Good Schools/ Location With Kids-NORTH BRISTOL

[eoreilly]

Hi
I will be starting a new job in the Bristol Business Park / Filton Road end of March 2016. We would like to make a choice regarding where to live based on good primary schools. We have been looking on the locrating.com. However it only gives us an idea regarding the ofsted report really. I am happy to commute to work as long as my children goes to a good school within walking distance. We have one 5 year old and one 3+1/2 year old. Watermore school at Frampton Cotterel and Sherston COFE School at Sherston has available places as well as available houses to rent nearby. If you can let me know regarding these schools or any other schools that I should check as well as best areas to live with kids that would be greatly appreciated. I am happy to commute up to 20 miles or maximum 30 minutes from Bristol Business Park. Thank you so much in advance.

[3asAbird]

Hi welcome to bristol .

I live north east bristol.
Frampton Cotterell is lovely village
Heard great things about watermoore
Other villages and schools in that area

Manor coalpit heath.
Hambrook primary
Elm Park winterbourne
St Michaels c of e primary winterbourne
Frenchay primary
Frampton has 2 schools.

Globe pub nice in summer.

Local senior school is winterbourne international academy often called by its old name the ridibgs.

Bristol traffic is horrific
Especially towards filton direction.
You may want to consider areas further north nearer filton ,bradley stoke ,stoke gifford .

Almondsbury and thornbury

What exactly do you want from an area.

[Miloarmadillo1]

20 miles in no way equates to a 30min commute. Bristol traffic at rush hour is ridiculous. I would think very carefully about your commute. Frampton is lovely but it could easily take you longer than 30min to get to Filton from there in the morning. Is cycling an option? There are good safe cycle routes round the ring road and it's often faster than driving.
If not I'd look closer to Filton. Almondsbury or Thornbury as suggested above?

[3asAbird]

It takes me half hour get from downend to filton uwe some mornings
As it's commute southmead hospital and mod very busy.
Plus new roadworks and metro bus creating havoc it's hell to travel East to north frustrating as south glos moved everything to the north.

Horfeild and henkeaze further north nearer filton good school but pricy.
Definatly come visit bristol do some driving peak times its crazy.

You can go back way Frampton past trench lane to bradley stoke but that's busy.

Good cycle path to some parts of filton
Can't quite place where in filton you are working sounds like it could be close to mall cribbs.

[eoreilly]

Thank you all... It is so nice to have so helpful people here...
It really helps to get a local advice... We have been outside the country for the last 4 years and was living in Devon before this so very new to the area. I have been doing my research on locrating.com mainly for schools. Sounds as it may have been misleading....

I will be working for Boeing - in Bristol Business Park so may not be considered as Filton I guess.

We like the idea of living in a rural old area with easy access to the city... Hence have been looking at Sherston, Marshfield, Colerne etc... We prefer not to be in new estates but will consider if there are good schools and easier to commute....Also schools seem to have better results and reports in rural areas (locrating.com) But if the traffic is bad it will be a problem...

We are going to come to Bristol this Monday and stay there for the week to view schools. We made appointments in schools north of Bath as well as Sherston etc... but from what I read from your messeges it sounds as it may be a waste of time?

In Frampton Cotterell we will see a school called Watermore Primary school.Is it a good one? But not arranged to see any other schools in that area yet... We must make an appointment with The Manor Coalpit Heath Church of England Primary School based on your notes. Is Frampton Cotterell Church of England Primary School any good?

In Winterbourne we do not seem to be able to a property we like to rent at the moment.

Frenchay Primary has bad results on locrating.com. Shall I ignore this?

In Thornbury there are no spaces in St Mary's school. Is the other ones any good? Also struggling to find a good property...

Also any suggestions regarding schools in Bradley Stoke or Stoke Gifford?
It seems like nearer the Patchway area the worst it is? Is this corect?

Also considering Henleaze area. Elmlea School, Henleaza School, Bishop Road and Brunel Schools seems to have good reports. Are they any good? Or are they overcrowded?
It is a mindfield and we have to decide on the school and area to live by end of next week and move the week after as starting work!
Have a good weekend everybody Thank you again...

[Miloarmadillo1]

Frenchay is terribly naice. I'd be surprised if it's primary schools have any major problems. Frenchay CofE and begbrook primary both 'good'.

