To want to move from Surrey to Chichester for a better life for my kids?

[Mixedupmind]

Having a debate with my husband and very confused
We currently live in Carshalton Surrey
We have 2 children, aged 3 and 4
I'm a stay at home mum and hes self employed, we privately rent our 2 bed terrace for £950.
Recently I've been thinking we should move out before they start school for a nice quiet little village lifestyle / school, we could afford a 3 bed house for what we pay now and the schools are smaller and obviously less crime / trouble
His concern is the opportunities are less, the secondary schools don't seem to achieve as much as London schools and he fears the kids will be coming back to London for work.
Can anyone offer any advice?
Tenancy ends in August and son needs to be in reception next September so really it's now or never.

[Mixedupmind]

Will look up both Horsham and midhurst now
We are in the village so it's quite nice however not a million miles from the st helier which is obviously one of the biggest housing estates going and I just want a quieter more village centred lifestyle if only I could find one!

[Aventurine]

Midhurst is lovely. My grandpa retired there. Wish I lived there.

[Mixedupmind]

Midhurst rentals are more expensive than where I am now!

[shakethetree]

I think you'd be crazy to move - Chichester is a lovely little place for a day trip but I wouldn't live there. Carshalton is great for schools, in fact you've got some of the best schools in the country on your door step ( & I consider Carshalton outer London rather than Surrey )

Stay where you are.

[Mixedupmind]

Yeah this is my concern,
Am I just being sucked in by the village lifestyle?

[shakethetree]

Yes you are, & trust me, within 3 months you'll be bored stuff wishing you were back in Carshalton ( which is not a bad place to live at all )

[shakethetree]

stiff even.

[Mixedupmind]

You're possibly right.
Boredom isnt my worry but schools that aren't performing well and teenagers having not a lot to do is a massive concern for me

[Dozer]

Another important factor is work opportunities for your H and you ( if you hope to work at some point), Surrey likely to be better jobs-wise?

[Mixedupmind]

Yes another concern of mine as im not going to be a stay at home mum forever!
And my husband works for SKY so whilst they will send him where the jobs are I do worry there just won't be enough work to keep him going!

[Deathraystare]

In the 70's we moved from Kent (London bit) to Surrey (crap bit near Croydon). The schools in Shirley, Croydon were shite unless you went to the private schools. I began truanting big time.

I am temporarily living in Hampshire where the rest of my family are.It seems ideal for kids (they moved from Hastings and are very glad they did!!), so much to do and the New Forest on their doorstep!. Most of the schools are fine except one that is now an academy and still hasn't done any good. My bruv is a teacher by the way.

[Dozer]

Not sure how companies like that work, but he might have a wider area to cover maybe? But if he moved then got made redundant it could be trickier to get another job withh reasonable distance?

[Mixedupmind]

Yes that's my biggest concern is if he was made redundant!
Aaaggghhhhrrr nightmare!!

[aloiseb]

Funny someone should have mentioned Hyancinth Bucket. She does indeed live around here and can be seen at many local events (eg playing at the Chichester Festival Theatre)

I don't mind Hyacinth Buckets myself; they are preferable to the land of school lotteries (Brighton) which we moved from when we came here to Chichester 8 years ago. DD can now read, write and wants to do science at uni not become a hairdresser for pets (OK I suppose she was younger!) Having said that, although her education has been better here, she finds it dull after Brighton, and now she's gone on to 6th form college in Hampshire, has found a new social life in Portsmouth. Thank goodness we decided to live near the town centre instead of in a village, so she can walk to the station.

Some people here are snooty, some aren't. How are they where you are now?!

[JessieMcJessie]

What do you mean, your husband "fears the children will have to go to London for work?". Would that possibility not be the same where you are now, or indeed anywhere in the country? Surely it depends massively on what they want to do for a living? And why is it something to fear? TBH the way the world is going they could just as easily end up working in Beijing or Sydney.

[LittleMissDisorganized]

I grew up in Surrey - moved North for university and would never go back. Quality of life, how far your money goes... £925 would get you a 3-4 bed with a decent garden in Wirral/ Cheshire. Still have grammar schools. What's not to like???

[awm26]

I moved to chi a few years ago and live 15 mins from town centre. Dd is 13 and has been really happy at catholic primary school in town, she also enjoys and is doing well at secondary school. The catholic secondary school is outside of chi though so the kids all get the train together. I'm really happy we moved.

[Flux700]

You can live anywhere! Why not consider a proper move - the south west maybe?

[Flux700]

There are other cities then London you know

[WhosLookingAfterCourtney]

I live in chi with a 3 and 1 year old. Lots to do, lovely people on the whole.

[LifeIsBetterInFlipFlops]

I love Chichester, was born and bred there, moved up to London in my 20s and travelled but have come back to the area now.

Currently in Emsworth, but head into Chichester for shopping and socialising.

Odd comment up thread about the winters, we're in one of the warmest parts of the country!

Schools are ok, most of us can read and write.

I love the mix of rural, country living and being beside the sea.

I'd totally avoid Bognor and Selsey, and Portsmouth which is ugly and sprawling.

[FusilliJerry]

wherediparmybroom whilst I agree that the senior school is crappy in Selsey, the two primarys are really good. Medmerry is graded good by ofsted, and after a few bad years, Seal has had a new head in place for the last year who has really turned the school around and recently been graded good by ofsted too. There is always the option to go to senior school in chichester from Selsey too.

[MrsDavidBowie]

Dd is interested in going to uni in Chichester as it has a specific course she wants to do.
She is not interested in clubs, drinking, huge night life.

( we live in Surrey!)

[FusilliJerry]

In fact, Medmerry came 12th in a west sussex table of best performing schools last year, far higher than any chichester primary. Another good school locally was Birdham.