The location

Public transport in the UK is, in general, pleasant, safe and reliable; however, the number of people making use of the various services may take some getting used to. The closest train stations to the Francis Crick Institute are Euston, King's Cross and St Pancras, some of the largest in London.

You can plan a journey and find out how much it will cost in London using the TFL fare finder. All public transport in London is overseen by Transport for London (TFL).

London Underground

The London underground, or 'tube', is one of the best ways of getting around the city. The service is safe, reliable and runs between 5 am and 12:30 am, with several lines running 24-hour services over the weekend.

London Bus Network

London has a vast network of buses and night buses, covering almost all areas of the city. To ride a bus, you must use an Oyster card or contactless bank card, but unlike tubes and trains, there is no need to "tap out" when you get off the bus. Buses only stop if a stop button is pressed, or if a pedestrian at a bus stop raises an arm to hail the bus (showing that they wish to board).

Overground, DLR and Rail Networks

Alongside buses and tubes, you can also travel via train. London has several different train networks: Docklands Light Railway (DLR), which operates predominantly in East London; Overground, which is primarily in areas of Greater London; and the national rail network, which includes both London trains and trains throughout the UK.

There are various ways to pay your fare on public transport in and outside of London.

Oyster Card

An Oyster card is a plastic smartcard that carries pay-as-you-go credit for public transport in London. To get an Oyster card you must pay a £5 deposit; this can be done at most stations or online. You can register your Oyster card with a TFL account to track your journeys, top-up, apply for refunds and generate expense receipts if needed.

Students can apply for an 18+ Student Oyster photocard if they are studying at a university in London to save 30% on TFL public transport. Find out how to apply here.

If you have a Railcard (more information on this below), you can also connect this to your Oyster for a third off Off-Peak Day travel.

Contactless

You can use a contactless bank card to tap-in for public transport in London and some cities in the rest of the UK, either using a physical card or mobile payments. Information on which cards and mobile payments are eligible to be used on public transport can be found here. As with the Oyster card, you can register a TFL account associated with your bank account and track your journeys, apply for refunds and receive expense receipts.

Season Tickets

If you expect to make the same regular journey by train, you may benefit from purchasing a season or flexi-season ticket through National Rail. For information about purchasing a season ticket please visit this page.

Crick employees and PhD students can apply for interest-free loans to buy season tickets.

Railcards

The Railcard scheme offers a range of discounts for under 30s, families, couples, disabled people, seniors and veterans. Typically, Railcards offer 1/3 off rail fares and more information on the different types of Railcard can be found here.

Students who are over 25 are eligible for the 16-15 Railcard as mature students.

One-Off Tickets

You can purchase tickets for journeys outside of your season ticket and the TFL zone online or at a station.

Many Londoners cycle or walk to work.

Cycling

A large number of Londoners commute to work via bike. This can be a little stressful but the increasing number of cycle lanes and cyclists is making cycling safer, and is often faster than taking the bus. Note that, bikes cannot be taken onto a train during rush hour, unless it is a folding bike.

There is a Crick benefit scheme for buying bikes - more information is available here. Alongside owning your own bike, there are a wide range of bike hire schemes such as Santander and Lime, which are listed here.

The Crick offers a cycle route share scheme for cyclists to share their routes for getting to the Crick and find a buddy cyclist.

There is also a secure bike park with a bike pump, tools and a bike lock storage rack at the Crick.

Walking

Many Londoners walk at least a part of their journey to work. You can find a map of the walking times between London stations here.

Visiting the prospective area at different times of day will give an idea of how safe it feels.

• The Metropolitan Police Force provides an online crime map to view crime statistics in a specific area.
• Or you can use this street checker to look up information about a specific street.

Early Years

This is for ages 3-4 and aims to ensure basic literacy and numeracy among all pupils as well as laying the groundwork in science, mathematics and English.

Primary School

The first two years, ages 5-7, are known as Key Stage 1. This may also be referred to as an infant school.

Key Stage 2 runs for the remaining years of primary school, ages 7-11. This may be called a junior school, and will usually be linked to an infant school. During Key Stage 2 a formal nationwide test called SATs (Standard Assessment Tasks) is taken by most children.

Secondary school

Ages 11-14 is Key Stage 3, with students being introduced to a greater range of subjects.

Key Stage 4 is the remainder of secondary school, ages 14-16. This period ends with the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), a range of external examinations taken by all students in their final year of secondary school. There are alternative examinations offered at some but not all schools, such as the Baccalaureate or International GCSE.

Further Education

In England, after the school year students turn 16, they must be enrolled in one of the following until the age of 18:

• Full-time education, typically to gain A-Level or BTEC qualifications.
• Apprenticeship or traineeship.
• Part-time education or training and 20 hours or more a week working or volunteering.

There are many different types of school in Britain. A selection of the most common ones are listed here:

Community or Local Authority Maintained Schools

These schools receive Local Authority funding and follow the national curriculum. Most schools are this type.

Academies & Free Schools

These schools are run by not-for-profit academy trusts, funded directly by the government, and are not required to adhere to the national curriculum.

Grammar Schools

Grammars schools are similarly state-funded, but unlike the above, select their students based on academic ability and usually require an admissions test.

Independent and International Schools

These schools charge fees to attend, rather than being funded by the government. They are governed and operated by the school itself, with some regulation and inspection by the government body Ofsted. International schools are also fee-paying, have a focus on languages and will typically use the Baccalaureate scheme instead of GCSEs and A levels.

The quality of local childcare varies across London. Spaces are normally in demand and childcare is not usually available for free.

Costs vary but expect to pay on average £321 a week in London. In England, you may be eligible for 30 hours free childcare if your child is 3 to 4 years old, information on how to apply and eligibility can be found here. Some caregivers may also be eligible for free childcare for children aged 2, you can use this calculator to assess what childcare assistance you could receive.

Registered childcare is regulated by Ofsted (the Office for Standards in Education, which regulates services that provide education). To find out about childcare services in an area, the Family and Childcare Trust is a good place to get local information, or the Government website, which lists what childcare can be used with free childcare support. 

Types of Childcare

There are many types of childcare services available in London. A few of the most popular are:

Nurseries

These come in many forms. They can be independent or council run, and many are attached to primary schools. They normally offer full day and breakfast and after-school services. All are Ofsted inspected, with reports accessible here.

Childminders

Self-employed child carers who will look after children under 8 in their own home. Childminders are usually paid a negotiable hourly rate and must be registered with Ofsted.

Nannies and home carers

Are employed by parents to care for children at the family home. The costs can vary depending on whether they live in the home, how many hours they work, and whether they perform any other duties, such as cleaning. Parents are responsible for checking their references as there is no regulator Ofsted inspection. The Association of Nanny Agencies is a good place to search for local service.