Primary Schools in and around York

[sarjam1]

Hello, we are moving back to the UK after some years abroad and will live in / around York. We are looking for a primary school for our daughters (start sept '18) and would welcome any tips We do not yet have a house so can consider any area, which is great, but doesn't help me narrow things down.

As the state schools seem to be pretty good I'd be happy with that if we can find 2 places, but if availability is a problem as we are applying late, then private is an option.

In terms of preference, I don't want too small a school, and preferably where the girls can be in separate classes. Nice if the school has decent playing fields for sports/outdoors activities.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions and recommendations!

[WildebeestH]

I think if you’re looking for two places at a state school the chances are that place availability is going to affect where you can move to more than anything else. Have you tried phoning the council to discuss this with them?

It would be useful to think about other things you’d like from an area - city vs village, gardens, budget, etc etc. We liked the South Bank area but none of the primary schools had places when we were moving, plus gardens are small and rare. By contrast the schools in the Fulford area sometimes have more availability because of the local army base (and families moving) and you can walk/cycle into town along the river. St Oswald’s has decent playing fields. Fishergate also has a good reputation. Most if not all schools in the area have more than one class per year.