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AIBU?

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Original poster

Urgent - does anyone know Hastings?

158 replies

almostautumn · 28/04/2021 12:38

I know this isn't an AIBU, but I need some urgent advice so posting here for traffic. DH and I are considering putting in an offer on a lovely house in Hastings, but are unsure about schools - an important factor as I have two young DC.

Does anyone live in Hastings or know the area well - and if so can you tell me about schools, both primary and secondary?

Thank you!

OP posts:
BumCat · 28/04/2021 23:51

@Physnicall The Conquest has recently been given an overall outstanding rating, so that’s not strictly true.

Maggiesfarm · 28/04/2021 23:59

Sorka, the Battle of Hastings was at Battle. Battle is worth visiting but I went around the battle ground/field with headphones on which gave commentary and background noise. I found it horrific, heartbreaking, exhausting, it was so realistic. It was as if I was there!

Battle is a very pretty place to visit though and some of the restaurants are lovely.

Icanflyhigh · 29/04/2021 00:00

I thought Line of Duty too.....

Nevermind - nothing to see here!

I've been to Hastings just the once, was lovely, but that's the extent of my knowledge.

MrsBertBibby · 29/04/2021 00:01

The Old Town's nice for a day out, but I worked in the area for a while (family law) and my word there is some deeply fucked up shit around there.

I wouldn't live there. It's a strange town.

And don't start me on the Court.

ClareBlue · 29/04/2021 01:45

@PleaseReferToMeAsBritneySpears

A very good friend of mine lives in old town. She teaches in a local secondary school as well as a local charity. Her own children get a train and have an hour commute to get to a better school. Sorry, but I think that says it all.
It certainly does

Someone invested in the education in the town prepared to inflict an hour commute for her children to be educated.....

girlofnow · 29/04/2021 02:31

I like Hastings, have family in Battle.

It's changed a lot over the last fifteen years, there has been an influx from London and house prices seem to have shot up. It used to be VERY cheap. It's definitely on the up.

I would live there in a second but the schools would be my biggest concern.

Vintagevixen · 29/04/2021 06:24

@Physnicall

The local health services in East Sussex, especially Hastings are pretty dire. There is no money or investment. Poor hospitals.
The Conquest has just been rated as outstanding. I'm starting a job there in 3 weeks so can report back more thoroughly but I have been impressed with the people I've dealt with so far. So is your statement strictly true??!
gerispringer · 29/04/2021 06:45

There’s loads of DFLs ( Down From London) in Hastings, so the OP would fit in with them. My friend moved there a few years ago and loves it. She rates the local leisure and health services.

AbsolutelyPatsy · 29/04/2021 06:56

the handful of people i know who live there rave about it, my dc and her friends 18+ love it

Yorkshirecrab · 29/04/2021 06:56

Hastings has been 'on the up' since I bought my house in Brighton 20 years ago. It still isn't really great though.

AbsolutelyPatsy · 29/04/2021 07:02

The Conquest hospital CQC rating is Good, it was in special measures, the chief exec left, money came in, and it has improved.

AbsolutelyPatsy · 29/04/2021 07:03

and actually there is a lot of money invested in Hastings, due to the deprivation

AbsolutelyPatsy · 29/04/2021 07:05

ignore me, conquest is outstanding, well i never knew that!

SpiderinaWingMirror · 29/04/2021 07:24

I have to say that health service in East Sussex for my family has been far better than anywhere else I have lived!

MrsWombat · 29/04/2021 07:29

All these LOD references and none for the Duke of Hastings. I'd certainly recommend him.

I have nothing useful to add other than I holiday in the area a lot and like it.

JackieWeaverHandforthCouncil · 29/04/2021 07:38

I thought there were a lot of EDL types down there? I’d be wary of coastal town schools also. Many of them have a culture of low ambition.

rossclare · 29/04/2021 07:55

@GreyhoundG1rl

What exactly is an "arty" vibe?
Whatever you want it to be, but i think you get the idea and are just being facetious.
BumCat · 29/04/2021 08:09

@JackieWeaverHandforthCouncil

No. Very much not the case. Certainly not these days. There was even a large BLM protest last year and there was no trouble.

GreyhoundG1rl · 29/04/2021 08:11

Whatever you want it to be, but i think you get the idea and are just being facetious.
No, I actually wasn't. So the answer is anything you want it to be? Really?

Vintagevixen · 29/04/2021 08:17

@GreyhoundG1rl

Whatever you want it to be, but i think you get the idea and are just being facetious. No, I actually wasn't. So the answer is anything you want it to be? Really?
Lots of art galleries, big community of creative people -artists, film makers, craftspeople etc quite often working together and sparking ideas.

Couple of independent cinemas (praying these survive lockdown ), lots of festivals - jack in the green, bonfire, pirate day.

Lots of independent shops.

Thriving music scene pre Covid.

Even a couple of museums - fisherman's museum, shipwreck museum, aquarium.

That's what is meant by an arty vibe. HTH.

GreyhoundG1rl · 29/04/2021 08:18

Thank you. Yes it did help Smile
A lot more than the ridiculous whatever you want it to be, certainly.

Vintagevixen · 29/04/2021 08:24

Plus at least three proper independent bookshops

AbsolutelyPatsy · 29/04/2021 08:28

some secondary children go to school in Battle

howmanynames · 29/04/2021 08:29

@almostautumn

Not getting the impression of deprivation on your reccy doesnt change the fact it is a really deprived coastal area though.

I currently live in London in what many people would consider to be a rough area, so maybe to me, Hastings doesn't seem that rough? It's all relative I suppose!

Thanks for the website @Perkyduck131, I will take a look.

I'm from a part of London considered rough.

We looked at Hastings, I loved the arty vibe. There's a lot going on in Hastings.

But we decided against it specifically because of schools. (This was a few years ago).

Also, the difference with living in a part of London that's rough is there's so much else going on, you have access to the whole of London. It's not the same in a small town.

But even so, I got up to all sorts growing up in a rough area my mum has no idea about and would be shocked to know! It might be fine as an adult but I think we're naive if we think it doesn't put our DC at risk to be in a rough area.

Hastings being the teen pregnancy capital of the country put me off too.

I'd love to live there as an adult but I don't think it's the best choice for kids.

AlmostSummer21 · 29/04/2021 08:31

@almostautumn

URGENT?!?!

Boy who cried wolf