Where's good to live?

[mumof2fabgirls]

Hi there, my partner has just got a job in Thame, Oxford so we're moving across the country with our 2 preschoolers and we need to find somewhere to live in or around Oxford. I don't know the area at all so I was hoping you may be able to suggest some nice areas to look at moving to? We're looking for a lovely fun and friendly family area with good primary schools (and hopefully good secondary schools) nearby. I know this is vague but if anyone loves the place they live and can tell us what's great about it I'd love to hear your views. Thanks so much .

Thame is a nice market town, I think. Don't know anything else about it...
We live in Headington (suburb of Oxford) and it is a fantastic place for families. Lots of us (people with small children I mean), activities around and about every day (good playgroups, toddler groups, Mums' meet ups etc), loads of good parks (all being refurbished currently, though were good before), 10 mins to central Oxford on bus (I use my car about once a month). Primary schools good if you pick catchment with care. It's about 20 mins from Thame along the A40

Oh wonderful, thank you so much for the info, Headington sounds lovely,I'll look into it a bit further. When you say choose catchment with care, are there any particular schools to avoid? or indeed any which have a good reputation with local families? I really appreciate your feedback, thanks so much.

St Joseph's is the "prize" primary. But unless the children are baptised and practising catholics, no chance... St Andrew's is good and well-liked. Windmill has just been rated Ofsted "good" and is popular (DS starts there in Sept and we have been very impressed with vists etc and local parents' opinions). Wood farm is not popular. Sandhills (a bit further out) also seems to get good feedback. Next suburb "round" is Marston, which is also full of families. St Nicholas is its best school.

When you say your partner has a job in Thame Oxford, you are aware that it is Thame Oxfordshire, aren't you and that Thame is 13 miles away from Oxford - and that the traffic in and out of Oxford at rush hour can add quite a bit to travelling times(though at least most of the traffic would be going the other way)