Moving to Cambridge

[Colliherts]

Hi, am single Mum with three little ones - moving to Cambridge. My eldest needs good friendly school to go into year 1.

Any recommendations for nice areas and good state primary school with after school care. Also nice local state nursery for younger ones. Thinking a small two bed house or flat (up to £300,00) perhaps walking distance of station. I could cycle if its all cycle paths as not that confident !!

Any ideas. I don't know where to start ? I know Cambridge a little but not housing or schools.

thanks

have you looked on rightmove- 300,000 won't get you much near the station -
cycling is pretty good -and loads of people do it it
where are you working area-not place then could give advice on possible areas
also schools quite full especially in central cambridge - however almost all very good in my view
lots of people live in big villages outside - cambridge - a lot cheaper in general

Thanks - I need to get to the station for work. I have looked on right move - but hard to know what's what when I dont know what area's to avoid or go for. I guess I just need to know what areas of cambridge are ok - even if not close to station. I'm not looking at villages at moment as want to be in city. Thanks.

Have you considered contacting schools or the council to find out which schools might have space or your eldest as I would imagine that the best schools would be full and have a waiting list.

You might want to look at [[http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/6C45D11C-2A34-46BD-AE35-75C4FD6C65C7/0/FirstStepsAdmissiontoPrimarySchooldocaguideforparents20122013JP.pdf this guide] if you haven't already seen it. The primary schools' catchment areas are shown on page 23 and you can get a sense of how oversubscribed schools are by looking at the number of applications and appeals. However I think that just ringing them would make most sense. Then they can also let you know if they have an attached nursery school.

Looking on Rightmove, I think you may find being within striking distance of the station and finding a year 1 place a challenge.

In terms of areas of Cambridge, I think it is generally acknowledged that Arbury is the less pleasant side of Cambridge, but that actually "bad for Cambridge" isn't really all that bad.

You could consider Trumpington and get the guided busway to the station.

this guide

You may find somewhere affordable in Cherry Hinton but I know the primary schools tend to be full, however there is a brand new school near enough to walk or cycle to, called Queen Emma's, they started this year with Reception classes and are building up each year. So would have Y1 from Sept.

No areas of Cambridge are actually that bad, compared to other parts of England, even Arbury.

How close to the station do you need to be? Where are you travelling to for work? If you're not actually working in Cambridge could you consider one of the places along the train line outside Cambridge?

All areas of the city are easy to get to the station from via busses. I know nothing about St. Phillips which I believe is close to the station but I know it's not a bad school. There aren't really any bad schools in Cambridge city apart form one but I can't remember the name of it

St Phillips was certainly oversubscribed for 2011 entry. Friends of ours are quite taken with Ridgefield (for 2012 entry) and it's even closer to the station. Morley Memorial also popular. All had after school clubs when we looked at them. For EAs try Vincent Shaw and Bush.

Would recommend Outspoken cycle training if you want to build confidence on your bike www.outspokentraining.co.uk/.

House prices in Cambridge are indeed ludicrous, but don't give up too easily. Pretty brick terraced houses off Mill Road go for IMO silly money for the [lack of] space you get, but walk just one or two minutes literally further east into Coleridge ward and there are heaps of much more spacious 1950s-ish former council houses, built as family homes and frequently extended since, that don't attract a special premium for being all trendy and heritagey - they will be within your budget. As BlueChampagne says, Ridgefield, Morley Memorial and St Phillip's are all reputed to be good primaries - I'm resolutely not worrying about how oversubscribed they are for another couple of years so I can't comment on that score. I walk around this area a lot and it's mostly nice quiet roads, not uber-smart/posh but generally looked-after in the ordinary way; they are well worth a look. Ditto Queen Edith's (another ward) and Cherry Hinton (both further south but within or not much more than ten minutes' cycle to the station, and with good bus services).

I think Cambridge is just the bee's knees if you can manage to find suitable housing. There is so much to do within easy reach, and I find that's even more true with a little one. The bus service is good and there are plenty of family-friendly places to eat and drink. There are lots of little green spaces inside the city: not just the college backs, which of course are amazing, or the big commons, which are also super, but also local nature reserves and recreation grounds and community gardens and allotments. It's lovely.

I second BlueChampagne's recommendation of Outspoken Delivery too! I know Rob who runs it as well as one of their couriers. They are all fantastic.

This one is very near Shelford station which has trains "running" into Cambridge (I think hourly), a bus (number 7). House is also very near the bike path that runs between Shelford and Adenbrooke's hospital : you can actually cycle from there to Cambridge station in 15 mins along the new guided busway (no cars all the way). A little out of the village centre, but Shelford is lovely. It has shops, post office, pharmacy, GP surgery etc. It also has a (good) primary school (no personal experience).

Also found quite a few 2-3 bed (Victorian) terraces in the Mill Road area that might be checking out.

We wanted to be near the station - we ended up in north Cambridge and our daughter is very happy at Mayfield School. The school has improved a lot and it's lovely - it was oversubscribed this year in reception and other years. We wanted a good amount of space and a big garden, which is tricky near Mill Road.

From where I live there are buses to the station so it's a bit far for walking, however if you cycle, it's very handy. My advice is get a bike! I don't drive and have been able to cope being on the other side of town from the station. We occasionally walk to the centre with my daughter as she is heavy for child's seat.

In CB4 there is also Milton Road School (outstanding, very sought after, not my cup of tea, though) and the much maligned Arbury school. Arbury school has improved a lot and a friend of mine has a child there who is quite happy and is going to send another child there (and she is not the only 'academic family' to have opted for it). There is also St Luke's school. It really depends where you are as catchments are tight. There has been a huge influx of children in the past years so even preschool is a challenge. In my area I recommend Roundabout, attached to Mayfield school but do put the name down very early on!

Silly me, I forgot the afterschool clubs.... One at Mayfield and one at St Luke's (the latter picks up from other schools).

Thanks for all the good advice - that gives me a really good idea and also some further research I can do.