Moving to Cheshire

[Warmandtoasty]

Hi

I am completely stressed and overwhelmed and hoping someone can help. We are planning on moving to Cheshire in January for my husbands job, the problem we have is our DS will be in Year 6 by then and I've heard a lot of the good schools are full and it can be quite hard to get a place.

I'm totally lost as far as what's to do best, if I buy a house how do I know if there are places at the school, do they tell me or do I need to apply the official way and wait and see? What if I buy a house and can't get into the local schools. Does anyone know what the process for the applications are?

Thanks

Where are you looking to move too ? Cheshire is a huge county. I really wouldn't panic - there are loads of good schools and only certain areas are over subscribed.

Are you looking at state or private schools? For state schools the LA can send you a list of schools with places and you fill in an in year application. Each LA has a similar process

Cheshire East or Cheshire West? I can help with one of these. As other it is a large county & school availability varies greatly. We moved to the area after the allocation of secondary school places in yr6 & all turned out well.

I don't actually know where we will move to which isn't helping, we need to be around 30-45 mins drive from Ellesmere Port for DH's work and we have a budget of 300k tops. We are looking for state schools, that's great about getting a list that will help loads I will look into that.

So far I've liked

Tarporley
Kelsall
Sandiway
Stockton Heath
Lymm
Kingsmead

But I am open to suggestions as we are very much just starting our search, we just want somewhere friendly with good schools.

Thanks

You can go anywhere up the M56 then as far as South Manchester - 45 mins to EP as I do the journey most days. What type if area do you want? Rural, urban, big high school, grammar schools. How many bed you want for £300k?

Do you need to be near air ports or motorway south / east as well?

Being near motorways is always handy but not a deal breaker. We currently live in a detached 4 bed with garage, large garden, conservatory etc we are prepared to downsize a little but ideally need 3 bedroom minimum. House prices are lower here though so I know we won't get as much over there.

As far as size goes we currently live in a small town which has a few pubs,shops etc, whilst we like how quiet and peaceful the place is there isn't much going on for our son as he gets older so ideally we would look at something slightly bigger but not massive. I don't want our son to be a bored teen that needs us to drive him somewhere whenever he wants to go out when he is older.

We aren't looking at grammar schools, my DS is really struggling at the moment in school after some bullying and loads of staffing changes at his current school and is quite behind, he would really struggle with the 11+ so looking at a nice local comp, somewhere he can hopefully build his confidence and make some nice friends.

I feel like I'm being fussy, but I feel under pressure to get it right

Thanks for your help, I appreciate it

Lymm is lovely and as far as I have heard all the schools are good , but it's too quiet for us. Stockton Heath is nice and near Warrington which has lots to do ( even if I don't like Warrington! ) ...

I would look round Chester - small lovely city. Loads for your DS to do. Close to EP

I live in Knutsford and Knutsford Academy is brilliant. You can get a 3 bed semi for up to 300K but you have to be quick as they come and go. We rented here first when we moved from London, which gave us time to look and be ready to purchase. I agree with what others have said, Lymm and Stockton Heath are great areas also. I have a 12 year old son and he can walk into Knutsford and there are tonnes of sports clubs etc for them to do. Please email me at [email protected] if I can help more. It takes about 35-40 mns to drive to Ellesmere Port from here and there is Cheshire Oaks shopping and a fab huge eco M&S!

An example of a normal house for sale www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-45799498.html

An example of a not normal house !

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-43945225.html?premiumA=true

Schools are Bexton, Egerton, St Vincents (Catholic) and Manor Park, with Yoston Lodge, private school.

On the Mumsnet Cheshire pages you can search all primary and secondary schools here - local.mumsnet.com/cheshire/primary-schools

Thank you so much! I want the not normal big house! Blimey think of the deposit I'd need...

Knutsford looks gorgeous but it's so expensive... We have a really big house here for 200k and I'm gutted that we will be moving and earning more money but living in a house much smaller but I guess that's what happens when you want the better area so I had better get used to it lol. I did realise we will need to move fast if we choose Knutsford as things I've seen not long ago have been snapped up! Houses round here can stay for sale for months on end.

I would do renting and then buying but only if it means staying within the same catchment area as I can't move him schools again. Is it easy to get into Knutsford schools or big waiting lists do you know?

