social networks, so by the time the kids reach the age for secondary school they will have some reasonable idea of where best to send them.
That's Surrey for you. So many educational options within driving distance that you wouldn't know where to begin with web research, nested, geographically localised or otherwise. A lot of the knowledge regarding best schools is local/word of mouth within affluent established communities (many of whom went to the same schools) and social networks, so by the time the kids reach the age for secondary school they will have some reasonable idea of where best to send them.
Just use the national ranking tables, the ones that use multivariate predictive analysis. I know there's a lot written about their limitations, but as long as you're cognizant of them they help rule out the obvious under performers and reduce your checklist of options. Then you can start looking at school visits, qualitative reports, and word-of-mouth reputation to hone in on your final choice. Even then there are so many unknowns that parents can easily be confounded and led astray. Finding a good school for your kids is one of the most important decisions a family can make, but it's a minefield of potential uncertainties wherever you go.
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