Where do we move to to get good schools?

[JorjiB]

Hi - We are moving to Cambridge next year and trying to work out where abouts to live. We need a good primary and a good state secondary (doesn't everyone). Where do we need to buy a house!?

Do you want to live in Cambridge or out in the villages? There are several good primaries in town (see older posts on this) but the secondaries aren't all as good.
For secondary Parkside gets the best results, followed by Netherhall, St Bedes and then Chesterton (my order is only approximate!) Manor and Coleridge are not that good. Only Netherhall has a sixth form.
Outside Cambridge, Comberton and Linton Village Colleges are OFSTED outstanding. Most of the secondary village colleges are good so it isn't quite so vital to live in the right village.
Most secondary schools in and around Cambridge have been 11-16 only with students then going on to the two sixth form colleges or the regional college in Cambridge, though Impington has always had a sixth form (does the IB) and Comberton is opening a new sixth form.

Avoid living anywhere near the Beds Borders. My SIL is in a Cambs village but they come under Beds for schools and the secondary choices are shite.

Actually Colerdige is extremely good now it is part of the Parkside federation. Over 270 applicants for around 100 places this year. I would say Chesterton isn't too special to be honest. netherhall has gone right downhill and St bede's, being a church school isn't at all easy to get into. My eldest daughter went there -2001 - 2006, and it was pretty good then, but has gone downhill a little since.

Primaries - Park Street, but virtually impossible to get into - we know people who live on a boat about 200 yards away and as far as I know, they didn't get a place; Newnham Croft also good. Our two youngest are at Morley - which is lovely! DO NOT consider Colville or Abbey meadows.

Hope I'm not coming across as a snooty know all! Just have three dcs and am thus a) traumatised by school selection and b) exhausted by it all!

Thanks for the tips .. looks like Newnham is the win win area but the house prices are ridiculous! I naively thought a 3 bed in Greenwich would buy us something half decent. I'll investigate Coleridge ..see is we can get a house in that catchment area instead. Fun fun fun!

There is a gorgeous house for sale on in Granchester Meadows. here drool...

Meant to add, Coleridge is having a sixth form built as well.

The problem with Cambridge is that development has been restricted in the city and there are lots of well qualified, well paid professionals who work in Cambridge or live there and commute to London. So prices are as high as many parts of London - and you are unlikely to be able to trade up without putting more capital/mortgage into purchase.
Villages are cheaper and have a mix of modern and old houses. Great for families, though now mine have practically flown the nest, I'd much rather be in Cambridge and a bike ride away from cinema/theatre/museums/shops etc rather than having to drive in/park & ride.
Interesting to hear about Coleridge improving so dramatically - houses nearby are in the "cheaper" areas of Cambridge at present.

I know, that interested me too - Morley is a feeder school and parents used to opt for hari kiri rather than send their babies there, but the past two years have seen every single year six (except those going onto independant secondaries) going to Coleridge. I have to say, I cannot bear the principal - I used to work at Coleridge and left when he took over, or rather was forced to go to Netherhall with the students he had 'transferred' there, but he has done a splendid job

If you are thinking about the villages there are lots of good primary to choose from, which feed into good secondaries (sawston VC, impington both good). primaries dry drayton and histon are good. Girton glebe ok and getting better, comberton good: as far as I know anyway.

Don't feel you have to move to the city to enjoy Cambridge!

NB but do beware of catchment areas. You can be in a catchment area but still not get a place if the school is oversubscribed and there are a lot of catchment siblings (eg Milton road in the city). check with the LEA admissions to find out where the geographic cut off is in practice.

Forgot to say you can still cycle into Cambridge from some of e villages, prob a bit far from shelford and the like on the south side, but not far from girton, Milton etc on the west and north.

IME good primaries are Park Street (small, C/E, city centre, oversubscribed at Reception but possible to get a place mid term due to parents who are on Uni placements etc moving on), Milton Road (fairly large, also oversubscribed and a bugger to get places in later years too) and St Pauls C/E.

Avoid Shirley School in Chesterton.

As has been said, for senior school, Parkside remains the favourite amongst parents but is also oversubscribed.

Slightly further out, Soham has 2 primaries, both good and it's secondary is considered good academically but ime is only fine for the "average" or bright child, whereas the geeky/"different" child will struggle to be given the support they deserve.

You might want to check this thread about a new primary school on the south side of the city. The Council are consulting on 2 options until 20 Aug 2010.

Thanks for all the advice. Does anyone know about Comberton? Seems to have both primary and good secondary school. Surely too good to be true?

Comberton has been the highest performing state secondary (11-16) school in Cambridgeshire for several years. It will also have a 6th Form from September - though I would imagine that the brightest students would still prefer to go into Cambridge for Hills Road. The village itself is rather strung out along the main roads and there isn't a vast amount of housing.
I don't know about the primary school or the other feeder primaries.Coton has a feeder primary and is within cycling distance of Cambridge - nice village (and pub).

Comberton secondary is really good and I think coton primary school has a fantastic ofsted too. Our son is starting at bourn in September which also has outstanding ofsted.