Advice on schools in Gloucester please, I am getting confused!

[MatureStudentsRock]

Hello

I am moving to Gloucester in two weeks and need to get my three DD's into school for September. I have phoned up admissions but they are unable to let me know which schools have places.

My DD's will be in years 9, 3 and 1 so I need to find a primary school and a secondary school.

I think my options are Barnwood Park Arts college, Beaufort co-operative academy, churchdown academy and St Peters high school for my oldest DD as they are all within 3 miles of the new house. She needs somewhere with really good pastoral care if possible as she is currently not meeting her targets and has in the past needed extra support.

For primary school the options appear to be Widden primary (our closest), St Peters catholic school, St Pauls C of E, Coney Hill community primary, Finlay community primary, Barnwood C of E, Kingsholm C of E, Liden primary. These are all within a mile of the house but I need one with afterschool club until 6 as I will be commuting to Bristol 4 days a week.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I currently live 2.5 hours away and do not no the schools at all.

Thank you

Hi. I just saw your post and wondered how you'd got on with finding schools. We're moving to Glos around Xmas and I need to start looking for a junior infants place for my DS. I'll be working in Stroud but I suspect my DP will end up in Bristol so we'll be looking for somewhere between the two (although we don't have a UK address yet so can't approach the LA (as far as I understand it).

Hello

Sorry I have only just seen your comment. My DDs have settled in well and are enjoying school. I'm not completely happy with the primary but I think it is probably because I really loved their last one.

I am commuting to bristol and it isn't too bad. I only do 4 days a week though and the latest I finish is 4. I don't think I would want to do it if I was working full time. I drop the DDs at the childminders at 7.15 and get into north bristol for about 8.30. If you were finishing until 5 I imagine you wouldn't be back until nearly 6.30 (depending where you live, I'm in the city centre)

Would somewhere like Thornbury be any good? It is between bristol and Stroud and I have heard the area and schools are nice.

Hi Mature thanks for your response.

I'm all in a quandry about where to live (Stroud easiest for me but Glos or Chelt might be easier for DP if he needs to get train to Bristol) and it's not helped by the fact that at the moment he has no clue as to where he might find work.

How do you get to work - train or car? I would really like us to not commute by car (or be a 2 car family) but it's probably just putting off the inevitable unless we both find work (and a place to live) in Stroud. Thornbury looks like it will need 2 cars coz no train station.

We'll be over at half term so if you can give us any pointers to have a look at that would be great.

Also, if you're renting - how did you find the local agencies? I'm afraid that we're going to get badly stung with fees or 6 months rent up front or some crap like that (haven't rented in the UK for 10 years and it seems to have changed considerably since then).

Hi

I drive in as the train is more expensive and I would have to leave very early to get in on time. I'm going to North Bristol and it takes about an hour in the morning. I know someone who travels in from Stroud and she drives as well.

Letting agencies in Gloucester have been OK. I'm a single parent and a student so not far up the ideal tenant list myself and managed to get a house here reasonably quickly. I offered more rent in advance and a higher deposit but the landlady didn't want it. Not sure about anywhere else though. I did try bristol for a while but it was impossible. They weren't even offering me viewings as it is such a popular place to live.

I have moved from Devon so I don't really know the area all that we'll myself to be honest but we have settled in well and I quite like it (even though my neighbour told me the area I live in is a bit rough)

When are you planning to move? We moved to Gloucester at the end of February nearly 2 years ago and had missed the deadline for applying for a reception place. Luckily our nearest one had places but if you're considering an over subscribed school it could be an issue for you.