sussex school and towns

[demontrond]

We are planning to move to sussex due to my DH's job. He will be based in Horsham. We have two DDs aged 11 and 14 and are looking for a school/location combination. We would like a independent secondary school with no saturday classes ideally no further than 30 mins from home. The home should in turn be no more than 45 mins from Horsham.
We like to live not far from a nice small town with good rail links to london and airports.
Has anyone got any good ideas either for schools or good places to live.

[Labro]

that sort of area, independent schools are
Farlington (girls)
Hurstpierpoint (co-ed)
Brighton
Ardingly (co-ed)

or if you cross over the Surrey border
Cranleigh
St Catherines

closest to Horsham is Farlington.

You also have Millais, which is state all girls but highly thought of.

the others Lancing, Worth, Christs Hospital all have Saturday school

Theres a lot of nice villages around Horsham, but be aware that with teenage girls the transport links after around 6pm get very ropey.

[Labro]

oh and theres Seaford College over at Petworth

[demontrond]

thanks a lot, we dont need to live in horsham can go up to 1 hour away if the schools are easier. is there anywhere you would recommend from this list

[Mutteroo]

It really depends on what sort of school you want as there's many to choose from. Are you looking for academic, or sporty or all rounder schools? Do you want your daughters to attend the same school & would you consider state options? Have you had a look around the area & pinpointed any particular areas of than Horsham?

Good rail links on the Brighton to London route with a selection of towns & villages to choose from. Haywards Heath or Burgess Hill might be a practical option as not too far from Horsham. You've got Burgess Hill school for girls, Hurst & Ardingly on your doorstep. Burgess Hill do not have Saturday school. Your daughters could also consider Brighton & Hove High, Roedean or Brighton College (if you can get places!) thanks to that good rail link. Good mini bus service for most independent schools. The Towers Convent school is another all girls choice in Steyning. No sixth form, however there are some excellent state sixth form colleges in Sussex to choose from.

You really are spoilt for choice & so its up to you to decide where you would feel more comfortable living.

[demontrond]

thanks Mutt and Lab.
As you said Brighton college is now full for sept 2013 and Ive just read a thread about Brighton and Hove that sounded awful about lack of care and communication with parents...and a paedophile teacher!

To tell you the truth I am quite lost with school choices.We re looking for obviously a very good school academically (girls are bright) but also all rounder as our girls play the violin (grade 6 level) and love sport and particularly the outdoors.
Ideally Id love to live not far from the school so they could have friends locally rather than me ferrying them around like I seem to do constantly.

Now where to live will depend first on the school choice but
id love somewhere safe, with a great community feel and...well nice!
This is why I wasn't keen on Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill which dont look very pretty and have more of a dormitory feel. I'm very sorry if I offend anybody here but that was the impression I had.
Do please tell me if I'm wrong!!!

Coming from Derbyshire the coast was appealing with Brighton, chichester or even Lewes but if I juggle nice school, nice area and commute to Horsham for Dh nothing springs to mind.

Oh I sound now very fussy and snobby but I promise I'm a nice mum who wants the best for her family.
HELP!!!!!
Really,really looking forwards to your comments!

[ShipwreckedAndComatose]

All of the schools mentioned would meet those needs. And the state schools Millais, Tanbridge House and The Weald will also as they are excellent academically and will give your DC friends locally (in order here of closest to Horsham). nearest private school would be Farlington, as mentioned, which has an excellent rep too.

I think what you are best doing is seeing some of these schools and working out what you are personally looking for. We really are very spoilt for choice here

[badgerhead]

I would agree Farlington is the closest indie girls school to Horsham, but do not discount Millais which is the towns Outstanding all girls secondary. They have a top flight hockey team and the music support service in the county run an orchestra which practices at Millais and is very well thought of. Although Millais doesn't have a sixth form (none of the state schools in Horsham do) the town is well served by Collyer's (6th form college) and other sixth forms in surrounding towns. My dd's both went to & go to Millais & dd1 then went onto The Weald sixth form in Billingshurst where she flourished & dd2 more than likely going there in September. Please have a good look around the area, girls travel into Millais on buses from surrounding villages for school but come the evenings public transport is lacking so it definitely becomes the bus/taxi of mum & dad.

[Clavinova]

Dorking or Reigate in Surrey are very pleasant small towns and only a 20-30 minute drive from Horsham (motorway or A roads). Reigate Grammar School (indie co-ed grammar) is both academic and very musical and has great sporting facilities as well, although these are a short mini bus ride away - don't be put off by the concrete playground on site! Both towns are within easy reach of London and Gatwick airport; Dorking has a Waitrose and its own theatre and is surrounded by beautiful countryside (Box Hill, National Trust and Denbies Vineyard) and Reigate has quite a buzz with cafes/restaurants, boutiques and a small independent cinema. Both towns are small, safe and popular with families.

[Clavinova]

I had another thought about schools. If you move to Dorking, then City of London Freemen's School in Ashtead would not be too far away either;an excellent co-ed indie which is academic and sporty although it does have the reputation of being quite hard to gain entry unless you join at age 7.

[MABS]

Hurst is a great schoool and would tick your boxes i feel.