Maidstone

[Catholicmummy]

Hi can people please give their opinions about Maidstone as an area to live in? Especially Weavering and Bearsted?
Any reviews about St. Johns COE primary in Weavering? Im worried if it is diverse enough or will my lil one get bullied for not being white British?

I grew up near there and went to grammar school in Maidstone. It was alright 25 years ago but it’s overcrowded and soulless now, in my opinion. Much nicer parts of Kent to live in, if you’re considering a move?

Also you might want to move this from AIBU

You will literally spend all you time sitting in traffic in Maidstone. Sorry!

I grew up in Maidstone and left a few years ago. The town centre has nothing left in it now and the areas around it are being built up with new houses and not much infrastructure. Traffic has got worse!

Weavering and Bearsted are (I really hate to say it) but incredibly white middle class areas and rather snobby about it! Very little ethnic diversity. The house prices are also much higher as the areas are nicer than other parts of Maidstone, but this is also driven up by the primary schools being very good.

There are much nicer places around Kent towards Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks tbh

I would add Faversham and some of the surrounding villages to @Schlobbob's list, and agree about Maidstone.

Have lived in Maidstone for over twenty years.

It's changed quite a bit over the years and not for the better.

The town is pretty dire and I hardly ever go there now.

Bearsted is expensive . St John's has a good reputation. Thurnham/Roseacre ( the infant and junior schools in Bearsted are very oversubscribed.

Be aware that the trains to London are on a branch line so the journey takes much longer than you'd think.

Also be aware that Kent has the 11+

There are much nicer towns/larger villages in Kent.

Oh and the M20 which is very close by is often just a lorry car park ( Operation Stack/Brock) so cars use a slow contra flow.

There's an incident frequently on it so Maidstone gets gridlocked. It can be grim.

Probably not very helpful but my parents live in Paddock Wood and shop in Maidstone regularly.
Agree about the traffic! They get the train

Thanks everyone- I havent grown up in the UK - so im not too sure of the advantages and disadvantages of the Kent 11+. Could someone enlighten me please?

Kent use to be beautiful. Granted some parts still are, Bridge, Chestfield etc. I moved away 8 years ago and recently returned for a few weeks and I was in Maidstone. I was shocked at how much it had changed. There was so much traffic. Every blade of grass had a house on it. I really didn't like it and tbh I was glad to come back home.

It's great for the brainy kids who pass and get to go to a grammar school, which will be more orientated towards academic stuff.

Those who don't pass go to schools which have a broader focus.

Most areas in England don't have grammar schools and all kids go to the same kind of school at 11, unless their parents pay for them to go to an independent school.

Maidstone itself is quite diverse, relatively large Nepalese community, and at our kids' school there are 30+ nationalities, which we really like. The outer bits that you mention, which are prettier, are far less mixed. In Bearstead the other weekend and think I clocked one non-white family.

Traffic is a horror, to be fair, and it has its issues as would any v large town.

Overall though I really like it here, north part of the town is great.

It’s like one massive carpark!
Have you looked at Ashford? It’s really come up in recent years and has the fast train to London as well as great schools and on the edge of fabulous country side.

It's OK but i was shocked at the town when I went last month. We live in a village north of Maidstone that's beautiful and we can visit Maidstone or bluewater