St Anselms or Old Vicarage?

[FancyPinkCrab]

Just any experience/advice anything really on either school to help make a decision!

We are moving back to the Derbyshire area (Ashbourne specifically) and hoping to start my son at either school next September (for pre school).

Have booked visits to both, so also any questions I should be asking?

They’re a long way away from each other and the OV would be a real PITA to get to from Ashbourne each day. Do you need to be at work in Derby? If not I might rethink. Google says about 30 mins drive but I’d want to test that at 8am.

St Anselms was due to close and IIRC was rescued by parents, so I would want to be sure that was solid.

Well it’s Ashbourne as a centre for the search so anywhere around that really.

OK I inferred from your OP you would be living in Ashbourne. But maybe you mean you will live near whichever school you prefer? Bakewell and Derby are very different kinds of places obvs, one is a small city and the other a rural tourist town. So I presume one or the other will appeal more. But since you say “moving back” I guess you know all about that.

The main thing I know about OV school (apart from the uniform colours which give rise to an unfortunate local nickname) is that it only goes to age 13 and there isn’t really a clear destination after that. I have known a couple of parents who were not sure where their DCs should go at 13. I guess you could leave at 11 tho and attend Derby High or Grammar.

I don’t know St A’s at all beyond the closure threat as noted, sorry.