Relocating for schools

[wombpaloumbpa]

After a stressful and poor first year of school in our deprived seaside town we've decided we will relocate to try and offer our kids a better experience.

Is there a website that you can quickly get info on areas with decent schools, both primary and secondary? Not just Ofsted but parent reviews also?

It's a huge decision, I know the country is in a state but we want to try and make the best choice we can.

I suppose what we really want to know is the general vibe / ethos of the schools, how happy the pupils and staff are, as well as the academic / aspiration stuff.

Good Schools Guide - best schools in each area, both state and independent. I have used it to plan our relocation and a month’s subscription told me all I needed to know.

There’s locrating.com but I wouldn’t pay for it - but the free version gives you a quick useful snapshot. I’d have a think about what sort of town/city/village you are looking for and budget and rough sort of area e.g. south east then post on property forum on here and you’ll get lots of suggestions. You can then research from there.

@wombpaloumbpa

Are there other criteria which you need to take into account re the relocation, OP?

Will you need to find new jobs or be near family?

@Tatiepot @Ionacat thank you so much! Perfect

@TheSquareMile luckily we both work remotely but would ideally be 1.5 hours max from family who are in Dorset

It's hard to move away from my parents but after a lot of deliberation think I need to offer my children more

If you want to stay in actual Dorset why don’t you consider Bournemouth and Poole - the primaries vary but most are ok and it still has the grammar system for secondary if you think that might work in your favour

It depends on your budget, but I’d head into Hampshire and look there. Some lovely places with good and what I’d call settled schools, e.g. they don’t bounce in and out of special measures and RI. They’re solidly good. Look at some of the towns around your radius and your budget. Romsey is lovely and even somewhere like Totton on the edge of Southampton, if you want to still live near the sea.

Often the good schools don’t have spaces. If the LAs maintain a list of vacancies, look at where these are. I don’t blame you for wanting better. I would do the same.