Woking, Guildford or Reigate? Moving to Surrey with 2yr old - can anyone recommend best area for all-round schools...?

[Doryzurich]

Apologies for throwing a needle in a haystack, but my DH and I are moving to Surrey from abroad with our 2yr old and 11yr old. Hoping to get 11yr old into private boarding school so that he can settle down in one place for the next 6 years and we're not under time pressure to decide on area to live as he needs to start this September.

So my energy is now turning to the 2yr old. I know there are a gazillion web sites I could trawl through, but can anyone give me a heads up on the areas that are well-known for their good state primaries or pre-prep schools? Ideally (although might be a step too far) leading onto great grammar or secondary schools.

Any advice, gratefully received as not sure where to start my search. Both of us also need to commute into the City (Ldn Waterloo or Bridge).

cece I can see the house with the galleried hall from my house!! It's been on the market for 2 years!

Why hasn't it sold - is it overpriced? It looks fab in the pics.

I live the other side of Woking so don't know that side too well.

this is a lovelu quiet road and the garden backs onto the canal and good location as long as you won't be applying for local schools and are going private.

Both houses are stunning - why has the old one been on the market so long though?? Find out on Monday what DH's package is going to be...so watch this space .

If we lived in Horsell/Sheerwater/Knaphill (just looking at Google Maps), how long would it take to drive to Woking station in the morning and could you park? Assuming it's between 7.30 - 8am?

I wouldn't personally be tempted by those houses. One has river/canal - risk of children drowning or flooding. I don't like the galleried hall on the other one. The first house has the roof scaffolding which I find offputting.

However price wise it looks as though you get a decent amount of house space for your money in woking.

NOT Sheerwater - LOL - it isn't probably quite what you are looking for!

Horsell you could probably walk to the station. Not sure about the parking. My nighbour goes to the station to commute but she cycles or if weather very bad goes in a cab.

I am appreciating what a MAD situation OP is in. And narrowing it down is so hard. Surrey is quite odd, in that it has lovely little places, and then the place next door is 'almost' nasty. And becasue OP's spec is so large, this is going ot be very tricky for her to pin down.

There's loads of commuter parking at Woking Station, but by the time you've walked to the station from where you've parked your car, you'd may as well have walked from Horsell. I also grew up in Woking and am at the prices of houses. If I had that much money to spend on a house, I'd live in Guildford.

As cece says, not Sheerwater! Knaphill you get a lot of house for your money but it's not great. Horsell is nice and you can walk to the station. Chobham is gorgeous (I think it won Surrey's Village of the Year one year) - probably a 10/15 min drive to the station and expensive though. Towards Addlestone there's Ottershaw which is also nice but again 15 mins drive to station. West End has got some nice bits but some of it is estatey (but you could be in the catchment for Gordons, private school results/feel, no fees). Bisley, lots of new builds and again estatey but lots of house for your money. Hook Heath, Hockering, the posh part of Woking, v. expensive. I don't really know the other side of Woking though.

Dory I had a look at the galleried house today - it is on the corner of a relatively busy road and looks like it needs a bit of work doing.

I might drive by it next time we go over that way - want to have a nosy.

Adding to areas, Pyrford and Woodham are lovely but would need to cycle or drive to station (or could go from West Byfleet. Actually West Byfleet is nice too.

Actually I would be grateful if any people in the know would give me their thoughts on Woking primary schools - thanks!

That galleried house has bugger all garden and is in the conservation area. It's been on with 2-3 agents for years while similar sized houses round the corner have sold in weeks.

Woking primaries-
Horsell is infants & juniors but has good rep.
Goldsworth primary, again great rep but need to be v close, check the stats on the SCC website. But if you can see Nether Green you might be close enough? Using the Twin bridges footpath.
Barnsbury used to have a crap reputation but now has the old Goldsworth head there & is seen as up and coming.
Also heard ok things about Westfield.
There is talk about Kingfield becoming a primary, only infants at the mo.
If you are (very) catholic, St Dunstans has fantastic rep too.

Pork Thanks for that. Very helpful. What do you mean by very catholic?? Is St Dunstans better than Goldsworth? Thank you!

You have to be a practicing catholic and have your child baptised (and not at 3 years old ) to get into St Dunstans. The admissions info is on the school website, you are expected to prove regular church attendance. If you are Catholic enough, it's a no brainer as SJB is a fantastic secondary.

Goldsworth is seen to be great and used to be the school to go for, hence the tight catchment. There's always disappointed parents because the distance criteria changes depending on demand, so just because your neighbours got in last year doesn't mean you would IYSWIM.

Thank you. We are catholic, dd baptised at 8 months old. Do go to church. Will have a look at the website.

Just one more question - Halstead?

I have friends who go there and like it, but vair vair posh - Are you? Are you looked at Hoebridge?

It's a bit like comparing apples and pears though, single sex private vs mixed faith state. Dunstans has it's own pool though, Halstead get bussed to the Pool in the Park.

Kingfield is being made into a through Primary.

I thin Send infants seems popular too

The Marist in West Byfleet is popular with Catholics too.

Thanks!Haven't looked at Hoebridge because if we did go down the private route it would be single sex.

I am in a real dilemma about this! Both public school educated and to consider state seems alien. That sounds terribly twattish. And is most definitely not a snobbish attitude.

All I want is a good education - in a happy, balanced school with good pastoral care.

Don't worry I would feel the same about private schools, wouldn't know where to start.

FWIW I am very happy with my DC state schools. PM me if you like and I'll tell you what they are - would rather not say on here.

Have sent a PM.

Where were you thinking of for secondary? I'd try to work back from there.

well that further confuses the situation because it is likely we wouldn't be living here then!

Have you actually visited Halstead & St Dunstans?