Looking for a village or town in catchment area for good primary and secondary schools...

[1000cals]

We've got four children and live in a 3 bedroom flat in London. The time has finally come for us to admit that we can't afford to live in London any more. Where's a good village or town to move to that's in the catchment area for good primary and secondary schools?

Any advice would be heartily appreciated.

[thisisyesterday]

crawley? horsham?

[MillyMollyMoo]

Where in the country do you want to be ?

[1000cals]

We need to be commuting distance from London - that's about all our requirements.

[Sexonlegs]

Chandlers Ford

[1000cals]

Where's Chandlers Ford? What's the local secondary school.

[Sexonlegs]

Sorry. Chandlers Ford is in Hampshire, near Winchester. The secondary school is Thornden School. It is superb.

[Egg]

winchester.

[1000cals]

What are the local schools like in Winchester? I thought it was a bit far to commute to London. No?

[nowwearefour]

Oxted/ Hurst Green in Surrey. Great commute and some of the best schools in the country.

[1000cals]

Fee paying schools? Or is there a local secondary school?

[nowwearefour]

The schools I was talking about are the state schools- really fantastic ones. There are fee paying ones but the local secondary is in Oxted itself and is just great. Look it up- Oxted County I think it is called. We had a choice of 3 ofsted outstanding schools for infants too....

[Sexonlegs]

Not sure about Winchester schools. Eastleigh (the nearest main line station to Chandlers Ford) to Waterloo is 1 hr 15 mins.

[1000cals]

Nowwearefour - will take a look at the Ofsted reports for Oxted - sounds tempting.

[1000cals]

Sexonlegs - an hour and a quarter is a bit too long a commute for us - was hoping for something under an hour away.

[GhoulsAreLoud]

Gerrards Cross and surrounding areas. Most of it is megabucks to buy in but not all.

[1000cals]

Is Gerrards Cross in Buckinghamshire? Don't know that area but heard that there are lots of good schools in that county.

[GhoulsAreLoud]

Yes it's Bucks, the grammar schools are v good but the normal comps are too I think.

[Ewe]

I am often on here extolling it's virtues but Epsom/Ashtead/Ewell in Surrey is a good commute - just over 30mins to Waterloo, direct trains to Victoria - 40mins, and London Bridge -infrequent and take a while.

Wallace Fields is an outstanding infant and primary. St Joseph's Catholic school in Epsom (if you are Catholic, obv) and St Giles' in Ashted are both outstanding too.

Secondary you have Rosebery for girls and Glyn for boys or you could try for local grammar schools - Nonsuch (girls) and Sutton Grammar (boys).

[GrendelsMum]

No-one's yet said Cambridge. Excellent primary and secondary schools, both state and fee-paying, within commuting distance of London.

I believe Saffron Walden also has very good schools.

But both are pricey, and commuting costs a lot.

[nowwearefour]

let us know what you think when you have done some research! we find that once people come to this area they rarely choose to move away except for work relocation reasons. but epsom/ ewell is a good area too. and walton/ weybridge in surrey as well. but oxted def gets my vote!

[lurkingdad]

Winchester schools are quite good. I think all of them get over 80% passes (but don't quote me do your own checks )
The train to London is between an hour and 50 minutes into Waterloo depending which train you get.

[jeanjeannie]

Think hard about Bucks - it's turning into a nightmare to get into an even half decent primary school. The grammars are brilliant but many of the pupils come from neighbouring Berkshire and most pupils come from the top primaries or private.

The secondarys do not have a particularly good reputation. Not being negative as I live here - but it's turning into a nightmare. Personally I'd go to Berkshire!

[CarGirl]

Weybridge

[flashharriet]

[flashharriet]

not at weybridge obv