Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Local

Find conversations happening in your area in our local chat rooms.

Original poster

moving to cardiff

24 replies

ellenmary · 24/11/2010 22:10

hi we are moving to cardiff in april from the usa. we have two ds 5 and 3. where do you suggest we live and which schools should we send the boys too? Please help

OP posts:
hobnobsaremyfavourite · 25/11/2010 13:39

Depends on your budget!!! It also depends on what sort of schools you want DC's to attend. Do you want to live in the city center or in the burbs? Do you want a detached house, terraced or semi? Period or newbuild? See the possibilities are endless Grin I think it's a fab place to live and have been here for 18 years and am happy to provided any info I can

Poogles · 25/11/2010 14:23

We recently relocated to Cardiff from Essex so can share your concerns! We also have 2 DS (4.5 & 2.5).

Not knowingCardiff, I looked at what areas were good for schools and explored that way. First choice for me was Cyncoed as it has a good primary school and is in the catchment area for Cardiff High which has a fantastic reputation.

Unfortunatley, we could only afford a shoe box there and so looked at other areas.

In the end we moved to Radyr which is int he North West of Cardiff. DS1 has just started at Radyr Primary so early days but it does seem like a good school. Radyr Comprehensive has a good reputation and gets good results.

I am so pleased we chose to live where we do. We have the benefit of feeling like we are part of a village but the benefit of being 10 - 15 minutes from the city centre. There is a train station which takes 12 minutes to the centre of Cardiff.

We've only been here 6 months so am not the most knowledgeable about Cardiff, but I love Radyr and think we made the right decision for us!

Original poster
ellenmary · 25/11/2010 14:57

Well it's hard to know what we want but first on the list is a good primary school. We think we could afford around 650 700 a month in rent. We have been looking on right move but not knowing the area it all feels like a gamble. We looked at radyr but there was not much for rent on the site we looked at we would need three bedrooms are their any other sites we should look at. Any information is appreciated.

OP posts:
Poogles · 25/11/2010 15:21

Not sure about other websites - we used Right Move! A lot of the houses in Radyr are very expensive but the new estate is much more affordable. Maybe you could register with some of the agents who have houses to rent in the area and they can contact you if a suitable property comes on to the market.

I was worried about whether there would be space at the school as we didn't have an address in catchment at the time of applying (school places were very competitive where we lived before) but I met with the head and she said that the school was not oversubscribed so you might be able to find a house in a village a mile or so from the school.

Whitchurch seems to be a family orientated area but I don't know much about it or the schools I'm afraid!

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 25/11/2010 21:46

Penylan is lovely with big period houses and a couple of decent primary schools. Whitchurch is also lovely with decent schools and a pleaseant high street. Penylan is near a nice couple of streets with lots of cafes, coffee shops and bars, also lots of nice green spaces around Penylan. If you don't mind being a bit further out Penarth is fantastic and has excellent schools.

Original poster
ellenmary · 29/11/2010 22:46

Thank you that is very helpful. My husband wants to be in cycling distance of the hospital and we saw a nice place in whit church but unfortunately it had already gone so I guess we are back to looking.

OP posts:
hobnobsaremyfavourite · 01/12/2010 20:57

is it the university hospital you need to be near?

Original poster
ellenmary · 03/01/2011 21:30

happy new year!

Yes it is the university hospital that we need to be in cycling distance of. the search continues...

OP posts:
NonVinaigretteRien · 03/01/2011 21:41

Depends on what you mean by "cycling distance" Wink

NonVinaigretteRien · 03/01/2011 21:44

Birchgrove Primary recently had "Outstanding" at its Inspection. Generally a feeder school for Whitchurch, which I believe to be ok. Radyr School and Cardiff High also supposed to be good.

Are you trying to do all this from the US?

Go on, show us some of the places you've considered and we'll tell you what we think of the areas Grin

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 05/01/2011 21:12

loads of lovely 1940's semis in th Heath area and Ton-yr-ywen primary did well in a recent inspection. You woulld be very close to the hospital too

jodieT · 06/01/2011 12:49

we live in rhiwbina which is next to whitchurch, rhiwbina primary is said to be one of the best schools in cardiff and thats where our boys go. I grew up in whitchurch/rhiwbina and both are lovely lots of parks and walking/cycling distance to uhw hospital.

Original poster
ellenmary · 19/05/2011 21:05

Thanks everyone we managed to find a place in rhiwbina and have movedin with a lot of stress and a long stay in b and b!!!! Have applied for rhiwbina primary school but have been told by council that all the schools are full! So now am stuck anyone got any good ideas what I can do to keep boys learning at home (have joined techniquest and soft play). Can't believe I can't take boys swimming as have taken them both every day in states anyone know of a swimming pool that allows one adult two kids? Thanks for all your support.

OP posts:
jesskatie · 19/05/2011 22:10

Llanishen leisure centre does a swim safe session on a saturday afternoon where there are extra life guards on duty and allow 2 kids to 1 adult, always good to phone first just in case, although this has only happened to me once when i turned up and it was not on. Not too far from you as well. There are schools with spaces, if you contact the council they should advise you with a school you can send your 5 year old to, give it a try.

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 20/05/2011 12:31

EllenMary Welcome to Cardiff!!! If you can afford it most private gyms will allow you to take more children in the pool than the leisure centre. I am a member of David Lloyd (which also has an outdoor pool).
PM me if I can be of any further help. I am in Cathays which is about 2 miles from Rhiwbina

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 20/05/2011 12:36

oh and ideas for things to do.
1.Techinquest in Cardiff Bay is an interactive science museum . Great for kids.

  1. St ffagans - museum of Welsh life . (free entry but you pay to park.)
  2. Welsh Museum in town. Free entry.
  3. Loads of libraries dotted around Cardiff, I think there's one in Rhiwbina.
Original poster
ellenmary · 21/05/2011 20:59

cool thanks. we have been talking to the council they sent me a helpful list of all the schools that were full!!! so we have written to the mp for the area and made a formal complaint to the council!!!!!! and so we wait!!! thanks for all the suggestions they look great and should keep us out of trouble.

OP posts:
Poogles · 01/06/2011 12:36

I thought the council would have had an obligation to get a school for the children! Definately follow up with your councillor/MP.

You might also get somewhere if you call the school directly - a friend of mine in Essex moved and was told her local school was full but she didn't want to send her DC to the one they offered (bad reputation) so she arranged a meeting with the head of te school she wanted and the head said they had space!!! Worth a try?

Hope you are settling wel lin Cardiff!

Original poster
ellenmary · 01/06/2011 22:49

Thanks poogles I think we shall try that and appeal the council. Have really enjoyed st fagans and the museum in town thought we might do castles next as there seems so many nearby.

OP posts:
Original poster
ellenmary · 15/06/2011 10:47

woo hoo boys in school at coryton. Didn't realise what a struggle it would be to get in to a/any school. at last i can relax and start getting to know cardiff.
thanks everyoneXX

OP posts:
hobnobsaremyfavourite · 15/06/2011 21:47

That's good news ellenmary!

PurpleCrazyHorse · 22/06/2011 23:31

Great news on the school place. We live in Thornhill but go to Rhiwbina Baptist Church. Unfortunately we couldn't afford to live in Rhiwbina but there are so many nice areas in Cardiff. Hope you're settling in.

pingusmumtoo · 30/06/2011 16:05

Re the swimming thing - use the pool at the hospital - it's fab !

GTHC · 05/03/2012 11:01

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread