Advice please: Considering move from Portishead back to Bristol for BGS

[Cysgu]

Hello, We currently live in Portishead but are seriously considering sending our daughter to BGS when she starts school and I'm worried about the commute. We used to live in Stoke Bishop but moved to Portishead as we got more for our money. It is perfect for baby and toddler age but not ideal location if we choose BGS, particularly as I would like her friends to be local and easy to meet up with. Bearing in mind budget of around £350/400k with easy access to motorway and centre of town, we are considering Coombe Dingle, Westbury-on-Trym, Stoke Bishop and Long Ashton. Does anyone have any thoughts on these (or other) locations in terms of good links to BGS, town centre and places where other people who go to BGS would live (outside of the more expensive Clifton, Henleaze, Redland areas). Thank you.

Hi op, my children had places at BGS but we moved to North Somerset instead so didn't take them up. My understanding is that children go to BGS from a wide area including outside Bristol.
My concern would be that you may find your budget a bit tight for the areas you are considering.

I'm in LA with DC at BGS for seniors and there's a handful of kids in the village who go there. The school bus goes through the village and I think it goes from Portishead too. The service is run by Bakers Dolphin who can send you timetables.

But if you're looking for infants I'm not sure I would bother tbh. Also as the PP said, your budget won't get you much round here, especially once you factor in the costs of buying and selling. I thought schools in Portishead were pretty good? I'd wait until she's older and then reassess if it was me.

Agree with Queen. If you're looking for primary school I wouldn't bother with BGS yet, save that for secondary school if ness. The most important thing I think when kids start school is that they go to a local school where they and you can make local friends.

My dc is starting BGS this sept. Are you hoping to send your dc this sept too? I thought all offers for sept 2017 have been made.

I can see where others are coming from about waiting until secondary for BGS but personally we didn't want to run the risk of dc not getting in at year7 when we had a certain place offered now. Plus it's pretty likely house prices will have risen two fold by then.

We got a house in One of the areas you mention 4 years ago in your budget but prices have increased so much in the past few years. I would say you could get a house for that budget in Coombe dingle for that budget and possibly Westbury on trym.

I am a little worried about how wide the catchment area will be but talking to people I know who already go to the school and those who are going when dc starts the areas you mention are very likely to be areas where children will be sent to BGS.

I personally think that commute would probably be a nightmare. I am slightly worried about our comments which should be 15 mins with no traffic.

Hi there, that's really helpful thank you. Our daughter would start 2019 but we are just trying to make plans. Good to know that the areas we are considering are generally where people live for BGS. Hope your DC settles in we'll and enjoys it. We are pretty set on doing primary at BGS too if a place is offered

Hope it works out for you. Our dd will be going to bgs in sept 2018 actually all being well.

Oops meant sept 2019 actually

Thank you Ruby2202. That would be the same year for our daughter. Can I ask if you looked at other independent schools and what made you choose BGS? Do you live quite near the school? Thank you

Hi

We didn't look at any others. My dsis has a child there and she's super happy with it so that did influence our decision. It has a very good reputation and we liked it a lot. We thought about viewing another one but dh wasn't keen. It had a lovely homely feel about it. There aren't actually many co-ed private schools in our area anyway most of them are girls schools. Another one is extremely expensive but not that good and another is boys only and I didn't want dd and ds at separate schools. So there was only a choice of two anyway.

We live about 15/20 mins drive away. I am a bit worried about the school run in the morning and this was a major negative against the school when we were deciding what to do, especially as we fell in love with the local school within 5 mins walking distance.

Thank you Ruby2202, that's really helpful and reassuring. We are pretty sure we will apply for 2019, just weighing up all options at the moment. Great to hear your sister is happy with the school.