A move to Chichester?

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I’ve seen a few old threads on here about relocating to Chichester so just wanted some updated info on quality of life and schools in Chichester. I was a bit put off by one thread saying the schools weren’t great and the locals were quite insular to people moving into the area and that it wasn’t great growing up as a teenager there. Any advice appreciated :)

I love Chichester, but I’m not a teenager. I haven’t heard that the schools are poor and there seems to be a thriving university community. The uni is situated pretty close to the city centre and has a massive new science and technology building going up in nearby Felpham. Chichester itself is more expensive to buy in, but there are lots of areas within easy reach that are more affordable.

I like being near the sea, some great places to visit- Goodwood, Amberley, Singleton, Brighton, Southampton, all of the coastal areas and loads of restaurants, pubs etc. The neighbours we have are the best we’ve ever had.

I love Chi and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

It’s not at all insular but it is very expensive to buy or rent here so it has a distinctly middle class (edging towards upper) feel.

It’s a University city so does have a fair amount of things for teens to do, plus the usual bowling/cinema/swimming type places. A few decent restaurants & pubs in the middle of town, but even nicer ones a bit further out in the country.

Regarding schools, the main senior is split into Girls & Boys. Girls has an OFSTED of outstanding, I believe. Not sure about the boys. There is another one in Barnham that lots of the kids here go to that l’ve heard good reports about.

Junior schools...my son went to Lancastrian Infants followed by Central which is right next door & was very happy at both.

We moved to Chichester a year ago and haven’t regretted it (we have lovely neighbours too - we are all incomers though). I would recommend living on the north side of the A27 though - it is heaving at rush hour.

Lots of facilities here for children - swimming pool, cinemas, sports clubs, sailing, trampoline parks etc. We quizzed lots of people we met about growing up in Chichester as a teenager and they all were positive about it.

No idea about the junior schools. The High Schools merged and kept the girls outstanding Ofsted rating (the boys was rated as needs improvement I think?). Bishop Luffa is rated outstanding and is a CofE school. The Free School is new so not sure about it - it will be moving to new premises in the near future. MRC in Midhurst is an option but Chichester is out of catchment.

Lots of countryside within easy reach - South Downs are lovely and some great local beach walks (I like hunting for fossil shark teeth and WW2 spitfire rounds at Bracklesham). Portsmouth, Southampton and Brighton are all within easy reach for shopping / days out etc. DH is very fond of Goodwood - you can usually drop in and see what is going round the track.

Live near chi and love it

We live a few miles away west in a small seaside town. The whole area is a fantastic place to live and getting to other parts of the country and Europe is dead easy. I can't sing it's praises highly enough but can't really comment on the schools as our son was educated elsewhere. There are many beautiful villages very close to Chi which will be worth a look if you are able to drive. Chi itself has a bit of a 'posh' feel to it, but that aside I promise everyone is so lovely and friendly and the city itself is one of the loveliest I have been to. Very small, filled with history and a really good mix of shops, cafés and restaurants. Love it here!

I grew up there, and lived there till a couple of years ago. I miss it terribly.

From a recent visit, I'd actually say that the high street is dying, lots of shops closing, especially independent ones. So I wouldn't get too excited by the town centre. It's an easy trip to Brighton and London and pretty much anywhere from the station though, if you're desperate to go shopping.

I went to school in Felpham, so I can only speak for that really. It was, and by all accounts, still is abysmal. Poor quality teaching, lack of resources, and high staff turnover. Chichester college is equally dire from what I've heard.

All I can really advise is steer well clear of Bognor

I moved away with the kids because I felt it was too boring and lacked diversity. It really depends on what you're looking for OP.

Yes, people from West Sussex/Hampshire call Chichester "Chi". Terribly sorry if that offends you, "EastMidsMummy". There's really no reason to be quite so charmless.

It’s a standard abbreviation.

Just like Brum, Darlo, Skeggy, Scunny.

Lived 20 mins driving from chi for abit. Lovely town. Only downside was price of houses and the fact its vvv long streets in the town with limited cut throughs. I prefer a circular town. Loved how close we were to the sea and europe.

