relocating to liverpool - secondary schools / areas to live?

[mandcharp]

Hi all - my dh has taken a job in (NW) Liverpool. This is my first bit of research! We have 8 and 5 yr old children. We want to choose an area to live based on good schools first (more concerned about secondary than primary)...dd has dyslexia so 11+ for grammar schools may be out of question?? So nurturing/smaller schools are good as that's what is working now. We need state schools, non fee paying.

We are currently living in a very lovely, beautiful, good mix of town/city/dales and is a very expensive part of N Yorkshire, with tons to do for families and I love it and will miss it...however... I am looking forward to finding a community that is more multicultural, creative, and diverse than the one I live in! But not so inner city that it's too built up - easy access to bike rides and walks and lots of trees / greenery around.

I've been impressed by the housing stock on offer after having a quick look. Have never seen bars and swimming pools on offer before!

Where would people suggest? secondary schools (DD and DS) / Green / family /creative / diverse / outdoors stuff close by???

Ideally 30 - 40 mins commute to NW Liverpool which doesn't seem to rule any area out

Thanks everyone

[SunburstsOrMarbleHalls]

Hi there, I can only comment on Wirral but hopefully some other posters can comment on other ares. If you dont get much of a response I would try posting on the main Chat forum.

Wirral has a good range of secondary schools both comprensive (secodary modern) and grammar schools. Please do not think that your DC's dyslexia would automatically mean they would not be a good fit for grammar as they may possibly have access to special arrangements to sit the 11+.
Local school performance can be found here www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/top-ten-schools-gcses-merseyside-17103815

Wirral is also a peninsular of two halves, areas to avoid are Birkenhead and surrounding areas which have high areas of deprivation . Some affluent areas are Heswall, Caldy, Thornton Hough, West Kirby, Gayton.

A drawback would be the lack of diversity as it has a long way to catch up with multicutural Liverpool. I would say that as such creative events are best found in Liverpool. As the Wirral is connected to Liverpool city centre the Mersey tunnels it is often quicket to get to the city centre quicker from Wirral than it is for many areas of Liverpool itself.

In the car you can rouhly get to the following places in under an hour.
Liverpool for events and diversity and shopping (15mins)
North Wales for breathtaking walks and scenary (30 mins)
Cheshire Oaks - largest designer outlet in the UK for shopping (20 mins)
Chester lovely historical city (25 mins)
Manchester (45 mins)

Lots of green space and opportunities to cycle and walk in areas such as the Wirral Way, also coastal walks, golf courses, sailing etc.