Moving from London to with Wiltshire Nice area in Salisbury or bigger house near Trowbridge

[Lostinthought2017]

Hello I'm moving to the Wiltshire area and I'm lost on choice , The more expensive area and pretty Area of Salisbury or renting a bigger house on the edge of Trowbridge. I have three kids and a 17 year old that's used to being able to pop on a bus to get to the shops of school. But we are looking to foster and more rooms and a bigger house is a must but Salisbury as i Have mentioned is more expensive but also still well connected To London. Then there are schools I don't really know about catchment area in Trowbridge and how kids get to school if you live a bit more out in the sticks. I have one child going to primary school and one starting year 6 and another that wants to go to Wiltshire college.......... IM STUCK!!! Help. 🤔🤔🤔🤔

Hi,

I'm further south, near Romsey. I would look at public transport so you don't end up being a 24 hour taxi service to your kids. Wiltshire college isn't very popular in our area. I know some kids from Salisbury go to Brockenhurst College ( There is a college bus service from Salisbury). DS went there and enjoyed his 2 years.

lots of local primary school are good. Many secondary schools serving rural catchments run bus services to bring the children in. In Hampshire this is free up to the end of year 11. (£600+ per annum for college bus).

Have you considered living more over towards Southampton, or are you tied to Salisbury way? Great train services from Southampton to London, house prices ok for the south.

Good luck

Wiltshire College is shit. Sorry. They've got serious ongoing management issues.

I'm NE Wiltshire (Marlborough) however dd1's best mate is Salisbury and things are good there.

Wiltshire public transport is frankly awful. Teenagers all learn to drive as soon as possible.

Wiltshire College is pretty dire, I would consider doing as Lindor suggests especially as transport is also in need of considerable improvement.
Trowbridge is ok I guess but I wouldn't want to live there, Warminster is better, rail links to Salisbury, London etc.

There are lots more options in and around Salisbury for post-16 education than Wiltshire College - Bishop's/S. Wilts 6th Form, the new Sixth Form College which is gaining a good reputation, UTC and Sarum Academy both have 6th Forms. Out of county you have Burgate 6th Form, Peter Symonds (Winchester) and the aforementioned Brockenhurst College. Why so keen on Wiltshire College?

Lots of great primary schools in the Salisbury area, Secondary a bit mixed, for boys anyway. There is still an 11+ in Salisbury. Grammar Schools good, although the boys' is strapped for cash, which means a shrinking syllabus/GCSE/A Level choices. Many children go to Trafalgar in Downton or out of county to Burgate or Test Valley school, Stockbridge. But of course lots do go to the local secondaries.

If I had to choose between Trowbridge and Salisbury, I'd go for Salisbury without a doubt.

My daughter wants to do a make up course and to be honest she isn't the most academic out of all three of my children and has really struggled and got bullied for it. So I just want her to be happy in what she is doing. My other 2 children are high achievers and it's more about good schools.

My kids go to St Augustine's in Trowbridge. Mine are catholic, but there are a lot of kids who aren't. It is a fantastic school (in the top 10% of comprehensives in the country). Children travel from Devizes, Chippenham, Calne, Warminster, Westbury, Bradford on Avon and Frome and there is school transport from each of those towns. Trowbridge is only 12 miles from Bath, Bath college and Bath University are both very good, plus it has good transport links. I wouldn't want to live in central Trowbridge (I live 13 miles away) but it does have good facilities. Frome and Bradford on Avon are both lovely towns.

I'm sure Wiltshire College is fine for vocational subjects. Idk if there is any difference between the different campuses?

If your other children are more academic, then the Grammar school system in Salisbury might suit them. If your dc is starting yr 6 in September, the deadline for registering for the 11+ for entry in 2018 is 12th July this year for the boys (Bishop Wordsworth's) and 1st Sept for girls (South Wilts.). The boys' exam is on the 16th Sept (or 22nd Sept for those unable to attend on 16th) and the girls' exam is on the 23rd Sept. Both schools have more info on their respective websites. Good luck!

Wow that's brilliant thank you so much Lizzy.

I think Trowbridge is scratched off the list. I have viewings tomorrow it's just a pain driving all the way from London all the time.

Does anyone know what Hipton Marsh is like?

Do you mean Hilperton Marsh? If so, it is a nice little village, about a mile and a half from Trowbridge. It is very close to the Kennet & Avon canal, which is good for walking. But, there are a few fields which separated it from Trowbridge, and now there is a new relief road which cuts through the Hilperton Gap and I wouldn't be surprised if this buffer gets built on at some stage....

Yes that's the one. I spotted a house there.