American mum relocating to Harrogate... HELP!

[halfpintmama]

Hi! We just received word from my husband’s company that he has been approved for a position in the UK and we are to start the visa process. This has been almost a year in the works since he was sent to Harrogate for three weeks back in January... but now that it’s becoming a reality, my head is spinning! My knowledge of England in general is limited and now I’m moving our family of four (DD-11, DS-7) across the pond. So please, HELP! 1st order of business... best areas to live in Harrogate and best schools? How can I tell if it’s a free school or something we have to pay for? In America those are public va private schools.. same in England? Looking for public! TIA!

P.S. I’m American, never been to England and never use these online chats so please be gentle with the abbreviations and slang... I promise I’ll get the hang of it eventually 😭

Are you going to the American base at Menwith hill?

In the UK, public or private schools (terms used interchangeably) are the ones you pay fees for. State schools are the publicly funded ones where the government foots the bill via local authorities/councils.

Over here, public schools are fee paying, just to confuse you further!
Harrogate and the surrounding area is lovely but I don't live close enough to recommend where to live.
Good luck with it all!

Harrogate a lovely part of England. Housing can be expensive though- unless that’s part of your relocation package. I don’t know much about the specific schools there but you can look at the ofsted reports on the school websites usually. Or if you google schools ranking for Harrogate they should also come up. Independent or private schools are the ones we pay for. We also have grammar schools that you don’t pay for but have to sit an exam to get in. Although some independent schools go by the name grammar school too- which makes it a bit confusing. I went to ripon grammar school which isn’t too far from Harrogate which you do not pay for but sit an exam to get in.

Thank you so much for the info on the schools! We will be looking for state schools then preferably. It all is very confusing, ha! I know that instead of districts your school areas are called catchments... must you live in the catchment area to go to that school? Also what does it mean on the ofsted report if it says “oversubscribed.”

And yes he will be at Menwith but we are not military so it’s kind of odd. We’re eligible for some base services but not all. We will be receiving relocation services and compensation for housing so that should help with the high prices of Harrogate. It’s important to me that we’re somewhere that I can easily move around town (I won’t be able to work and both kids in school, so want to be somewhere that I can get out and about). Leeds is too big and I’m afraid that some of the villages in the area are too small and I will feel isolated during the day. My DH loved visiting Harrogate and so do I from what I’ve read. Seems perfectly situated on train lines as well and lots to do!

I do some relocation work ( not Harrogate to date) and if you are getting a relocation agent they should be able to help with all this, depending on the scope of the service

Just try to avoid Starbeck (chavvy part between Harrogate and Knaresborough) and you will be fine

I can't help you with areas to live in/schools but if I won the lottery I'd have a second home between Harrogate and York! I love the area. Been visiting for years.

Oversubscribed means more pupils trying to get in than they have places for. You don't have to be in a catchment area for a school as such but the admissions criteria goes off distance among other things so the nearer you are the more likely you are to get a place. Having a sibling at the same school is higher up the admissions criteria than distance but potentially your elder child will be in a secondary school anyway by the time you move.

I'd look at the areas I've drawn here
Good state schools in Harrogate are Harrogate Grammar and St Aidens. Most of the places I've drawn the map round are within walking distance of Harrogate and when we were at Menwith Hill there was a big community of contractors who were over from the states and there are a lot of family activities on base.

Thank you all so much for the quick responses and feedback! MrsPnut, thank you so much for the map. I check Rightmove regularly but I appreciate the narrowed down map. Would love to live near The Stray. May PM you with questions since you’ve lived in Harrogate and you’re familiar with Menwith, if that’s okay.

I believe my little ones will be in Year 2 and Year 7 there. I believe that is the right conversion... My DD had a classmate who moved to England over the summer and he is now in Year 7.

Not sure I agree about Starbeck - I know someone who lives there and its not chavvy at all, is a great location to walk into Harrogate across the Stray, has regular bus links and trainline and Knaresborough (which is also lovely!) Is just down the road too.