Patchway/Filton not v nice areas. Look elsewhere!
We live in Downend which is nice but not rural (just inside the ring road). My DH used to work at Aztec West (m4/m5 interchange) and it could take 40-60 min to get there in the morning - it's a 10 min drive outside rush hour. Given the choice we'd probably choose one of the villages north of the ring road but property is significantly more expensive there.
South Glos in general has good primary schools.

[Wheresthattomoibabber]

I know Sherston very well and live very close to Filton. It would be a 35 minute drive to your work at the very best. You're probably looking at much longer. Sherston is a nice village but very small and not remotely diverse. The school has an amazing reputation though. Totally depends what you want from life! I wouldn't bring my kids up there but lots of people would love it.

Everyone I know that lives in winterbourne loves it.

[3asAbird]

Milo small world we downend area too.
Husband used work at cribbs rubbish commute.

Frenchay is rated good by ofsted.


Last year's sats were not as high as previous year which was 100percent top of county but they were still fairly high in comparison many other schools

Begbrook is close but comes under bristol council also rated good ok sats.
It's also part of cabot academy chain .

Wall court farm us by uwe new school close new build estate near filton only has years 1 2 and 3.

Have freinds who have used both schools at Frampton and very happy.

Also know others in St Michael Winterborne ,Elm Park,hambrook and the manor and all very happy.

Winterbourne us a bit of a rat run and has many schools parents in downend commute to like huge 10 form intake senior school .
There's also small private school winterbourne called silver hill.

Winterbourne down looks bit prettier and close to ring rd/downend.

Downend and emersons are the very outer suburbs almost like mini towns.
Downend has a very small boring high street with couple supermarkets loads of estate agents.

Emersons green is all new builds and has small retail park with large sainsburys lidls and boots.

Frenchay is called a village but really just a suburb lively expensive housing and lovely walks. Had very little amenities no doctors or libary
Has a pub ,shop and village hall.
It had small single intake primary with mixed classes and lacks the outdoor space and amenities most bs16 schools have but it is charming.
It used to have a hospital buy that shut and they plan build more houses on it.

Frampton bit quieter
Has nice farm shop.
Garage
Pun
Nursery

It's just trickier commute is a lovely area.
Close to yate,downend and emersons green to go food shopping nearest leisure facilities are yate or longwell green.

Downside to this side of town is

No train stations.
The ring road is always busy desperately needs a new m4 link off ring road as so many new houses locally approx 3000 being built in nearby lyde green,frenchay,Harry stoke and Cheswick village by uwe .

2 of the schools you mention highly sought after in expensive areas.

Bishop road is huge just off glos road /Bishopston performs well very oversubscribed

Gloucester Road /horfeild is lovely area but expensive
Attracts many ex londoners
Some great schools but it's not rural village.

When moving mid year depends on space.
Not sure which year your school age child in but ring both south glos admissions and bristol see which schools have space than visit accordingly.

Banes seems have better schools
Covers bath Saltford and Keynsham
But nightmare commute to filton.

Lots villages on way out towards thornbury
Thornbury is small town north of bristol has both good primary /senior schools.

Yate really unsure how good the yate schools are.

The whole city's under huge pressure with providing more school places so jot always matter if cherry picking the best ones.

Always best go visit get a good feel for school and area it's in.
Ofsted and sats can't tell you everything .
No school is perfect
Primary is 7 years they change a lit seem go in cycles round here.

[3asAbird]

Some of areas and schools you mention are bristol or south glos or very close to county border

www.southglos.gov.uk/education-and-learning/schools-and-colleges/school-admissions/primary-school-admissions/

Bristol and south glos different admissions policy.

If you find a south glos school you like with space

Try and ensure you get a house to rent within area of prime responsability /catchment or risk having no sibling link for younger child

Bristol offer sibling link to all even if you live in South glos or move house away from school.

Rentals are hard and fast to find

[catslife]

A friend who lives near us works at Bristol Business Park. We live approx 8 miles away and it can take up to an hour at rush hour to get there by car. Public transport may take longer. So which is more important to you living within 20 miles or the 30 minute commute?
It's good that you have found schools with space available but it may not be worth it if the journey to work is very hard.
Also schools seem to have better results and reports in rural areas (locrating.com) I am not sure that this is true any more. in recent years the standard in Bristol schools have increased significantly and many now outperform rural schools. There are one or two exceptions, but most schools in North Bristol are now rated good or better.
As well as locrating try the rm school finder website.