The East Midlands

[weekfour]

We're looking at an impending move to the East Midlands for work. It's looking like the office is likely to be in Mansfield and we'd like to be within 90 minutes commute by car.

My daughter currently attends an excellent comp which I'm really torn about leaving. She didn't sit an 11+ because it's not relevant where we live at the moment. I'm after some help finding where the good schools are.

We're currently in a relatively expensive part of Greater Manchester and am hoping we'll be able to get a bit more house for our money too. Looking for a 4 bed house with space for two people to WFH. I'm happy for us to share an office.

Hit me with your recommendations of areas to visit. Good schools, don't mind being rural-ish but need decent supermarket relatively close and decent shopping with 45 mins. We like cycling and dog walking. A nice pub would be a bonus!!

A good friend of mine moved to a very nice road in West Bridgford fairly recently. She has been burgled or suffered an attempted burglary 4 times in the past year.

Southwell is a lovely little town and the Minster School is Outstanding. Some lovely little villages around but check the facilities they have.

Ecclesbourne were outstanding for many years and certainly get great results. However, they were inspecting and assessed as inadequate on management and safeguarding issues I think although the quality of teaching was assessed as good. They've just had a further inspection and it remains to be seem what the outcome of this is

I'm throwing in Bakewell. Gorgeous area with Lady Manners a school. Also Castleton and Hope Valley College. Beautiful places. Quite a commute but rural and in busy

Probably something to do with the teacher who was caught plying teenage boys with alcohol and performing sex acts a few years ago

It was sexual harassment of girls by boys which was reported to staff and swept under the carpet.

My niece went there and she had to leave.

Duffield house in budget

Ecclesbourne were outstanding for many years and certainly get great results.

It gets great results by not supporting certain pupils and therefore encouraging them to go to other schools.

They have a history of that. The female teacher that was charged in 2017 had also been reported for sexual behaviour many years before and it was swept under the carpet until the second boy came forward.

Definitely don't live in Mansfield!

Newark town schools are dreadful, but the kids in surrounding villages go to either Southwell Minster, Toot Hill or Tuxford, all of which are very good. There is also the 11+ options over the boarder in Sleaford or Grantham.

Definitely avoid Mansfield, Sutton and Kirkby. Schools all dreadful and towns are run down.

Agree with a previous poster about Edwinstowe. There is some beautiful countryside around there. There are also loads of lovely villages around Newark and Mansfield - I’d take a few days off work and have a good explore if you can.

How often would you need to go into the office?
the M1 can be a nightmare and getting past east Mids airport from around J26/25 down to J23 can be backed up in rush hour for no real reason other than weight of traffic.

if going into the office is once in a while it wouldn’t be annoying, but getting to/ from Mansfield to J22/21 every day is a massive chore.

same for dealing with the A52 or getting in and out of West Bridgford. I’d consider villages near to the A46 rather than the Derbyshire side.

Mansfield town itself is a dump. I live in Ilkeston which is also a dump though. 😂 I've heard the schools are not good in Newark. I've got a work colleague who lives in Edwinstowe and she says it's lovely. Avoid Worksop as well!

I think Chesterfield is OK but not sure about schools?

Err no! I wouldn't touch Ecclesbourne School with a barge pole! It got rated inadequate by Ofsted last year. There have been horrific issues relating to bullying for years. www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/top-derbyshire-secondary-school-rated-7604267

I wouldn't describe Duffield as 'nice' either. It's got the busy A6 running through it and very few amenities. It's only so expensive as when the school had a good reputation it pushed house prices up.

I would go and visit and reconsider
The whole are is rather like going back in time 20 years (some aspects of which may be good but others certainly are not)

Plus many of the areas being suggested are too far to travel comfortably . If you are happy to commit 90 minutes- is that every day? If not I would stay where you are and maybe travel 2 days a week with an overnight in a hotel.

I second
ravenshead
Papplewick
And linby

Thanks for all suggestions. Does anyone know how you get into a grammar school mid year?

The commute to Mansfield would be once or twice a week.

I think initially I thought houses could be cheaper but it seems like price is very much driven by schools. I suppose everywhere is a bit like that.

I’d definitely look at the Peak District and Totley and Dore.

That's interesting. We're on the other side of the Peaks now on the same line as Totley and Doré.

Traffic on the m1 is a nightmare. Duffield, or north on the a6 is a decent suggestion because you could avoid the motorway.

@JustAMinutePleass

That commute would be horrendous. Dd went to school in north Leicestershire, nightmare traffic

Dont move just commute from where you are with an overnight stay

West Bridgford

Toddlerteaplease could I ask why?