Best state secondary schools in Hampshire and can we afford to live in catchment?

I don’t know about schools but for coastal walks you may want to consider Emsworth or Warblington near Havant or Westbourne, Southbourne etc just on the Hants/Sussex border.

I wouldn’t go for Portsmouth although Old Portsmouth is lovely and the train would be easy plus in the Autumn the waves crash over the walls which is excellent!

Do you definitely want to move?

It sounds like a very big life change following a breakdown. Would some therapy or a holiday be an alternative for your husband while you decide if this is what is the best for all of you?

It can be easy to think that moving leaves our problems behind but it really doesn’t unfortunately. We are still us and now we are us in a brand new place with no support network.

Just wanted to offer an alternative viewpoint.

Honestly, have you looked at Christchurch?

I moved away from Gosport (Alverstoke) 5 years ago having lived there for 20 years.

I don’t miss Gosport itself at all but I do miss the location - beach one side, Alver Valley the other, South Downs and country parks above you, Southampton one way and Portsmouth the other way. Once you escape the hideous peninsula of Gosport you have the M27 corridor which allows relatively easy access to the M3, A3, A34 etc.

Alverstoke schools are good (as long as you don’t have any SEN...) and Bay House gets good results.

Orange
Bohunt is tricky because I am aware of a FLOOD of ex private school parents out of London
(it was already mad at that school but its worse)
so for the OP, outside of the "daily commute bubble" is good

The ideal would be woods one way and coast the other both walking distance esp if not a touristy bit of coast.

I think you're going to struggle to find that given your budget / size of house / transport / schools requirements.

@ListeningQuietly walking the dog around the lakes or along the southdowns way.

I'm not sure when you will see results of Bohunt new sixth form but that could be an option too.

Yes we thought the same @itsgettingweird. It helps.

@NellyJames we moved down about 20 years ago now from London suburbia..although DH grew up around here. He didn't like the lifestyle at all. We were lucky enough to be here when DH started suffering with mental health issues. For the last 12 years or so he treks off for a 5 mile walk 4-5 a week that includes a bit of coast /forest/countryside...it keeps him sane and happy we know that having a dog would enhance that..currently can't be done as I normally work FT in an office and he does shifts. The doggy life very much fits !
look after yourself too , it is so hard trying to be the one that keeps everything together.

Nelly
The more you post the more my head says Petersfield
you can store a dinghy on your drive, launch from anywhere
walk the dog in the hangars
less than an hour to London for work
no stress on schools

Lots of woods RVCP, Itchen Valley, Forest of Bere....the New Forest isn’t far!

Good luck op

Near Bay House/Alverstoke that I've been mentioning you have Albee Valley country work and stokes bay with loads of fields .

For days out/ travelling for walks there's queen elizabeth, queen Victoria, lepe, country parks. Itchen valley.

Dorsey way you have Avon valley and Moors valley.

I've always felt very lucky living this area (and I'm in a 2 bed HA flat in a very mixed area ) because there's everything.

Lockdown made me appreciate it more. 10 minutes walk away there is mikes of country and field for me to walk through. 10 minutes drive away is miles of beach.

You can get dog walks anywhere can't you? We are spoilt with woods and nature reserves round here but loads of dogs are walked in the parks too. Presuming you're just after something smallish and local rather than an enormous forest.

I would just say, if you "need" the sea, I wouldn't go anywhere much north of the M27, though that might break down a bit round the Portsmouth area which I don't know so well. The coastal roads get very busy in the summer. But houses do get pricier again once you get really onto the coast.

Hi. Sailing is seriously pricey in the SE, I know it is expensive everywhere but it is eye watering down here! We have a 34ft yacht and marina fees are ££££.

Not the best sailing as well! The Solent can be very choppy, there is a strong tide and it is busy so if you want to go anywhere you have to get there early.

If sailing is something you want to do I would definitely look further down the coast.

Or look at a wider area but be creative with the commute, sleeper, fast trains or even going to London once a fortnight and stay overnight. If you save a lot on the property this could still make financial sense.

Lots of woods near Petersfield, you are in the South Downs National Park and right next to Queen Elizabeth Country Park.

We live in Netley (I have four DS's) and catchment to schools in the area has been great. Barton Peveril for eldest (and now Southampton Uni), the other three are at local schools that they can walk to.

Check out Hamble too - trains are pretty regular to London via Southampton as my DH goes about once a month for work.

It's beautiful here by the sea and Royal Victoria Country Park!

I grew up down there and love the area.

Would be wary though that all schools are academies and this can be an issue. (Personal opinion but also don't think any Portsmouth schools have great results?)

I don't think any of the schools would be what OP is looking for - not compared to Gosport and Bay House.

Southsea itself is lovely, but like anywhere on Portsea Island, you might get three nice roads surrounded by seven shitty ones. So it's worth looking really closely at all the surrounding streets to work out where you really want to be.

@sabrinathwaite I think it is an up and coming area , trendy parts, quite eclectic but portsea itself is quite populated and you get the issues you get with any city.

What do Gosport / Portsmouth people think of Southsea? Lots of big Victorian / Edwardian terraces that would provide the space in budget, close to the sea. Commute is long though, plus traffic can be bad getting on/off the island.