Advice on choosing secondary schools.

28 replies

Lamama15 · 09/03/2025 09:28

Hello everyone,

I'm very new to this forum but reading other threads, just came in with a hope to get solution. We are currently living in the south east of England and me and hubby are both working. Hubby is self employed and I work in a nursery, and we are quite satisfied with our work in our town. But now we have an issue to look at. Our DD is in Year 5 and preparing for grammar school. There is no grammar school in our town and the one nearest to our town is very hard to get into. Its highly oversubscribed with cut throat competition and tiny catchment area too. The problem is we have to be in catchment area before the test. But I'm not sure if DD will be able to clear the test. If not, there is no point of moving to that catchment area.
So we have decided to move to Midlands which have good number of grammar and other secondary schools. My husband's and my work is gonna be affected there as the work options are very limited and not really good. But still, we decided to move in there with hope that we will manage ourselves somehow. We are aiming for sutton grammar school for girls but want to have second option in the mind, in case she couldn't get in the grammar school. I have heard Arthur terry school is good one but very limited catchment area. The second school is Bishop Walsh, but as its a Catholic school, I have doubt about my daughter getting in there ( we are non Catholic). We have looked for a property which is 0.8 miles from Arthur terry but I'm bit skeptical if it's good distance to get into the school. That's the only property we have found with the budget we can afford.
P.S. we are also looking for good primary school at the same time as my DS is in Year 3 and little DD is in Year 1. Any help in the form of discussion, suggestion, advice is much appreciated as we are in the great confusion. This is definitely a very big move for us so I want to get the maximum results for the purpose we are moving.
Thank you.
(Apart from these two school, please tell any other great state secondary school which I don't know).

OP posts:

Finallybreathingout · 09/03/2025 09:50

There are other areas with good schools and better career options I’d have thought. I don’t know what field you’re in but there are, for example, excellent schools in North Yorkshire and you have access to Leeds, Sheffield, even commutes to Newcastle for example.

Soontobe60 · 09/03/2025 09:47

Honestly, I think you’re bonkers! There are so many variables in your plan that are out of your control.
1 - you need to have moved house to the area you want the school within the next couple of months if you’re looking at entrance exams
2 - the house you move to could end up being too far away to get a place
3 - she may not pass the entrance exams
4 - you and DH could struggle for work so your income drops
5 - all 3 DC will have to change schools, you may not be able to get them into the same schools as they’ll be in year admissions so your choice could be non existent.
6 - you’re breaking up your DCs friendship groups, which shouldn’t be minimised

ASongbirdAndAnOldHat · 09/03/2025 09:35

Have you moved already?

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