Choosing between Hitchin and welwyn gardens city

[Sallyaltawil]

Hello, I’m moving to UK in September and I’m choosing between Hitchin and welwyn gardens city . I’m a mother of 2 boys, 6 and 4 years old. My priority is for good schools . We don’t prefer very quite places and my boys are very active and need to be involved in lots of activities. Can you please advise the cons and pros of each of these two cities and your experience if you lived in any of them. Thank you

Firstly, neither of them are cities! Have you actually visited them? I’m assuming you’re looking for commuting into London from there?

If you want a boys school then Hitchin boys is excellent. WGC isn't in the catchment for a boys school.

Presently order of preference for WGC school are
Monks walk good to nearly outstanding
ridgeway (improving massively)
Stanborough. (Was ok going downhill)
Catchment for these school is crucial.

For monks you need to live in Welwyn
Or Knightsfield area plus others but contact school for official catchment.

Both towns have thriving clubs and activities for all children.

Hitchin has the edge for evenings adults activities. WGC is a bit more old person.

I don't know a lot about Hitchin primary but the best schools in WGC are regarding as
AppleCroft temple Wood Welwyn St Mary's (need to live in Welwyn village)
Again these are all west side school so you need a hefty budget.

Pm me if you need more advise. I've lived in WGC for 15 years and know the area well. I visit Hitchin fairly regularly too.

Hitchin much nicer and has more going on.

I worked in WGC for a while and would move there in a heartbeat. The only aspect in which Hitchin’s better is the train link to London.

Hitchin is a great place for families. There are several outstanding primary schools (William Ransom, St Andrews that I know of) and the single sex boys secondary is also rated outstanding. There is also a mixed comprehensive which is good and getting better all the time.

It’s a smaller town with a friendly feel and is very geared to families. Clubs are extensive for kids (taekwon do, football, Rugby, hockey, cricket swimming, etc and there are a LOT of scout groups)

It’s also very inclusive to new arrivals as many people move in.

I know both areas very well and live between the two. If I had to choose, it would be Hitchin. It's just lovely, great schools, loads to do, lovely town with lots of independents. Miles of countryside on your doorstep, easy London commute. I far prefer it to WGC.

Hitchin slightly better transport. Of the schools mentioned, I think I’d choose Stanborough. Not sure I’d recommend Ridgeway, although I agree it’s improving.

Potteringalong OP isn’t saying they are both cities. Welwyn Garden City is actually called that. You been there?

@pippitysqueakity

I think Pottering was referring to where the OP said "Can you please advise the cons and pros of each of these two cities and your experience if you lived in any of them."

I would choose hitchin for families in a heartbeat over WGC.

@pippitysqueakity yes I have. But the OP specifically said Can you please advise the cons and pros of each of these two cities and, you know, they’re not cities. If I was moving from abroad to the U.K. to live in a big city and ended up in Hitchin or Welwyn I might have liked someone to check before I arrived that I understood where I was moving to.

Hitchin every time. WGC has John Lewis and a cinema though...

Oops, sorrypottering totally my mistake.
Please accept my apologies.

@PotteringAlong I've never been to Hitchin, but I did visit welwyn gardens during my last trip to uk just for a very short time , an hour to be precise . I'm trying to choose between these two as they are near to my husband's work in Stevenage.

No 'S' in WGC

They have a delightful John Lewis on lots of different floors - that's enough to sell it to me 😄

OP, it's Welwyn Garden City - just the one garden.

I would definitely choose Hitchin out of the two.

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/find-a-school-in-england

That’s where you can compare schools in different areas.

Hi all

After some advice re schools please. Hope it's ok to ask here..

We are moving to WGC and will be living close to the Applecroft School. So for a primary school, we will be applying there. I however was wondering which schools mainly do the Applecroft kids go on to after ... which ones would you recommend (independent schools including).
TIA x

Hitchin's better for shops and transport, Welwyn Garden City is better for scenery.

@OksiX I didn’t go to primary school in WGC but all of my friends who went to Applecroft School then went on to Stanborough (which is where I joined them).
That was donkeys years ago though so things might have changed.
I liked WGC but wouldn’t want to live there, absolutely nowt to do for us as teenagers in the 90’s but I suspect that has changed significantly now!

@Gibble1 Many thanks for your response 👍