Need good state schools but only have around 200k to spend on a house. Where should I go?

[SparklePrincess]

I currently live near the East Sussex & Kent border. If I stay where I am the dc will have the choice of several quite good state schools. Heathfield CC, Uckfield CC & Uplands in Wadhurst.

Problem is my marriage is over & I only stand to get around 200k to buy a house for the dc & myself. If I stay in this area that will be quite difficult to do without resorting to some awful rough estate, which im not prepared to do. Also, because were out in the sticks theres no public transport, so petrol costs are huge, (especially now) & my car`s a gas guzzler at the best of times. I wonder whether it might be sensible to move to a bigger town with better public transport.

My parents live in Hastings, & I know I could get a great house there for 200k, but the schools are diabolical. Eastbourne seems only marginally better. Ideally id like to rule out that whole locality & start afresh somewhere completely new to me, but I simply dont know where to start when it comes to schools, quality of life, transport links, employment possibilities etc etc.

Id consider almost anywhere within a reasonable (probably 2 hours or so) traveling distance of my parents house in Hastings.

Advice gratefully received.

ashby de la zouche & leicestershire in general - too far away but fits the criteria easily

Although bear in mind that if the "sacrifice" you talk about is the ghastly, horrific thought that you might have to send them to a comprehensive school which (gasp) other people's children actually go to, some of whom come from the (gasp again) council estate, then you may be over-dramatising a teeeeeensy bit.

Move away from the knife

UQD, calm down! did she say she wanted private school??

The awful thing is, I KNOW WHERE YOU ARE COMING FROM (and it is totally BU.)

Look, I hope the OP finds somewhere in budget and in a decent catchment, but this is a battle that over 75% of parents face on a regular basis. It's not unusual.

To be fair, she didn't say it was. She's just doing the particular rather than the general, which we all do from time to time, non? After all, people go on and on about bloody baby names and food when more than half the world is starving...

How about villages around Maidstone? It was voted one of the most affordable areas in the country recently and there would certainly be lots of pleasant modern detached/semi estate houses within your price range.

There are many very good primary schools linking into the grammar system.

scotland

education system very good. houses prices marginally cheaper

UQD, that was all rahter unclled for surely

sparkle where I live is excellent primary schools, grammar school one boys one girls and a top performing do ed high school which many parents select OVER the grammars. Joint 6th form.
no compromise necessary and friendly parents and nice area. Waitrose delivers here decent local facilities and 50 mins to ldn on a train.
we chose to move here from hants not one regret not one

UQD we all understand where you are coming from but sparkle has an opportunity to choose something that she would rather have for her kids. Every parent has this ambition, its not her fault others are struggling is it now?

Not Hants, well not a really nice part anyway, need another 50K really.. How big? Friends have just got a place in Uckfield for just under 200K

I come from a very dodgy area full of rough estates, & ive lived in the best & the worst parts of it. I went to a cr@p school, full of kids from unsupportive families. (including my own) Even the teachers were abusive towards us telling us we were scum. I found it impossible to learn anything in that environment so just switched off, bunked off & eventually left with nothing, despite being a reasonably intelligent human being.

I then progressed to a youth hostel (after being thrown out by my lovely mother) where everyone spent their lives out of their heads on various substances & were up to all sorts. I ended up being addicted to Alcohol for 5 years before finally cleaning myself up, getting a job & starting a family.

Forgive me if I dont want the same for my dc that I had. Their wellbeing & happiness is paramount to me, & getting a good education is key to all this.

I wont apologize for wanting the best for my dc.

YANBU however in my town i have taught in a 'bad' school and an 'average' school, teachers in 'bad' school much better and worked much harder because they had to, i would send my own dcs to first school but not second. The fact that you are supportive means that you dcs will get best out of which ever school they go to. Check value added, much better indication of school than sats or gcse results.

Having said that dh dd and I are in 1 bed flatin nice area becuse we can only afford bigger if we move to rough estate.

scotland

Wonderstuff, In the area I used to live 17% of kids got 5 A*-C`s in the worst school & 48% in the best one (not including English & Maths)

I see what you mean about teachers working harder in a rough school because they have to, & about checking value added. Unfortunately all schools where I used to live also do badly on value added as well as on GCSE points. I think teachers tend to avoid working in that particular area now after previous teaching staff spoke out in the papers warning them not to come there.

Im not after anything spectacular. Just a school that will cater well for both my dc. Grammar school areas are probably out because although my eldest is highly intelligent & would probably get in, my youngest (although again highly intelligent) has ADHD & probably wouldnt get in.

Little ones ADHD is another reason im desperate to keep her out of a dodgy school. Unfortunately she has a habit of gravitating towards the troublemakers. She`s kept in check by all the good kids here.

I know next to nothing about state schools other than this

Wherever you are there will be a percentage of troublemakers that your DC will have to adapt to and hopefully ignore. The differences between a school that gets 45% A to Cs and 55% A-Cs is not going to be dramatic. They'll have your love and support and their own innate ability.

a hampshire search with good schools:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/hampshire/liss.html?page=10

I don't know about the schools but friends have brought in Uckfield, lovely 3 bed for under 200K and the town seems lovely

UQD - You are wrong about £200K being an average budget. In the south east the average house price is closer to £300,000. It's much less in Yorks. Latest averages here

Wymondham, Norfolk?

school

house

another house

Some interesting stuff there. Liss looks nice, & that detached house in Norfolk within my price range.

I live fairly close to Uckfield now wonderstuff, (my ex`s solicitor is based there) & its certainly not an area id discount. Already had a bit of a look around the area & been informed that my money will only buy me an ex council house. Not discounting it yet though. There are council estates & there are council estates. They are not all the same.

Had a look on that average price thingy you linked to Swedes. It says the average terraced house around here is 235k.

I think theirs is ex council, but close to high st and a nice estate, not a nasty 60s one. Def cheaper than north hampshire where i am, i msy be able to beg and borrow enough to have a 200k budget, going to have to buy a project

Piffle where are you? sounds nice

There are some cute little bungalows I like in Heathfield. Downside there being public transport is so limited & id be severly reliant upon a car. Id rather, if possible live somewhere that it wouldnt be the end of the world if the car broke down & I couldnt afford to fix it. Perhaps I need to re consider Eastbourne, but I dont know the area that well. The primaries dont look great, but it seems to have a couple of decent comps. Public transport there is bound to be quite good & its only half hour away from my parents. They could even get the bus over to see me for free.
Looks like I could get a really decent house for my money there, & it would be another half hours drive away from the ex.

Manor Park is the estate ive been warned off wonderstuff, but I had a good look round while I was there & it seemed quite nice.