Moving to Bradford

[Alex27]

Can any mumsnetters give me any advice on good primary and secondary schools in the Bradford region. We need good train links to Bradford too. I'm relocating there very shortly and don't know the area at all, so any advice most gratefully received!! Thanks

St Winefride's in Wibsey is good. St John's in Buttershaw, similar area, also good. Wibsey a lovely area. Buttershaw High school used to have a bad name, but apparently a waiting list now. (it's now called Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College). Thornton Grammar a good high school too.

Oh, where are you moving from? Do you know nothing of Bradford? I've moved away now, but could tell you loads.

We're moving from Chester. Any advice would be so helpful. I've been told by a friend that Saltaire is lovely. I have a infant school child and a pre school one. It's all been a bit of a rush!

Saltaire really is lovely, but very expensive. I think there are some good schools there too. Salts used to have a good name (grammar). Ideally, I would choose to be at least 2 miles from the town centre. In any direction.

Oh, and Haworth is lovely too, but again can be quite expensive. Or places like Silsden and that area.

A bit further out but in gorgeous countryside with direct, quick trains to Bradford is Ilkley and the villages along the line. Pricey, but great schools and communities.

I would combine looking at Right Move and local train timetables. Bradford isn't particularly nice but there are some beautiful places close by and Bradford has good local rail services.
Areas of Shipley
Bingley
Thornton village
Skipton
Silsden
Haworth
Hebden Bridge
Harden
Tong Village
Oakenshaw
Areas of Queensbury
Bay of Biscay - I love that name

Research schools thoroughly because Bradford Education has a really bad reputation. Some schools are great but hard to get into.

There has been definite 'white flight' in Bradford and some schools are very segregated.

Good luck.

It's no longer run by Education Bradford. It's gone back to the council. There are some very good and very bad schools. I've worked in a few.

Marking my place as moving to Gilstead and unlikely to be in the catchment area for Eldwick Primary, which is hugely oversubscribed.

Thanks for all your help! I've got lots of places to start researching.

Hi, thanks for your comments. Just curious about the 2 miles comment. Why should we not live within 2 miles of Saltaire?

I think she meant two miles from Bradford town centre, not Saltaire town centre. Saltaire is a lovely place to live.

The best advice I can honestly give you is to avoid it! Honestly.

Pay and go to somewhere like Leeds Grammar.www.gsal.org.uk/

It's about 200th of all schools in the UK for A levels (FT table). Only possibly decent school around as you are too far for Manchester Grammar (private).

oneofmyturns Thornton Grammar has plummeted since the old head left. In just a couple of years it's barely a shadow of the school it was.

Xenia that is complete rubbish! Ilkley grammar, Skipton Girls and Ermysteads are all fine (state) schools within striking distance of Bradford.

Ah ok. And yes I did mean 2 miles of Bfd city, not Saltaire.

LGS is a long way to take tiddleys every day. Lady Lane Park in Bingley is supposed to be a good private infant and nursery school, if that's what the OP wants.

There is some rubbish on this thread, and the typical rubbish about Bradford, which is no worse than many places in the north of England. There are sone great places to live, however, in terms of education, I can whole heartedly recommend Dixons Academy in West Bowling. It is one of the best performing state schools in the country, and is EXCELLENT in all respects. The area may not be wonderful but kids travel from all over the city to attend.

I have lived and worked in Bradford all my life, until recently. Happy to answer any questions

Have you considered Otley, slightly cheaper than Ilkley and has good schools.

Skipton Girls position 205th www.sghs.org.uk/ FT tables rankings.ft.com/secondary-schools/secondary-schools-2011?sortcol=16541&sortdir=asc&search=skipton%20girls&fields=16541|16566|16571|16576|16581|16586|16626
State grammar

Ilkley grammar 436th

Thornton Grammar 1612th

(Leeds grammar private 211th www.gsal.org.uk/ )

www.gsal.org.uk/sixth-form/leavers-destinations/

So yes Leeds grammar and Skipton similar although is that fair as one is girls and one mixed and girls usually do better? Lees 19.5% A* and Skipton 17% - A levels.
I cannot do an Oxbridge comparison as did not find it on the skipton website nad LGS does not seem to say how many to Oxbridge.

But they are infants and nursery!

Oh bother she said secondary as well!

U live on the outskirts of Bradford and it is actually a lot worse than most places. I've lived in other places and can make a reasoned comparison. It's a strife ridden shit hole. A very few residential areas are fine, but most places are awful, there's one of the highest rates of uninsured (and prob untested) motorists as well. I would recommend anyone to avoid.

Hi, i'm an incomer to bradford, been here for many years now and i love it.
you mention you want good train links to bradford you might consider living within the north of the city - saltaire, shipley, bingley, baildon.
all of these have a short train hop into bradford. you could also look at guiseley (actually part of leeds) menston, burley in wharfedale, ilkley. again all with train routes into bradford - and leeds too.
Otley doesn't have a train station and is therefore cheaper.
I don't know the south of the city so well.
as an outsider i find the north of the city more cosmopolitan and welcoming than the west where i used to live.
do you want urban/ surburban / a small town in its own right close to bradford? - the places listed above are all slightly different.
skipton has grammar schools which are well regarded but it is quite a way from bradford itself.
ilkley grammar (comp secondary) or st mary's menston (RC and you have to be RC) tend to be the comps wtih the highest results for what that's worth.
i am happy to give you more specific info but would rather you message me if you are interested as i don't want to give out too much personal info on here.
i would happily recommend my children's primary but don't want to be outed so message me if you are interested.
ps there are always people who are down on bradford (esp some bradfordians) but it is fine.