Living in London - quiet suburbs?

Hi!

I'm moving to Britain from Perth (Australia) next April, planning to teach in London or its surrounds for a few years.

I'm hoping someone can tell me where some nice, fairly quiet suburbs are that would be good to live and teach in.

I'm not into pubs and clubs in the slightest and don't need to be close to cafes or restaurants. I'm happy to travel if I want those! I want to live somewhere that's reasonably inexpensive and family-oriented and a bit quieter than the general city. There still needs to be reasonable public transport, but since Perth's public transport is pretty sparse I'm sure even the outskirts of London will be better!

The recruitment company I'm going with will find me a job close to whichever area I choose, so that's not really a factor. I want to get my lifestyle sorted out first

Thanks to anyone who can give me advice. I'm open to any suggestions!

~ Chrisell