Hi, Canary Wharf is in the main a relatively quiet suburb of mainly newish housing and some renovated Victorian warehouses into some rather nice apartments. It has good and easy rail and bus links to the city and is one of the less expensive areas in short commuting distance.
I work in Schools in London but Canary Wharf is not on my remit so I will give you some pointers in the right direction.
Firstly understand the school system in the UK.
All schooling up to college or university level is free to all and in the main if in a good caring school your children will thrive. I went through this system and earnt a Phd. My young niece also has recently graduated with honours using the state system. To a large amount private paid for schools are snob value here and do not guarantee results. A good way to check out the best schools in your area will be to google Ofsted Reports. These are regular reports on all schools in the UK and list how good the school is, the percentages concerning children with English as a second language, the percentage of handicapped children etc. It also gives the percentage of children passing exams and at what level the passes were..
The students are broken into 3 groups, the third group breaking into a further 3 depending on the child's abilities.
Age 5 to 7 years 1-3 are infant school
Age 7 to 10 years 4-6 are Junior school
In year 6 they sit a SATs test which determines along with other factors their eligibility for grammar school
If unable to make the grade for grammar, which is set very high you will have a choice of secondary school or technical school. Both follow the same curriculum but the technical school will have a greater leaning towards technology.
There is no selective process to say a child in grammar school will take priority place at uni, it depends entirely on the child's grade and standing in their chosen school so the system is very fair.
I also believe the education the the good schools to be as good or better than the education received in similar schools in the USA.
All schools will allow you to look over them with a senior staff member if you request an appointment but be aware that very many schools, especially in London are oversubscribed.
Personally, I would look for a longer commute and a school outside the city as a better option. I moved from Westminster to Kent just before the birth of my son as I was not happy bringing a child up in the city.
Good luck, happy hunting

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