Any Mums in Reigate?

[3catstoo]

Hi,
Having started a thread about living near East Croydon, I am now being more specific.

DH, myself and our 3 children (DS 7, DD1 5 and DD2 2) are thinking of moving to Reigate.
At the moment we live 2 hours away and don't know anyone there.

Just looking for some ideas on schools, roads to live in and places to avoid.

If we go ahead we would like to rent first just to put ourselves in a better position to buy. But we would still like to know where to buy after that.

Our budget isn't great. £375,000 ish. We need 3 beds and I'd like a decent sized garden.

It would be good to chat to other mums about the area.

We spent the weekend there, without the children, the weekend just gone.
Spent alot of time walking around and walked to Redhill and back.

DH still needs a bit of encouragement.

Any help/ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Don't know Reigate itself but have a friend who lives in a nearby village - you would definitely get what you want house-wise for that money in her village, don't know if Reigate is more expensive? For secondary school her children will be going to Ashcombe school in Dorking which looks good from league-table pov. I know there is a grammer school in Reigate but it may be private...

Thanks.
Yes the grammer is private, a bit strange really. Having to pass the exam and then having to pay to go there.
We looked at Dorking too but that seemed quite pricey too. It also has 2 sec schools, one being great and the other being not so. I would worry that if the children didn't get a place at the decent school they would have to go to the other one.

Surrey isn't an 11+ area for state schools, they are comprehensive. Reigate Grammar is linked to Reigate St Mary's Prep now, but is academically selective as many independents are.

So it isn't a Grammer school in the traditional sense?
It's a selective entry private sch.

That's right.

We're in Bucks currently. The 11+ still exists here. So Grammers are still traditional Grammers. That's why I was confused about Reigate Grammer.