Need help Moving to Guildford area advise on areas please

[Rowgiselle]

Hey there can anyone help with nice areas around Woking and Guildford.
We've been house hunting more in Epsom /Worcester park but struggling as it still seems so busy and london like and expensive!

We are looking at worplesdon, brook wood, pirbright, shalford, wood street village, and maybe bits of Guildford.

We like it a bit quiet but still possible to get to a London bound station in 1-2 miles. And I've got a little girl so good schools too please.

Do you know of any places that are nice and any places we should definitely avoid...

Thanks in advance !

Okay are you looking at State or private schools for secondary?
Because the reason those areas are cheaper than other is because of schools. Primary school is fine.

But for secondary Worplesdon and Wood Street village would really feed into King's College (or possibly Ash Manor). In both cases you would have to look carefully and see what you thought of the schools. Admittedly things will change as there will be a new 14-19 UTC opening in that area in the next few years, and schools do change a lot.
Brookwood and Pirbright (I think) probably feed into Winston Churchill, but there may be some changes with the new Hoe Valley school.
Shalford is tricky, most people used to go to Guildford County, but last I heard everyone was offered Broadwater in Godalming.

If you are Catholic, then I'd go for any of these areas and go for Catholic schools, as both St John the Baptist and St Peter's are very good.

I would also look and see if you can afford in: Effingham, the Horsleys or Bookham; as they are very coutryfied but feed in to Howard of Effingham.

Hi Beka,

Thanks so much for getting back!
We are looking at state schools - that explains why areas are cheaper I guess. I'm baptised Catholic but would probably have to start church going again was in Amsterdam 8 years previously.
My daughter is 3 but you are right we are planning not to hopefully move so secondary is v. important too.
Thanks for advise on Effingham, Horsley and Bookham - we've seen one house in Bookham.

How are Farncombe or Godalming for secondary state schools?

Cheers!

Farncombe again feeds into Broadwater, but I've heard some people say positive things about it recently - and for Farncombe at least it's easy to get to school (I don't think there is a direct bus from Shalford, and by train you have to go via Guildford).
For Godalming, it depends if you are in Broadwater or Rodborough catchment, Rodborough has the better reputation. Godalming (and Farncombe) has 11-16 schools with an excellent Sixth Form college.

If you were going to play the Catholic card, you would have to get her baptised and ideally into a Catholic primary. But you can live further out (eg. Rydes Hill area is nice, convenient for the Catholic primary and then there is a bus to St Peter's).

Thanks so much for the advise it's really helping our search. Do you know
anything about Burpham or Merrow areas?

Burpham and Merrow are highly sort after. Some people in Burpham have their children at Merrow primaries.
Aldi is going to create traffic.
If you go for Catholic, then Thomas of Canterbury is a nice school, I believe they have swimming lessons at Boxgrove. It naturally feeds into St Peter's.

Yes, Merrow & Burpham very sought after. If you do not go the Catholic route you need to look closely at infant/primaries and make sure you are close enough to get in - some have very small distances for last child admitted (can of course change year on year but looking at this year would give an indication). Merrow Infants took a bulge class this year as demand was high but will not do so in future (apparently...)
Secondary would be George Abbot which is very popular as consistently hig performing. Again need to ensure you are close enough/it is your nearest school if not going Catholic.
Traffic can get very congested all round that area already and will get worse when new Aldi opens in Burpham as bekabeech mentions

Thanks so much for all the information really appreciate it

Lots of good primary schools in Godalming but tight catchment areas

No UTC - government pulled the plug on that one earlier this year

Shalford is lovely, as are nearby villages Bramley, Wonersh, Shamley Green, Chilworth.

How's the transport from Shalford, Childworth and nearby villages?

Whereabouts are you needing to get transport to from Shalford/Chilworth?

Hi Mildura, we will need to get to London Waterloo, I looked at Goolge Maps, it seems that there is train at Shalford/Chilworth but not frequent. So best option is to take train and change at Guildford? Thanks

One option would be to take train from Shalford/Chilworth and change at Guildford for the train that goes to Waterloo, although you will likely have a 15-20minute wait at Guildford. Unfortunately the trains on the Shalford/Chilworth line don't coordinate themselves terribly well with the trains for Waterloo.

A lot of people will drive to Farncombe, which is the station in between Guildford and Godalming, and go direct to Waterloo from there, but I guess this only works if you can leave a car there all day.

Thanks Mildura, parking probably won't be an option for us (unless it's free parking and there is space ). How are the primary schools at Shalford and Chilworth? and possibly Secondary School?

From Shalford or Bramley you could bike quite easily to the station if that's an option. The primary schools in those villages are all pretty lovely. Worth checking (you can do this by house on right move) as to what secondary you'd be in the catchment for as the Guildford schools (especially George Abbott) are generally better considered than Broadwater. If you went further out to Shamley Green you could get the bus to Guildford and Glebelands in Cranleigh is a nice school from what I've heard.