what's Byfleet like? good primary schools?

[saltyann]

Hi there
we've been looking to buy in West Byfleet and the surrounds, and I'm just wondering if anyone knows Byfleet and what it's like? would you recommend it? seems like house prices are a little more reasonable there....and it's not too far to get to WB station either ... are the schools any good?

I'm in Byfleet and I like it. It's a nice family friendly village. House prices are lower than West Byfleet and the very expensive Weybridge which sit either side of Byfleet. It's a bit more down to earth than the posher villages, for example houses are mostly 3 bed semis rather than 4 bed detached, no Costa Coffee but a village cafe serving cooked breakfasts etc
There are 2 primary schools, both are infants and juniors combined and both have good Ofsted ratings.
Byfleet does have its own train station but parking is very limited there. Most commuters drive the short way to West Byfleet or Weybridge for the fast trains and lots of parking.
I hope that helps.

thanks so much Lindy2 thats really helpful. Do you know St Mary's primary at all? the ofsted report is 'good' but its so hard to tell without visiting and real life feedback.... does it have a wide catchment area?

I think the catchment for St Mary's was just under 1km for this reception intake. Byfleet Primary was similar. Between the 2 schools there seem to be just enough places for the children in the village but they do fill up to the maximum 30 in each class. I think people are generally happy with both schools. I do know a bit about St Mary's and I think it has quite a friendly atmosphere and the children seem happy. It was rated as satisfactory for a while (as was Byfleet Primary) but both are now good. St Mary's did have a period with a lot of staff changes but staffing now seems to be much more steady and results have improved.

Hi,

This thread is from a few years ago, however the question is very relevant for me. I have noticed houses are much more affordable and better value for money in Byfleet compared to West Byfleet.

What is Byfleet like currently? Are shops accessible? Good walks to the canal system? Good range of schools? I'm in my late 20's looking to move to Surrey and find a home for the next 10 years, so thinking ahead for family life is key.

Many thanks in advance!

Byfleet is a nice area. I would say you will probably need a car to explore a bit more widely. There are some smaller shops accessible in Byfleet itself, West Byfleet is undergoing redevelopment (so is Woking, nearby) but there's a big M&S and Tesco at Brooklands near Byfleet.