Will ask my friend re schools - they teach at a private school in Harrogate but may know the state ones too.

I grew up in Harrogate and went to HGS, we moved back as adults for my DH to work at Menwith Hill so know the area well and also from the perception of an incomer.

So in the UK, if your child was born between 1st September 2006 and 31st August 2007 they would be in year 7 now.

I live in North Leeds, but my daughter attends a fantastic theatre arts school held at Harrogate Grammar and it seems an excellent school, especially if the children's behaviour is anything to go by!

My brother lives in Harrogate and it's a fantastic place to live. I would be really happy to live there. My nieces went to the fee- paying Harrogate Ladies College and there is a wide choice of excellent schools in the area. The Duchy Estate is a lovely, but expensive place to live, wide roads, big houses and an easy walk into the centre of town. You have Leeds and York close by. This must be daunting but I think you're very lucky to be moving there. Good luck with it all!

Probably not cinstructive, but have you got a hang of the accent? I'm Welsh with a very good mate from Leeds and I spend a lot of the time going 'huh?' (And vice versa tbf. Prob why we're friends )

*constructive ffs

I also have never had any problems with Starbeck, it’s more the Woodfields to avoid?

I use this and find it fairly accurate for judging niceness of area.
vis.oobrien.com/booth/#

MrsPnut has drawn a fab map, exactly what i would have drawn! I lived on Dragon rd for nearly 10 years which is fairly central.

In terms of location the school factor may be your main consideration. If you want your older dc to go to Harrogate Grammar School you will need to be living fairly near the school or in certain villages. If you are church goers you could try for St Aidans instead which has a much bigger area of intake but you also need to have plenty of evidence of your christian do-gooding.

In terms of area, budget obviously is a factor. South side is more expensive and seen as 'nicer' but only because of the commute to Leeds which you wont be doing.

Also your question about 'oversubscribed' is crucial).

Your Year 7 child will be joining the school 'in year' (not at the time when all the 'normal' application processes apply). This means that if a school is full (as Aidens or Grammar will be) they wont take your dc even if you meet all the normal criteria. Your dc will go on a waiting list and may be offered a space if someone leaves.

So you need to consider other school options too. In Harrogate other options are Rossett or Harrogate High (not to be confused with Harrogate Grammar). Of these Rossett has the better reputation at the moment. HH has had its fair share of difficulties and serves some more deprived areas but has recently been rebuilt with a shiny new building.

I'd also look at private schools if you are concerned about the dcs not getting a school place straight away.

@mrspnut will definitely be asking your more questions as we move forward in this process! And yes then on those dates, kiddos are Year 7 and Year 2.

@awkwardturtle daunting is the right word! Excited but lots of anxiety about the unknown.

@pinkginxx one thing at a time lol I’m just trying to get the hang of BrE vs AmE. I’ve learned lots of new words today like trainers, jumpers, brolly, vest, and that the first floor really means the second floor not the ground floor like it does here

@harryg8 that is a huge help on the schools! We are church-goers... my husband is catholic but I am Lutheran (Protestant) and the kids are baptized Lutheran. Which brings a whole other thing... no Lutheran churches in Harrogate. Looks to be a small one in Leeds but not sure how active a children’s program. Hoping Church of England might be a good fit for our time out there.

www.northyorks.gov.uk/find-school
Harrogate is a nice part of the UK. Good shops, eating out, etc. Link above will give you a bit more info about schools and how to get a place.

I know nothing about schools etc but have to say when I visited Harrogate last year I was blown away by how nice it is - and beautiful surrounding countryside. Of all the places in the UK you could have been relocated to, Harrogate is a damn good outcome.

Oh, I forgot your other school option is St John Fisher (Catholic). Did they get baptised Catholic by any chance? It might be easier to get your dc into Fishers than Aidens. (Also a very good school.)