Moving to Cambridge choosing a primary school - help!

[EllieHB]

OK, I know there have been so many mums asking this question, but please take pity on me, I'm trying to move long-distance and was due to come down for a visit to school and househunt this week but DS2 has had pneumonia so we've had to cancel the trip.

We're moving to Cambridge in July. I have 2 DSs 5yrs and 2yrs. The 5yr old is a bit on the shy side at first, a sweetnatured, sensitive, softie, very creative, loves music and art and sports, tows the line at school and wants to be an 'insect scientist' as of yesterday. Bit more of a girls' boy than a boys' boy. Tends to make strong bonds with individuals rather than hang out in a big gang. He went to a Montessori nursery and the whole Montessori thing suited him 100%. My 2yr old is very outdoorsy and also loves music. I'm more interested that they feel happy and comfortable at a school where they are treated as individuals, than that they go to somewhere with amazing results.

We're moving from Scotland where DS1 is at a big but cosy primary school with no seriously disruptive kids and I know he's much more comfortable somewhere like that. I'm keen on somewhere that's great on pastoral care, encourages kids to be creative and individual. I think they'd both be happy somewhere which has good music and ideally sports too.

I think I've read the Ofsted reports for all the schools (primary and secondary) in Cambridge, but they can only tell you so much. DH is doing a PhD at Darwin and we both travel a bit for work. We're thinking of living West or South, easy cycling distance from the centre of town and the station and so have narrowed choice down to Queen Edith's, Newham Croft, Morley, Fawcett. DH has seen lots of schools but not Morley or Fawcett yet - they were planned for this trip. But there's only so much you can get from a school tour. Any Cambridge MNs out there who have recent/current experience of the primary schools and living in the catchment areas I'd be hugely grateful to hear from you :) If anyone who can recommend other schools I'm not ruling anything out at the moment.

One other thing, we're currently living in total suburbia and I work from home so don't get to escape it much - I'm quite keen to avoid that in whatever area of Cambridge we move to, I have this dream of being 5 minutes from the backs, but unless we put a tent up by the river I'm not sure we'll be able to afford it, and I don't think that will count as a catchment address anyway.

Sorry for the long post, you can tell I don't get out much can't you. :o

Bump. Oh and short version coz I got carried away late last night - calling anyone who knows anything about Queen Edith's, Newnham Croft, Morley and Fawcett - I'd love to know what you think of the schools esp if you have kids there. And what the local areas are like to live in for a WAHM and a toddler. Thanks

Well both of my youngest two have been to Morley dd is still there in year one, and we love it. It's a bit 'hippy dippy' in some ways, but very caring and inclusive - dd has a medical condition that means she needs an eye kept on in some situations and the school have been supportive and pro active all along. She was bullied a little in early years and the fabulous early years staff response was to facilitate an entire session on 'differences' with dd asking to stand up and discuss her problems - I believe the ethos of the school gave her that confidence. DS left last year and has entered his secondary school with a strong sense of fairness and thoughfulness - this is of course his character as well, but it was spotted and encouraged from day 1. There is no school unifrom which I am not ever so bothered about either way and there are a lot of children from many different countries - dd's friends are Swiss, german, french, chinese and American!!! It's fairly big but doesn't seem to be iykwim. The headteacher is lovely and very funny - as well as being firm and approachable. On the whole I would recommend it! I hope that helps!!!

That's lovely to hear thank you so much, my DS1 would be going into year 2 next year. He's big on fairness and thoughtfulness, lovely that they encouraged it in your DS and have supported your DD so well. Hippy dippy is fine with me, especially if it means happy, grounded kids. I went to hothouse hell and am determined not to do the same to my DSs.

