to move to Sutton Coldfield and get a secondary school place?

[Ceci03]

School seem amazing in this area and people tell me to move there - am moving to b'ham - but they do seem very oversubscribed. would anyone from the area happen to know if I move there would I have any chance of getting a school place. dunno what to do... thx. (am looking at Smethwick/Bearwood also - very different I know) WWYD

Hey op! Please don't even think about Smethwick... the amount of crime stories I'm seeing on a daily basis is ridiculous from there at the moment! (& I live quite close by also). In terms of schools in Sutton I'm not to sure, but wishing you all the best of luck!

Bearwood
There isn't a train station in Bearwood. If you need to get to ThinkTank you will have to drive or go by bus. It's very, very busy on the Hagley Road into Birmingham centre.

There are primary schools in Bearwood but not secondary schools according to Google. If you were talking about a school for girls that would be different as Lordswood girls school and 6th form centre is a very good school. Although classed as Harborne it is right at the edge of Bearwood.

Sandwell
Another poorer area. Sandwell's Clinical Commissioning Group shows it to have:

1. A younger population than most areas of England where 74% of the population is under 45 years of age. 2)The proportion of people aged 65 years and over is lower than England average. 3)The majority of the population live in areas deemed to be amongst the most disadvantaged in England. 4)The population is one of the most diverse multi-racial, ethnic and cultural populations in England. 50% of the population are British White compared to 86% for West Midlands and 87% for England. The main Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups are: 12% Asian Indian 8% Asian Pakistani 6% Black British / Caribbean

Lichfield
A lovely historic location about 16 miles north of Birmingham in Staffordshire. It's at the end of the x-city train line (average time 37 mins) so commutable to ThinkTank.

If I had a choice of Sutton Coldfield, Bearwood, Sandwell or Lichfield, I'd choose Sutton or Lichfield. I wouldn't dream of living in Bearwood or Sandwell.

Consider Hall Green, Shirley, Solihull.

It depends how far you are willing to move and commute, you're less than an hour's train journey from Long Buckby, Rugby and loads of other nice little places to live/go to school.

Hope this helps.
www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/revealed-hardest-secondary-schools-birmingham-16458691
and
www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/how-close-you-need-live-15270568

thank you guys, that is really helpful iwishiwasaspaceman

one of the reasons I'm moving was to have a shorter commute. im doing 3 hours a day at the moment and it's killing me, plus being a single mum I want to be home earlier for ds. I might have the option to start at 8 and leave at 4 though so maybe. Will go back to the drawing board. thnks so much

Can anyone who has children at secondary in Sutton pls advise of what their school is like? we are in Sutton and will be making a decision on schools over next year or two.

Definitely go for Sutton over Bearwood/smethwick. And make sure you are not on the borders get as close to the schools as you can for the best chance of a place. Arthur Terry, (look at four oaks: mere green area to live) Fairfax (I’d go for Walmley area) are good and maybe Plantsbrook (Boldmere/Sutton town centre area) is worth a look. I wouldn’t consider a secondary school out of Sutton to be honest. Sutton is a good choice if you are in Birmingham, you have Sutton park, just 20 mins to city centre and also countryside if you want it.

I would also suggest lichfield, the trains are regular and okay, its a lovely place to live with a nice vibe, ive worked in sutton and lichfield and if I chose one of them to live in I would go with Lichfield.

I wouldnt get too caught up on moor street vs new street station they arent that far away from each other although moor street being a lot smaller is probably easier to get in and out of, but adding in new street gives you more options

@ultrablue which is the school on the Vale?

Yes it's Greenwood on the Vale, my Eldest DD went there before it became an academy, really changed things for the better..

Ceci03

does anyone know anything about erdington academy?

That's actually my local school and tbh I would never send my children there.

My youngest is at John Willmott in Sutton and it's gone down hill since she's been there..