Moving this August!

[sunshinestatemum]

Hello!
My two boys (ages 3 and 5), husband and I will be relocating to Exeter from the US this August for his job at the university and would love advice about good, walkable family neighborhoods and schools. The boys current attend a nature-based preschool and love it dearly! Any thoughts on the Steiner Exeter Academy or other schools with good outdoor curriculums would be wonderful!

Many thanks!
Megan

Exeter forest school is wonderful and they have a preschool/kindergarten: www.southwestoutdoorsgroup.co.uk/kindergarten

Hi Megan,
I'm not one for schools unfortunately my little one is only 8 months, however friends of mine do have little ones at schools in Exeter, most of them are state schools however we do have private oneS here there aren't many but they do exsist. It'll be worth checking out Woodwater academy in Exeter
Pinhoe primary school
Countess Wear school, I'm pretty sure this one teaches children to learn sign Language- and they do help children with hearing problems they used to!
St Leonard's primary school
St michaels primary school
Ladysmith school.
These are all local with in Exeter and on bus routes etc.
As for neighbourhoods- I grew up in countess wear in Exeter, lovely place big houses and big areas to walk parks etc with local shop post office hairdressers. Cranbrook is the new development they built again it's a lovely place and easy into the city centre. Really depends how close you want to be to university? Or if travel is not an issue then you could opt to go further out of the city.
Hope this helps a little!

www.steineracademyexeter.org.uk
This is for the Steiner academy x

If your partner is working at the (main campus) university, consider Pennsylvania /Duryard as an area to live. If you are happy to travel, consider St Leonards (though more expensive!). I've recently moved to a villlage just outside Exeter having previously lived in the city centre. Would never go back, especially now we have a child. Lots of lovely village primaries within nice neighbourhoods e.g. Clyst St George/Lady Sewards, Silverton, Stoke Cannon, Lympstone, Whimple, Newton St Cyres, Clyst St Mary, Ide. Living on outskirts makes travel to coast, moor, airport or motorway so much easier!

A nice school where lots of the academic's children go is Stoke Hill, it's a state school so follows the national curriculum and won't be the same as a forest school but it has lovely grounds, is on the outskirts (but fairly near the uni) and the teaching is good.

I wouldn't personally want to live out in a village, I hate driving on country roads and like the fact the children can walk into town and be independent now they are early teens. I know people that love it though.

Hi everyone, I'm moving to Exeter from Kent in the summer. My eldest is starting at ISCA in September. We are looking to rent for 6 months, before we buy, somewhere with a nice garden, near parks, cafe's, nice shops etc and easy access for getting to ISCA. My youngest will be starting y5 at primary so looking for nice areas etc and good primary school. Any tips, nice areas? Many thanks!

My main tip is to find out where has school places for Y5, it can be busier than you think and many schools have quite long waiting lists, others don't have any, the admissions officer is the person to be talking with and they can give you a list of where's free and where there are short waiting lists. IMO (having had my children in a couple of schools and seeing other friends) most of the state schools are a much of a muchness, as I say above, mine went to Stoke Hill, and I really liked it, but it's not worth moving to an area just for a primary school, especially as in Y5 anyway, I'd go down, see where you like and go from there.

I'd also say don't panic if you decide on a nice area and the school has a short waiting list, there's always quite a lot of movement in Sept, probably because of the University with people coming and going so spaces often open up.

Have fun looking about!

Hi Felicity - an excellent primary school (rated Outstanding in all areas by Ofsted) which is fairly close to Isca is St Leonards Primary. You'll love Exeter