So now we just have to find a house to rent! If we end up at Morley could I be cheeky and get in touch and perhaps my DS could meet your DD over the summer so he knows someone? He's definitely a girls' boy, I heard from another mum today that at her DD's all-girls b-day party, someone asked who was my DS's girlfriend and they all put their hands up. He's got no idea, he just isn't into alpha male boisterous stuff and feels more comfortable hanging out with the ladies :o

Absolutely you can! they would be in the same class probably - although there are two classes - if you get asked, ask for the one which is Crimson this year there is Ruby and burgundy in year 2 and they change each year so I don't know which one crimson will metamorphosise into. There are some lovely boys in her class -and they all seem to get on really nicely, so do stay in touch, and good luck

If you want to be 5 min from the Backs, you need to look at Newnham, but the prices tend to be scary even by Cambridge standards. However, there are lots of other great places to go and things to do, and while the Backs are lovely (especially at this time of year), there's not much there for DCs except the odd duck.

Good luck! University Accommodation Syndicate (if it's still called that) might help you find somewhere to rent.

All those sound like lovely schools, but from someone who is going through the madness of primary admissions in Cambridge at the moment, I'd counsel you to rent as close as humanly possible to your chosen school, and we're talking in 100s of metres, nor kilometres! All the ones you mention are hugely oversubscribed, and while Cambridge populations are mobile enough that there is quite a lot of movement, you need to put yourself in a position where you will be top of the waiting list when a place comes up. The council website has a list of admissions criteria for every school in Cambridge.

All of those schools are good. All of them.

This very true libelulle An yes I agree they are all good. In fact even the 'bad' schools in Cambridge are good

Thanks for all the advice. Libelulle I feel your pain. I had a feeling it might be like that, sounds grim. What school are you going for? Good luck anyway. I was wondering whether chaining myself to the school railings would count as living close by. My current almost-as-crazy plan is that if we can't get into a school I'll home school for a few weeks and hope something comes up. Anyone else know of anyone who's done that? It started as a joke but Cambridge is such a fab place and London and museums etc so close I think I'd love it.

Just have a good look at the admissions booklet and check the streets that are in catchment of the schools you want, then buy a house there! Easy

If you have a spare 700k or so down the back of the sofa, you can even buy in Newnham But probably chaining yourself to the railings is an easier option...

For popular schools though living in catchment isn't even enough sairygamp, you have to be in the middle! Where we live we have no hope of getting into our supposed catchment school - last year you needed to be within 0.5 miles of it to get a place, so at least half the 'official' catchment had to go elsewhere. All completely bonkers. But the saving grace, as you say, is that there are no truly rubbish schools in Cambridge. I'd be disappointed not to get our first choice, but I know my DD will be essentially fine in any of our three choices. (sadly none of the schools on Ellie's list are even remote possiblities for us, as we are out of catchment for all of them).

You could home school until a place comes up, Ellie, but in all likelihood you'll be happy enough with whatever school your DS is allocated until your 'desired' place comes up. Queen Emma is another one to consider - it's a new school in the same catchment as Queen Edith's (and a few others) so is taking many of the catchment children who don't get into Queen Edith's. It's early days but I've heard good reports from friends who have their kids in the first reception class there.

Thanks Libelulle I've ripped up the sofa but only found a paperclip and lots of crumbs, so I guess the mice ate the £millions. I'm looking for houses on top of the schools now. We aren't eligible for Queen Emmas as my DS1 is 5 already so going into year 2.

Does anyone know Trumpington? Wondering what it's like to live there especially with all the new development?

Trying to avoid suburbia, already got the T-shirt and it doesn't suit me. Was wondering if the area around Queen Edith's might be a bit too quiet and out of the way for a big-city girl? Also thinking longterm it might be great for a young family with the park at Cherry Hinton Hall etc, but what happens when I have two teenage boys!?

Fortunately we're renting initially so can always bail out, but I'm such a perfectionist I HAVE to get it right first time or I'll melt. :o

We're not far from Cherry Hinton hall, and to be honest, Cambridge is so small (compared to BIG cities!) that anywhere you live on the outskirts will only be a a maximum 20 minutes away from town really. My eldest daughter was in town at clubs etc from the age of 18 with no transport worries. I don't know trumpington very well - always seemed ok to me...If you're coming from a big place, it will seem quiet I guess, but it's nice here really

The schools on your list are all good, and I'd give a personal recommendation for Queen Edith's as my dc started there this year and loves it.