Thanks again

Cuddington is the other half of the same village as Sandiway. The Year 6 at Cuddington definitely has spaces but the other classes are almost or already full. Both Sandiway and Cuddington feed into the same high school - Weaverham. You apply to county but ring the schools and they could tell you whether there are places. The village has two large new mixed housing estates going up and some are already occupied and the rest of the village has a huge range but not sure what is actually for sale at the moment because I live there and have no need to look! I have brought my 3 up in the village and at Cuddington then Weaverham schools. My son is now 17 so I know a lot about finding things for boys at that age! All 3 did well and the primary school has a lovely family atmosphere with huge grounds and tons of space inside with separate classes off one corridor. the staff are fab. The village has football and tennis clubs with junior sections and martial arts, youth club, scouts, junior church groups, a drumming marching band, cricket club and access to woods and cycle tracks along an old railway. It is quiet as it is a village and Cheshire villages are all quiet! buses to Northwich or Chester are only twice an hour and the train to Chester or Manchester is hourly. Ellesmere port - or at least the Cheshire oaks bit where I sometimes shop is 30 minutes away maybe longer at rush hour. From this village there are a number of routes by car but public transport would be useless! It has a cinema and bowling etc. Northwich is building a small cinema, new pool and sports hall at the moment and Winsford has a newish one already. Winsford would give you a bigger house for less but lots of families transport their kids out of Winsford to school so if you look there do your homework and find out why. High school catchments don't really exist. The criteria just goes off a list of steps and distance is after siblings or looked after kids in care. Mid Cheshire schools are all fab. they are all offering some strength or another -best to compare what to your child's main interests. again transport is an issue if you live off the school bus route. Sandiway and Cuddington kids get a free bus to high school. They can walk to the primary school as long as they dont have to cross the A49 or A556. Knutsford by the way (so I have heard) seeks pupils from south Manchester and Warrington as a lot of Knutsford children are privately educated or in grammar schools. It switched to an academy last year or so and has gone through lots of changes. I can tell you more about Cuddington and Weaverham High if you inbox me or if you need anything more about the local area close to Northwich. When we moved we looked in 26 houses in two days! Good Luck!

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION^535&insId=1&minPrice=125000&maxPrice=300000&minBedrooms=3&maxBedrooms=5&primaryDisplayPropertyType=houses&radius=3.0&googleAnalyticsChannel=buying

Look at frodsham too

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION^535&insId=1&minPrice=125000&maxPrice=300000&minBedrooms=3&maxBedrooms=5&primaryDisplayPropertyType=houses&radius=3.0&googleAnalyticsChannel=buying

Sorry can't get link to work but you get a lot for 300k and nice small town

www.bovishomes.co.uk/new-homes-on-cuddington/the-jack?hse=fy146
the above is one of the new builds but they are expensive!
The one below is on the next development along to one of the new build sites (500metres) much cheaper and established neighbours -good thing actually!
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-46773698.html
My sister is a housing estate seller and says the local older houses are often forced down or even up to compete when new developments go up so make sure you look around!

Thanks everyone it's really helpful to get views from people who actually live there.

Frodsham looks lovely but ideally we wanted to be slightly further away from DH's work, we aren't ruling it out though I will do the drive when I'm over and see how close it is.

I really like Sandiway and Cuddington and your right those new builds are really expensive, especially when you think of all the extra things you need to cost in for brand new. We are in a new build now (10years old now) and it has massive amounts of space and very large rooms with huge driveway and gardens, all the new ones I see now seem to be on tiny plots but I'm assuming that's so they can get more houses crammed in I guess.

I'm coming across a week tomorrow to have a look around so I'm going to create a short list of favourite places so far and have a look and see what they are like.

Primary schools can be an issue with getting a place if you are not in catchment, but I have never heard of anyone not getting a place at a school in the area, may not be first choice. Knutsford Academy is OK for admissions as far as I know.

warmandtoasty I grew up in Cheshire and then returned to Cheshire after uni- and lived there until I was thirty. I'm now in Kent so it's very different down here! Cheshire however is great! I was brought up in Sandbach, it's situated a mile from the M6 and has a train station that has trains to Manchester, York, Sheffield, Chester and the like- so it's got a lot of commuters. It's a lovely little market town with affordable houses and is surrounded by some stunning countryside! Has good restaurants and some nice shops too, and a weekly market which is great! Lots for the kids to do, there's a youth theatre, dance classes, skate park, swimming classes at the leisure centre and a Costa, and buses to Crewe, Nantwich, Northwich and Stoke everyday. The schools are very good, I went to Sandbach High School for Girls myself and loved it, and it's still one of the top performing non selective states in the UK, as is Sandbach School- the boys state school, which is is a lovely Tudor house and is a super school and has a very old school, traditional atmosphere, and sports and the arts are it's specialities. It's good academically too, and is slightly oversubscribed, but I'm sure your DS would get in if you applied to the LA. It's non selective by the way and very relaxed in its approach to learning, encourages boys to learn at their own paces and the like! Honestly can't commend Sandbach enough, loved being brought up there and love going back to visit my mum and dad! Lovely place to live IMO, although I am a bit biased!

I've only just spotted this thread OP. I live in one of the areas you mention so have pm'ed you.

good luck at the weekend - I am sure you will love Cheshire!

Hi everyone,

Well we went to cheshire this weekend and loved it. My DH is staying in stockton Heath until we all move over together in January, we liked it but felt it was quite busy and not a green as we would like. Loved the restaurants though!

We loved Appleton but it's quite expensive, same with Tarporley.

Adored christleton, it's so green and pretty and has the high school there which would be perfect for our DS.

I liked Holmes chapel but my DH felt it was a little bit further out than the rest for work so that out him off slightly.

We still like Sandiway and Cuddington but didn't have time to properly explore it this time, does it have a high street?

We ruled out Frodsham, Middlewich & Great Sankey.

There's still some we want to see, great boughton, Mickle Trafford, Nantwich, and Hartford so need to fit them in at some point.

We drove through Sandbach once but I can't remember what we thought of it. Is it quite large? Might need to look into that one.

Glad you all had a positive exeprience in our lovely County! Do email me when you are with us next and perhaps we could have a coffee?