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Secondary education

Moving out of London

10 replies

MsSE · 08/02/2009 09:26

Our eldest has been offered a place at Sevenoaks school. We don't want him to board and so it will mean a move away from London. We live in a lovely community in London but the surrounding areas are starting to have a worrying undercurrent of aggression. However I am not sure I can face the upheaval of moving the family (we have three younger children too) - does anyone have experiences to share/lessons learned?

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HeadFairy · 08/02/2009 09:28

We're about to do the same

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edam · 08/02/2009 09:43

We moved out of London for ds's sake (although he was a baby at the time so different circumstances to you). Took me about six months to adjust but I love it now and am SO glad we did.

Friends of mine live in Sevenoaks. Lovely place but has been hard to make friends who aren't smug Tories - if that's not your sort of thing, you'll have to work to find like-minded people. It is very, very pretty though.

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MsSE · 08/02/2009 12:23

I wish we had taken the plunge when the children were younger, as you did. If we move out I would like to be somewhere where we can walk to school, shops and bump into friends when out and about (as we do here) so am thinking mainly of Tunbridge Wells - do your friends have a view on whether it is too big to have a strong sense of local community?

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edam · 08/02/2009 17:46

dunno but some other friends of mine were very keen on Tunbridge Wells and planning a move there (scuppered by problems their house).

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BonsoirAnna · 08/02/2009 17:57

Congratulations on your DS1 getting into Sevenoaks - great school.

Sevenoaks is a lovely town, too, though you don't have to be based there - there are lots of villages around and about that you could live in and your DS could bus/train into Sevenoaks.

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BonsoirAnna · 08/02/2009 17:57

Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells are very different.

Are you/your DH planning on commuting into London? The commute from Sevenoaks is a doddle.

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optimisticmumma · 11/02/2009 20:47

Well done to your son!! Come and live in a wonderful area of the world. Sevenoaks is lovely - very good community feel. Tun Wells a bit - er- er. My DC prefer to go up to London only 25-30 mins on the train! Great primary schools in the area which mean you don't have to pay for younger ones and yes they will get in to Sevenoaks too!! Also fab grammars.

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optimisticmumma · 11/02/2009 20:50

Just read the 'smug tories' bit. Ooh a bit harsh.Lots and lots of people have moved to Sevenoaks from London and lots of people from overseas too.