# Life in London with young family?



## cldnlvssr (Aug 24, 2008)

Hi

My husband, our two children and I have moved to Huddersfield (near Manchester and Leeds) from Canada three years ago. We have been happy ever since. There might be a job opening for my husband in London and we are considering moving there.

We have a 3 and a 5 years old and have only one income which is around 40 000 pounds. We know we wouldn't be able to send our children to a private school but we are wondering if there are nice and safe areas in London (or around) were we might find a good public school. I know there are website with ratings and all but I am not interested in the grades but in the behavior of the pupils. Can anybody help? Anybody with young children living in a nice area and near a good school?

Thanks

Clo


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## MichelleAlison (Aug 25, 2007)

cldnlvssr said:


> Hi
> 
> My husband, our two children and I have moved to Huddersfield (near Manchester and Leeds) from Canada three years ago. We have been happy ever since. There might be a job opening for my husband in London and we are considering moving there.
> 
> ...


Hi Clo and welcome to the forum.

Don't forget London is so big, you need to tell us what part of London your husband might be working before people can give their advice.

Regards

Michelle


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## Deeana (Jul 13, 2008)

Hi, welcome and congratulations on being offered a job in London. If it's in central London you will probably prefer to live in a suburb and have your husband commute, and you need to allow for the cost of this, which can be considerable, both in money and time. When you say public schools I presume you mean state schools (equivalent to public schools in Canada!) and not the very expensive so-called public schools we have in the UK.
I am in education myself, and I don't have a lot of faith in the current system in the UK - the league tables are not necessarily a good picture of what happens in schools. Suburbs like Sevenoaks, a town about 30 minutes by train from London, in Kent, are reputed to have good schools with well behaved pupils. It's a minefield out there. You might find some information at :
The ParentsCentre Forum: Home
Good luck!


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## cldnlvssr (Aug 24, 2008)

Hi Michelle

My husband would be working in central London but we are prepared to live in the suburbs. We are used to commuting and this shouldn't be a problem. Our main concern is to find an area where the children could feel safe and be happy (safe state school, nice green areas, other families...)

Thank you for your help! Like you said, London is such a big city, I don't know where to start!

Clo

Deeana:
Yes I do mean "state school" (I do still get mixed up with the different terms in Canada and the UK). Our children are in a very, very good state school here in Huddersfield. We are wondering if we can find something similar in the greater London. 

I'll have a look at the link.
Thank you!


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## KhwaamLap (Feb 29, 2008)

One consideration is the cost of purchasing/renting a property in London. The nicest parts of Kent and Essex can get expensive too. I have a house in a village called West Kingsdown (just past Brandshatch). The local state school is a village school and is excellent (both for grades and behaviour). There are also several grammar schools in the area (with bus services to take them there - paid for by the council). House prices vary enormously - there are cheap rabbit hutch (modern detatched so called executive homes with iny rooms and garden) from just a couple of hundred K - up to full manor houses with eleven rooms for 4 million!
So depends what you want. The bus service is almost non existant (as it is in most villages in Kent these days), so a car is need for supermarkets (a few nearby) and the train. Nearest station is about 5 miles away, but as its outside zone 6, it may be worthwhile driving on a bit to St Mary's Cray where it is much cheaper. 
The village has good views (opposite my house there is nothing but fields - but behind my house is a lot of houses (See here in Google Maps: 51.342472, 0.264122 - this is my house  ). There are local shops (including CO-OP, Post Office/papershop, chippie/chinese, Butcher/Baker, Florist, Hardware, etc) and a fairly good (and very freindly) library. For the kids there is a swing park with field (no dogs allowed) and another large field next to the library with skating park and youth centre (indoor and outdoor sports) etc.
There is very little trouble (we have our our policewoman - everyone knows by name too - and a community policeman). Get in while the housing crises keeps the prices low. 
PS: I am selling too (we live in Bangkok, and no longer want a UK house) - so can let you have the details too if you're interested (PM me if you are)

Buyers world right now, so happy hunting.

I have lived in many parts of Kent and South East London, but I loved West Kingsdown the best - and the kids loved it too.

Oh, one thing to remember about commuting - as to travel time, distance from London makes very little difference. I used to live in Bexleyheath, its much closer to London, but because the trains stop so much, they are all slow - it takes about an hour, whereas from Swanley (outside Zone 6) it takes about half that! Trains further out often run fast and can match this time though they are much further afield.


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## Deeana (Jul 13, 2008)

KhwaamLap said:


> One consideration is the cost of purchasing/renting a property in London. The nicest parts of Kent and Essex can get expensive too. I have a house in a village called West Kingsdown (just past Brandshatch). The local state school is a village school and is excellent (both for grades and behaviour). There are also several grammar schools in the area (with bus services to take them there - paid for by the council). House prices vary enormously - there are cheap rabbit hutch (modern detatched so called executive homes with iny rooms and garden) from just a couple of hundred K - up to full manor houses with eleven rooms for 4 million!
> So depends what you want. The bus service is almost non existant (as it is in most villages in Kent these days), so a car is need for supermarkets (a few nearby) and the train. Nearest station is about 5 miles away, but as its outside zone 6, it may be worthwhile driving on a bit to St Mary's Cray where it is much cheaper.
> The village has good views (opposite my house there is nothing but fields - but behind my house is a lot of houses (See here in Google Maps: 51.342472, 0.264122 - this is my house  ). There are local shops (including CO-OP, Post Office/papershop, chippie/chinese, Butcher/Baker, Florist, Hardware, etc) and a fairly good (and very freindly) library. For the kids there is a swing park with field (no dogs allowed) and another large field next to the library with skating park and youth centre (indoor and outdoor sports) etc.
> There is very little trouble (we have our our policewoman - everyone knows by name too - and a community policeman). Get in while the housing crises keeps the prices low.
> ...


Interesting. I was raised in Swanley and went to school in the local area and know West Kingsdown well. My father recently died in a nursing home there. I don't have a house there, Clo, but I do have good local knowledge.
Deeana.


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## cldnlvssr (Aug 24, 2008)

Thank you KhwaamLap and Deeana.

This area sounds great! But if you say that we need a car, this place is not for us. We never owned a car, we don't want a car. We've always travelled by bus, train, sometimes taxi, and we do rent a car sometimes. But I can't imagine my life needing a car to go around and do things with the kids, or only to do my shopping. I don't mind walking fairly good distances (and our children are very good walkers) but buying a car is not a compromise I am ready to make.

I am sure that this place is really nice. I'm glad that you both had good times in that area.

Hope to find something as good as this one where I can get to on public transportation! ;-)

Clo


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## Deeana (Jul 13, 2008)

cldnlvssr said:


> Thank you KhwaamLap and Deeana.
> 
> This area sounds great! But if you say that we need a car, this place is not for us. We never owned a car, we don't want a car. We've always travelled by bus, train, sometimes taxi, and we do rent a car sometimes. But I can't imagine my life needing a car to go around and do things with the kids, or only to do my shopping. I don't mind walking fairly good distances (and our children are very good walkers) but buying a car is not a compromise I am ready to make.
> 
> ...


Hi, I think many people would say - with justification - that you don't ABSOLUTELY need a car ANYWHERE in the outskirts of London, if you are prepared to walk good distances, and to use the alternatives you mention. Personally I don't have any feelings either way about the Swanley/West Kingsdown area, which are very similar to most outer London suburbs, and wouldn't recommend it over any other similar suburb.  But Swanley does have a good train service to central London and a good bus service, so you wouldn't need a car if you lived there.


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