Just out of interest, how do you pronounce Chi? Rhyming with tea or eye? Always wondered.

Eye.

Nope. I've lived in Sussex forever. The whole "Chi" thing is a bit...naff? Try too hard? I don't know. It's normally said too loudly by men moved down from London too soon wearing trousers that are too red. In my opinion.

Lovely place. And yes, locally it's known as "Chi"

And Littlehampton is affectionately known as "LA"

It’s listed as an abbreviation in Wiki.

But I’ll agree with you wholeheartedly about the red trousers.

And they tend to say “nyah” a lot too.

I went to Uni in Chi as a mature student, my daughter attended college there a couple of years ago and we don't live that far away now.

It's a lovely town and I like getting the train over doing a bit of shopping etc. but I bloody hate driving there or past there. There is a dual carriageway with a series of roundabouts that bypasses the town to the south and it is always chock ablock with traffic. I hate it at any time but unfortunately I have no choice but to go that way and it's always the same. It's just one of those stretches of road I absolutely dread. Likewise the bottleneck you get just up the road at Arundel. Driving round here is a bloody nightmare to be honest - but that's another story.

On the rare occasions you can get through Arundel and past Chi and free quickly it's like a miracle. Usually only occurs in the middle of the night!!

Parking is also difficult. Car Parks are invariably chock full and there is next to no on-street parking in the town. I used to park about three quarters of a mile away from Uni and walk in and even then I got a snotty note on my car from a resident.

I live in Chi (yes, they really do call it that) and love it. We moved here 6 years ago and I don’t find the locals insular at all, rather very welcoming!

DC1 is at Chi College, moving to BIMM in Brighton next year. The facilities at the College are very good and DC1 is very happy there. DC2 is at the Free School which, despite being fairly new, is quite impressive. They are moving to their new site in time for the new academic year - it is starting to look like mini Hogwarts (it is an old Caramelite convent).

I agree with a PP; the town centre is dying bit by bit which is so sad for market town! We do seem to have more restaurants than God at the moment

I love being able to go down to the Witterings after work for a nice beach walk, hike in the South Downs, hunt for quirky bits and pieces in Arundel or Brighton, picnic on the Meadow in Bosham...all on our doorstep!

I have lived in quite a few places in Europe but really think I will stay here until they cart me off between 6 planks!

^^Am from Chi, can confirm tempted to comment on mids but am not that crass

Chi has been called Chi forever - it’s not a new arrivals thing at all. Chi High (school) was referred to as such when I lived I Wsx in the 80s and 90s when red trousers weren’t even a thing!

Funny that you mention awful driving. I learnt to drive there in the 90s and it was awful even then. Like everything else about the area though and love going back to visit. Goodwood is fantastic.

The comments on it being called Chi make me chuckle. My husband is not from here and whenever he hears anyone (me included) call it that he always takes the mic and then starts talking in a super snooty voice. Chi, Chichester. Still the same place and still like living here although some good points have been made about the dual carriage ways. I still think the high street is pretty good and when compared to Pompey (common military term and often used when referring to Portsmouth!) it is positively heaving with shops and customers.

Oh the high street is a hundred times better than Portsmouth, Havant or Bognor! There's just a really big loss of the little independent shops lately. When I ran shops there rents were always obscene though, so that's no surprise to be honest.

I'm trying to think of anything that hasn't been mentioned.

Public transport was always really good, excellent bus service, and Chichester is so compact there was never much need to drive when I lived there.

It's still apparently a really easy place to get a job as a teenager. Loads of shops, and obviously you have Butlins nearby which is one of the biggest employers in the county most probably! So that may appeal.

DH has reminded me that as a teenager I was always bored until I was earning money and old enough to drink. Then it was fun.

I know it's been called Chi forever Ozgirl, it's still affected and annoying to the rest of the County though....

Ok tattygirl - I’ve never found it annoying because that’s just what it’s always been, but maybe some people I know have been harbouring an irritation that they’ve always kept hidden