to worry about schools in Bognor Regis but to want to live closer to my lovely mum :-(

[Confusedmartie999]

Very confused post coming up.
We privately rent, always have done and will never be able to save for a deposit.
We left London for Horsham last year for better schools / cheaper rent / I found a part time job in a shop that fits around childcare
My boy starts school this September as he has got the catholic school in Horsham which we were over the moon about.
My mum now announces she is relocating from London to Bognor Regis ( my brother already lives there ) and would love us to live closer
It's only 40 mins away in a car but my mum can't drive as her eyesight is bad so it will be be doing the trips constantly
There is no catholic secondary school here, they either go to crawley ( don't particularly want that one ) or barnham ( 10 mins from Bognor ) which I do like so it would make logical sense to move there now, pay the same rent for a 3 bed semi as we are here for a 2 bed terrace but obviously there will be more petrol spent for me to Tavel to work ( luckily husband can relocate easily ) but I am worried as the primary schools don't seem to do very well there in particular st marys catholic one which is the one the kids would probably attend to get the secondary follow on school.
I'm also worried as this is an investment property so long term and we could move and a year down the line have to move again and again like we had to in London.
What do you think?

Since your mum will only be 40 minutes drive away, and you have lots of reservations about the new area, I would stay put.

Could your mum move closer to you? Or you all rent a bigger place together?

40 mins is nothing. Why would you be going there 'constantly'? She can get the train to Horsham easily.

40 mins isn't very far at all! I would stay put.

40 minutes is nothing. Honestly. I really wouldn't move from Horsham to Bognor Regis especially if your brother is already in Bognor. If you don't want to drive from Horsham to Bognor the train journey is easy enough anyway. As for schools, what are you basing your information on? Do you actually know that St. Mary's is failing their pupils or is this just hearsay?

I'd avoid Bognor really. Shocking reputation which fits in well with the schools being less good. Also so not good if you want an investment property. There is also lots of housing just finished estates so supply will be high.

40 mins is not so far is it? MIL lives around 45 mins away & also doesn't drive. He still manages to visit most weekends without a problem.

I would be inclined to stay put for now & see how things actually work. You can always move in the future if need be.

By "he" I mean "DH" .

Plenty of people commute more than 40 mins.

40 mins really isn't very far. Can your mum use public transport? How often will you realistically see her when the children are at school and you're at work during the week anyway? Fortnightly or even weekly a 40 min drive isn't much.

Can you see how it goes then reassess after a year? Wouldn't you be giving yourself a longer journey to work if you move, or would you be looking for another job?

Do you want to be near your mum? And your brother? Is this something you'd LIKE to do or think you ought to be doing? It's actually really hard to tell from your post.

Fwiw we have friends in Bognor, their kids are delightful and doing well at local schools and it seems a wonderful place to bring up a family. Tho I don't know Horsham at all.

Is St Mary's the one with a new Head starting in sept? I'm too lazy to ring them up and check but you should find out if it makes a difference to you.

I went to St Mary's as a child & loved it. I'm now a doctor & the friends I still have from primary have all done well for themselves in regards further education/job/general happiness. A friend has her son there now & loves it.

Horsham is lovely and Bognor is not. You would be giving up a lot more than the school for your kids by moving from a great to a not so great area.

If I were in your position with the school I wanted then I would just put up with the drive to see your Mum. Anyway if she is currently in London then surely that is already more than a 40 min journey at the moment?