The QE catchment area is only 2-ish miles from town and it's very easy to cycle in. You're also well placed to easily access Cherry Hinton, Trumpington, Gog Magogs & Wandlebury Country Park etc. There really isn't anywhere "big city" in Cambridge IMO.

I'm not sure how different this will be for a child entering Y2, but I would urge you to gather as much information as possible regarding class movements and the likelihood of a place becoming available at a chosen school before renting nearby (start with the council then maybe call each school individually). I have a friend who is to the North side of the city (past Victoria Road) who ended up with a reception age child at Queen Emma this year. Crossing the city at peak times to do school runs is not ideal!

Lovely to hear from a QE parent MrsPles and that's great advice about calling the council, I tried last term and they said it was too early to tell and I forgot all about it. DH saw QE a few weeks ago and came home saying it had the most amazing grounds and lovely atmosphere. I've seen threads here where people say it's too strict as opposed to Fawcett/Morley and they wish they sent their kids to a more relaxed school. What do you think? And how is it for music and drama and arty subjects? My DS wants to be a scientist at the moment but he loves his creative stuff and at the school he's at at the moment there's not much room for independent thinking or creativity.

Thanks so much again everyone. Sairy that's great to hear about your eldest, so far it looks as if we may well end up living near you and trying for Morley or QE, just found two houses for rent in the area, although one looks a bit of a wreck and the agent won't send me photos of the inside which seems a bit suspicious!

Sorry I didn't mean to come over all "big city" on you all. It's just where I live now (in a suburb of a city) is a bit of a suburban hell, just the sound of lawnmowers and almost everyone who lives here grew up here and I've found it impossible to become part of the community, even with small children - there are people I've seen in our tiny local park for 5 yrs who still barely greet me even though I've said hello to them many times and even been introduced to some of them! I never thought living in a city could be so lonely! I'm just a bit scared of that happening again. I had more friends and felt more welcome when we lived in the house in the middle of nowhere in the Italian countryside! My parents are from Cambridge and so I spent a lot of my childhood visiting my grandparents there and I think it is the most beautiful city on earth and I'm sure it will be different, I'm just a bit nervous of starting again.

But thanks to all of your responses I'm feeling better already :)

let me know the roads if you like and I can go 'oooooo noooooo' or 'oh that's lovely, I'm coming for tea'

Sairy you are an angel and you'll be welcome for tea.

Houses are:
Queen Edith's Way (Is this the ring road?!)
Glebe Rd - which is the one the agent has only shown the rather scruffy outside
Paget Rd (Trumpington)
Scotsdowne Rd (Trumpington).

Because we're renting I'm pretty relaxed, but I'd like somewhere safe. I got put off North Cambridge coz there were always aggressive guys with scary dogs in the parks (yes the big city girl's a wimp!) We're not moving til July but need a rental contract by 1 June so I can apply for school in September. It's like some sort of Kafkaesque nightmare, but I like a challenge!

Right, well QE road is really long so it depends which end; Glebe road is a mixture of social housing and very naice houses including this little old thing it's Morley catchment of course. I don't know Trumpington that well, but have heard of the roads. I'm not sure if that's much help....!

Is this the Glebe Road one??

I'm coming across as very nosey aren't I??? sorry!!

OMG! I hadn't seen that first house, erm, sadly not that one. At first glance I thought it was a rental property for £995 a month, I nearly went to heaven. Then I read it again. You were right the second time, but it looks as if they've put pictures up now.
The QE road one is between Almoner's avenue and Chalk grove.
You could call it nosey, I call it helpful!

Looking at the prices in the Morley catchment we might as well look in Newnham!

Almoners Avenue is naice!

Naice works for me, so can I assume that that end of Queen Edith's Way is the 'right' end!? The house seems to be going very cheap for a 3 bed so I'm wondering what's wrong . . .

There's not a lot going on really - no shops that i can think of of very near..Have you got a link to the actual house so i can get more idea? I should be an estate agent