Can anyone help me?

[feelslikethewaltonshere]

Me, dh and dd (6) are planning a relocation from Scarborough to Durham area later this year. We basically can live anywhere as we work mostly from home (dh has a contract job 1 day per month in Sunderland so travelable distance is important).
We want a nice, welcoming area...good schools, plenty going on and with a country or attractive feel. I am quite interested in the new grammer school opening up (in Durham)Wanting to spend up to £220k on a house. I'm just looking for the best fit for us..any suggestions.

We moved from London to Durham and have settled in High Shincliffe. It's got a decent pub and a lovely primary school, although we don't fall into Durham Johnston for secondary (for that, you'll need Neville's Cross, Crossgate Moor, North End but house prices there are £££).

It's got really good access to the A1, and you can be in Sunderland in 30 mins easily.

There's not loads going on (weekly quiz night, a fairly active social group that organises murder mystery nights etc), but it's only 10 mins out of the city centre.

How exciting pick

How exciting pick

High Shincliffe is lovely

We looked at high Shincliffe, because it is really lovely but the buses aren't really any better than where we are and most of it is a heck of a walk from the bus stops with a main road to cross for some buses! The new house has 16 buses an hour in each direction plus others a short walk away! Important because we're not sure ds1 will ever be safe to drive. It's also walking distance into town but I'd be buggered if I'm walking back up that hill, again!

West park area looks lovely, I was a resident in the local hospital.

I can recommend the Durham dales if you don't mind being in the arse end of no where. Wolsingham and Stanhope are lovely villages, decent secondary but my DD wanted to go to a bishop school with her primary friends so I fork out a load in bus fare and petrol instead.

My friend and her husband chose Ripon when they relocated due to a job change to Sunderland. She searched by top schools within an hour of Sunderland. Ripon would be a longer commute, but not that relevant for the minimal time needed at work, yet would give you a fantastic grammar school still under the 11+ system. More expensive housing wise but great countryside and a small town feel (though actually a city).

Ripon to Sunderland is a pig of a commute and most certainly more than an hour, even out of rush hour! It's an hour on a quiet Sunday from us to Ripon and we're not as far north as Sunderland.

Booths, though.

Must work for my friends who have done this for 15 years. Good motorway links (A1/ A19) and one trip a month isn't onerous and much, much less than my friends.
Just another thought around schools and beautiful countryside.

How the hell do they cope with the Tees flyover every day?

Beautiful countryside near Durham. Boys both in special schools, one in the county, one nearer to Ripon, so grammar schools definitely not a must. Durham has some excellent schools for academic and neurotypical kids, anyhow. Sunderland more of a mixed bag, particularly post 16, unless you go to the right church.

Just saw one trip a month - hardly a daily commute then!

Pick OP husband has a one day a month commute to Sunderland.
LaLa does your friend commute everyday? That's 130 mile round trip! I know Ripon is ok, but not that nice!

Durham City expensive but housing stock of the kind you want. Durham itself is a building site at the mo and likely to be for some time.

Newton Hall - minutes into Durham by car or bus and walkable plus v good junior / secondary school /s
Arnison centre on the doorstep for lots of good choice shops plus nice walks on doorstep.

I've just moved back with my children and it's great for a family. My little ones love it.
Good GP surgery and Uni hospital of north Durham minutes up the road too

There are some good new build developments - aykley view and aykley woods I think en route into town.

Yes, my friends husband does commute every day, apart from the odd day when he has meetings in Manchester and Edinburgh or a flight to Amsterdam.

Their view (not mine) is that they couldn't afford private schooling. Ripon Grammar provided a great standard of education. Their children are now studying at uni, medicine and law. I think they would say the distance has been worth it.

Pickachew, I wasn't suggesting this for you but answering the OP who has one little girl age 6, plenty of time to look ahead. She did ask about secondary schools especially mentioning grammar education.

It is her husband that only needs to travel to Sunderland once a month. I travel a 120 mile round trip most days. Certainly do-able for one day per month.

am shortly popping over to High Shincliffe to pick up DD from a friend's house - waves to the Durham City-ers...

Does it need to be Durham or County Durham? Grew up in Darlington, the West End is lovely. Personally for my money I'd pick Yarm/Eaglescliffe, Egglescliffe secondary is one of the best in the UK, lots of outstanding primary schools which are undersubscribed, friendly, Yarm high street has character and mostly independent shops and restaurants, stone's throw from the a19 to get up to Sunderland when you need it

Hi. Does anyone have any useful information about tax credits. I work 17 hours per week and have three children so I get top end of tax credits. My boyfriend and I plan on moving in together but I'm unsure how bad it's going to affect us with money. My boyfriend has a good job and has a son. Will it be worth me working full time or staying part time and how will it affect my tax credits and childcare which I have at the minute. I want us to move in and be a family but I'm worried we might be worse off?

I wouldn't pick West park in Darlington. The primary had a good rep but the 2 nearest senior schools don't. West end and hummersknott all the way. Unless you're Catholic then it's fine to be anywhere in the Darlington boundary

You won't be worse off if it's tax credits, but you need to check if you're in an area that has already migrated to universal credit because a change in circumstances would be treated as a new claim.