Best areas for education commutable to London

[ikhan928]

Hi,

My wife and I are looking to move this year and we want to know what areas have good primary and secondary schools and are commutable to London (also family friendly!). Our son is only 3 but we don't want to have to move for a secondary school. We are really interested in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire but would love to hear about all areas.

Our current budget for a house is £475k and we would be going for a new build. We would like a 3 bed house with at least 2 double rooms and 1 single (if any of that helps at all!).

If there is already a thread regarding this or a separate website then please let me know and I will check there.

Many thanks!

Biggleswade? www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-71597921.html New build 50 mins to kings x on train

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/local/2189343-Relocating-to-Biggleswade

Ahh so much information! Will have digest it all over the weekend and look at the various areas suggested.

Also we saw a property in Hemel Hempstead that was within our budget, near Hemel Hempstead Industrial Estate (Three Cherry Trees Lane). Does anyone know of the area and if it is a good place for a family i.e. education, safety etc? Another property we saw was in Fairfield Park which is just north of Letchworth Garden City, same question again.

Thank you for all the suggestions!

I'd agree with saffron Walden. It's a gorgeous commuter town with amazing schools.

OP, Fairfield Park is in Bedfordshire and the schools aren't great. The school checker facility on Rightmove should help you with that.
Hitchin boys and girls schools are very good if you'd consider single sex. They take kids from a wider catchment than just hitchin, but still North Herts area. Not sure about new builds but you'll get a 3 bed in North Herts for £475 and good train links to KX

I was thinking that you'd never buy anything near me in south west Herts, but actually there are a few decent sized houses in your price range. Most are on an estate which is part council, part private, so not new build, but you have a lot of decent schools if you choose the right road.

Lots of facilities nearby, countryside literally on your door step, and access to M25, Met Line and Chiltern Line.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-71398910.html

That is not a part of Hemel Hempstead that is ideal for family life. It is miles away from the train station and town centre and the Maylands Avenue is literally just industrial units. It’s right next to Buncefield and traffic can be a disaster if there is a problem on the M1.

There is also a very large traveller estate on Three Cherrys Lane (permanent residences). You can interpret that how you please.

Some schools in Hemel are good, others are beyond a disaster (special measures).

The only area of Hemel I would even consider in your position is Boxmoor / Felden. You could also have a look at Bovingdon which is a large village nearby with a highly sought after primary.

You can also use www.streetcheck.co.uk to find out crime rates, demographics etc.

My area would work almost perfectly for you - houses in your budget, easy commute and top schools. The only compromise would be the new built thing.

I'm talking about Sutton in in zone 5 in south London (also applies to the neighbouring Carshalton). There's a direct Thameslink to St Pancras (DH's commute) from Carshalton and 3 stations in Sutton.

The schools are super high attaining - I think the local authority is number 3 in England for primaries and number 1 for secondaries. The latter partly due to 5 grammar schools in the area.

Here are examples of properties in your budget:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-52831062.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-70750403.html

Don’t forget to investigate the cost of commuting into London! What you save in mortgage repayments will be spent on fares!

You could look at Canterbury. Which has good primaries. And good secondaries if your child passes the Kent Test - which is going to be a bit of a gamble when they're only 3. That said, 25+% pass, so you won't be into super-selective territory.

Market Harborough

When you say you are happy with an hour / hour and a half to Kings Cross, do you mean total commute time, or time on the train itself?

You can definitely get a three bed for £475k in Watford in Herts. Trains to London Euston (a short walk from Kings Cross if that’s where you work) take 15-20mins. Several good primaries (Knutsford, Nascot Wood, Orchard, Parkgate to name a few). Several semi-selective secondaries (look up SW Herts Consortium), although if you don’t get into one of those, the others are quite a bit less good. Feels perfectly safe. Good shopping centre (with a John Lewis!). Fantastic park (Cassiobury, and Whippendell Woods). Several swimming pools, two libraries. And 20 min drive to St Albans if you need a bit of culture and nice restaurants!

Definitely look at Commutefrom. I'd recommend looking at the Peterborough line operated by Great Northern (currently comes into Kings Cross, later this year will be coming into Kings Cross or St Pancras where it'll join the Thameslink route).