Where should i live in the Bexley area? Please help

[savagebishop]

Hopefully there are a few south east london and kentish mumsnetters out there to answer me this. I am looking into moving to this area and want to find the best place in the Bexley Borough, (or are there more than one) to live. It needs to be in the catchment area for good primary and secondary schools and nearish (say maximum a mile) from a station that goes into London Bridge. I have about £250,000 to spend on a 3 bedroom house.
Before I start to ask estate agents I thought I would try a more reliable source!

In would try Sidcup or Crayford. I think Crayford is slighty cheaper.

or there's Bexleyheath, Welling, Barnehurst, Albany Park :)

I think you're going to be better off going more towards Welling or maybe Blackfen with your budget.

Welling is pretty awful. Barnehurst, Albany Park, Sidcup all a bit nicer. Not sure you'll get 3 beds for your budget in a nice bit though..,

Considering the budget I think you should be able to find something in Bexleyheath. That way you should be ok for the catchment areas for Bexley as well as the Dartford GS. When you find something you like have a look at the "Bexley admissions for secondary schools booklet" online. Towards the end of the booklet there is a table giving an indication at to how far away you can be from the school, based on the data over the last 5 years. This can ofcourse always change but has been fairly consistent over the last few years.

Happy home hunting.

Bexley sec schools not great - Bromley much, much better and a nicer place to live too.

I had a little look online and you can probably get something in Bexleyheath TBH.

Can't imagine you getting much for your money in Bromley to be honest!

Secondary schools in Bexley are hit and miss, but if your children get into the Selective schools - they're in the main, very good.

You could get more for your money in Bromley compared to Sidcup at the time when we looked, not sure why that is. We looked in to moving 4 years ago and it was possible to get a simular property in Bromley for abt 50K less. I agree that Bromley is nice, but we stayed in Sidcup in the end, this is where most of our friends are. I don't think you can go wrong with the GS's in Bexley, our DD goes to a GS in Sidcup which is brilliant. Primary schools in the area all seem pretty much the same, most are ok.

Thanks for this info everyone. Very useful. I am thinking perhaps near Bexleyheath train station or Dartford, Shepherds Lane area. Any comments about these? Any recommendations for Primaries as my kids are 4 and 2 at the moment.

Some other info might help. I live in Plumstead Common but the primary school my 4 year old has just started is pretty bad, which has prompted a move that has been long coming anyway, as we are out-growing our little house. I don't know Bexley Borough very well, but I know it has grammar schools, and generally better education than my borough of Greenwich. I have had a look at Bromley but it seems a bit too expensive to me. I live in a terrace house at the moment and would prefer something bigger, but my budget isn't large, in London terms anyway.

I saw a good one earlier - 3 bed in Izane Road. It's was under your budget, but Izane road is nice and quiet and about a 15 min walk to Bexleyheath Train Station. Primaries near by are Upton (which I think has a very good Ofstead - or it did!) and Uplands (not a bad Primary either)

Look on Right Move!

Here

and

This one looks a bit pokey TBH, but is on the road that the Train station is on (pokey from the outside, looks OK from the internal pics)

Thanks party spanner. What is the best part of bexleyheath to live ie where are the houses dearest?

All flame me but Bexleyheath isn't the nicest place on earth.
Sidcup and Bexley much nicer and full of newly weds and nearly deads.
You would be able to get 3 beds with that budget in Sidcup.
Best schools are thought to be Birkbeck but your budget won't get you near that.
You can look between Longlands and Dulverton primaries, if you are clever you can live in New Eltham Greenwich council and still be within Dulverton.
Last year dulverton & longlands catchment for primaries just within 1 mile. no further recommend much closer!
How old are DC? schools in sidcup are generally full up except the sink schools of course.
Secondary is complicated. Grammar is excellent. If they don't make the cut, less good.
Boys best secondary is Hurstmere but you need to live on doorstep.
Girls is blackfen girls but not near station walking distance.

So picking exacty where in Sidcup would depend on your children. The mixed non grammar tend to have a poor reputation but that depends on where you are now! You might think they are phenomenal.
If you live in Sidcup, you can go to Bromley schools Kemnal for Boys and Beaverwood girls. Neither has a good reputation but I know girls who are happy there.
Train station wise new eltham is zone 4 20 mins to LB so look at map. Se9 postcode.
Sidcup station zone 5 so more expensive.
So blackfen isn't close to any stations but good place tO live for schools
Barnehurst is best area of bexleyheath. Bexley village is nice. Avoid footscray crayford cray meadows & near queen Mary hospital as blackspot for primary schools. Not close enough to any!
If you want more specific opinion private message me!

Aah 4 and 2. Do your homework on primaries. All good primaries in sidcup & bexley need to live no more than 0.7 miles to be certain of place. And some a hell of a lot closer.
Oh and you can sit bexley 11+ no matter where you live. If you pass in top 180 you get a place. Ifyou pass under this depends on where you live.
New eltham children can and Do go to both bexley and Dartford grammars.

Sorry me again. Just realised your eldest in school already. I'd say you will struggle to get a decent school place now. They are all full up. Rising birthrate.
Call bexley council to see which schools have places.

No chance of anything decent in Bexley on the OP's budget unforch, and IMO Sidcup and Bexleyheath are on a par.

m.rightmove.co.uk/quickPage.html?page=8&cc=html5%2Fhomepage.html%3Fgoto%3DHOMEPAGE#gallerythis
although over budget we all know estate agents inflate prices. Vastly!

Grr no good at links
iPhone doesn't like it!

Anyway gerda road new eltham on with irwin scott £275

This is definitely a school to consider in Bexleyheath. Ofsted outstanding and excellent facilities.

If you go just a couple of miles south of Sidcup you're in Orpington which is Bromley for education and cheap as chips for houses, def worth a look.

Hi am thinking of moving to Bexleyheath south, have an 11 year old so need decent secondary school and also a livery yard for horse nearby, have been looking at a place in Upton Road??? Does anyone know if there have been any problems with dangerous dogs in this area? my 1 year old lab was attacked recently so need to some honest answers please. Thanks.

Schools in Bexley are very over subscribed. You'll need to give the Bexley Council a call and see what's available.

I have heard nothing about dangerous dogs!? I would guess the dog owners in South Bexleyheath would be fairly conscientious. Your nearest big park would be Danson.

Thankyou, appreciate your comments.

I feel Barnehurst has a few rugh dogs. I went there to see properties, meeting three dogs on the road which barking as mad. First one was on the road(eversley ave.), barking and try to attack me (we was push pram at the moment) but stopped by the owner, second one is when we come back from one of those abc road, saw two dogs fight when their owners walk pass each other, third dog was saw outside of corner shop in Long lane. It has a unhealth mad looking. it was very quite sit on the floor and waiting its owner, then later sudently started barking as mad.
Honestly they are shocked me. I don't know if there has a cultural of have large barking dogs but it does feel tugh culture.