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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

aibu to ask- northern, affordable and good schools

54 replies

Dontunderstand01 · 15/12/2015 12:56

We originally moved to east anglia fir job reasons. DH and I bought our house without origanally considering schools- they are quite bad. We have family and friends in Yorkshire.

Can anyone suggest an affordable (I. E not york or harrogate) northern town? Ilanyehete north of Nottingham and south of Scotland is fine by me!

Also, has anyone relocated and changed everything? The idea of both of us changing jobs, dc chabeing nursery etc is a little terrifying!

OP posts:
mouldycheesefan · 15/12/2015 12:57

Newcastle

Dixiechickonhols · 15/12/2015 12:58

Skipton? Nice market town and grammar schools.
We are on other side of border Clitheroe area.

Northumberlandlass · 15/12/2015 12:58

Tyne Valley!

mouldycheesefan · 15/12/2015 12:58

Or somewhere near Harrogate like skip ton or ilkley

sickofforgettingpassword · 15/12/2015 12:59

I live between Leeds and Huddersfield and it's affordable with some great grammar schools and with great motorway links.

MrsMoggy · 15/12/2015 13:00

Cheshire east has some good schools and most of it is very affordable

Norfolknway · 15/12/2015 13:01

Newcastle/ North Tyneside. 'Tis great here.

Best schools in the country, lovely coastlines, 10 mins from Northumberland and easy to access the city

PeasOnEarth · 15/12/2015 13:02

Worth remembering that Wirral is a grammar school area still (all children can sit the 11+) and there are two streams of schools . West Wirral is the 'naice' bit!

Chester is really beautiful and the King's School (boys and girls but separately ) is rated highly.

Monica101 · 15/12/2015 13:16

I am considering Whitley bay. Which is near Newcastle.

A few good schools, I think kings school and Whitley bay high school both worth consideration.

citybushisland · 15/12/2015 13:20

Well don't pick North East Leeds, fabulous housing, lots to do, love it here, BUT - we moved here in May, my 6 year old still doesn't have a school place. There is a severe shortage of primary school places.

pinkdelight · 15/12/2015 13:21

I was also going to say Skipton. Or Clitheroe/Ribble Valley - that's always in the 'best places to live for quality of life' lists and has some v good schools.

scaevola · 15/12/2015 13:35

It might be worth having a look at Easingwold in North Yorkshire (might be too small a town though?)

BrianButterfield · 15/12/2015 13:39

Beverley in East Yorkshire over Whitley Bay.

mouldycheesefan · 15/12/2015 13:42

Whitley bay is a Bit run down tynemouth is nicer

Clarella · 15/12/2015 13:56

Newcastle and North Tyneside. I live in one and work in the other.

Specifically the new school in tynemouth is supposed to be dammed good as was a state primary merged with a private 4-18. So it is a 'state' school with private background.

Or any in Heaton, Gosforth, Hexham....

Clarella · 15/12/2015 13:56

Jesmond too.

Ijustworkhere · 15/12/2015 14:02

I would also say Skipton. Lovely market town, great facilities, brilliant schools, reliable and fast train into Leeds if you fancy something more urban for a night out. Though I've always fancied living just a bit further on in Giggleswick. Smile

emsyj · 15/12/2015 14:02

We live on the Wirral and it ticks your boxes OP. Local primary is Ofsted outstanding, we're in catchment for the grammar schools and you can get a 3 bed house with garden for somewhere around 200k.

Want2bSupermum · 15/12/2015 14:09

Wirral is ok , as are parts of Yorkshire like Hebden Bridge if you are sure your DC are very bright and will get into the grammar schools. Cheshire west is good for both grammar and comp. I would be careful with Chester. Kings and Queens are good schools but the fees are high considering the average income. The state schools are not great IMO. Christleton High in Chester has a good reputation but I think they could do a lot better considering their intake.

Original poster
Dontunderstand01 · 15/12/2015 16:26

Thank you for all the replies - I have a lot of research to do!

We can't afford fee paying schools but both me and DH are pretty bright (good a levels and university educated) so maybe ds could get into a grammar school?

Interestingly Beverly isn't far from where I grew up and my oldest friend lives there...

OP posts:
WhoTheFuckIsSimon · 15/12/2015 16:31

Plenty of grammar schools in lincs, yorkshire, Lancashire. How old is DS? If he's too young for you to know if he will get into a grammar or not you need to make sure you're in a good come area.

We live in a village which is halfway between a town with shit comps and a grammar town. Dd passed the eleven plus and our village is normally in the catchment but the year she passed it wasn't (catchment changes yearly as the closest 120 kids get places). So she's in one of the country's worst comprehensive schools. If we'd moved here planning for a good school we'd have been disappointed. Some grammars go on distance like our local, others go on scores....so that's something to look into.

bookbook · 15/12/2015 16:41

I came on to say Beverley - got beaten to it!

bigsnugglebunny · 15/12/2015 16:43

Morpeth is nice... biased Xmas Grin

katienana · 15/12/2015 16:46

What do you do for a living, it might not be compatible with some of the areas mentioned.

katemiddletonsothermum · 15/12/2015 16:47

Re: Beverley - Longcroft used to be dire but it has a fantastic new(ish) Head and is definitely on the up and up. It's co-ed, with a split site so that the Year 7s aren't fazed by the sixth form. The Grammar and the High sadly have seen better days.

Ripon Grammar is also very good. Huntingdon in York is very good (comp) and South Hunsley near the posh villages west of Hull is also very good.