Decent schools in Eastbourne / Brighton / South coast - which are the good ones?

[lowrib]

We're thinking of moving to the English south coast, and I'm wondering about primary schools.

Can anyone give me the lowdown on which are the good state schools and which to avoid perhaps?

Incidentally I learnt on a recent thread that I need to qualify what I mean by a good school as ideas seem to differ!

So .. by a good school, I mean one that has a decent head, and a committed and lovely staff, and provides a stimulating, enjoyable environment and a good education for the pupils.

I'm not asking which school has the best SATs results necessarily.

DS will be 2 this year and although school seems like a long way off I'm learning I need to start planning pretty soon!

All advice gratefully received!

TIA

[Pollyanna]

I think you need to think about where you would most like to live first and then consider schools in those areas.

I live in Brighton and there are some good schools here, but you can probably say the same for the other places you mention.

[lowrib]

It's chicken and egg though isn't it?!
Where the good schools are will have bearing on to where we move to.

I'd really like to live in Brighton or thereabouts, but we'll almost definitely move to Eastbourne at first at least because our money will go much further there.

By the time DS gets to schools age we may have decided we like Eastbourne enough to stay, or might have moved into Brighton, or (if I've learnt to drive!) we might live somewhere out of town.

Hence my general request - sorry!

Or is the south coast one of the magical areas that schools aren't generally oversubscribed in, and are all generally good, so people don't have to play this game of moving into catchment areas of the few good schools?

[lowrib]

Or we may relocate somewhere completely different, but that's another thread all together!

[ArcticRoll]

Sorry don't know anything about Eastbourne but in Brighton there are lots of good infant/juniors/ primaries-Balfour, Downs, Elm Grove, Stanford and others but check catchment areas.

[LleytonsMummy]

I live nr Lymington which is on the South Coast best of both worlds the sea and New forest on your doorstep schools are very good too.. Let me know if you want anymore info

[lowrib]

Thanks for that ArticRoll, good to hear there's lots of good schools, sounds very positive.

Mmmmm arctic roll.
oops, I digress!

I googled Lymington, LleytonsMummy - it looks lovely! It's just a bit too far west for us though unfortunately.