Chertsey and surrounding areas

[ddas]

Hi not sure if this is the right section to post this- so please re-directed me is necessary!

We?re planning to move to surrey due to work reasons with a 1 year old ds and another baby on the way in December. Areas we?re looking at have been Weybridge, Walton, shepperton, Chertsey, addlestone etc?

We?ve only just started looking but seems to be that we would get a whole lot more for our money in Chertsey and although some of the areas don?t seem great others seems quite good which to be honest seems to be the case for all the areas there even in the more expensive Walton etc. We?ve seen a house we really like in Chertsey South on little green lane (house a min from meadowcroft infant/primary) but as not been looking long we?re a bit lost whether the area is ok, what schools are like (both state and private) so just wanted a bit of advice re these things from people who already live in the area.

Schools are variable. The infants schools are mostly excellent. Juniors are also good, but the better ones can be tricky to get into.

Are you Catholic? That'd help. Salesian has a good reputation.

In that area the secondary school catchment is Jubilee which has just been given notice to improve by OFSTED.

There are lots of good private juniors around, but secondary privates, esp for boys, are a bit iffy. You have to go miles to find a selective boys' school.

Feel free to mail me.

Sir William Perkins' is very good for secondary girls Hilary?

If you do want private maybe err towards the West and use Lambrook?

NB Lambrook has a bus from Virginia Water and Englefield Green would not be a bad place to live?

Yes, SWPS very good. I think I just imagined you have two sons, OP

Or Bishopsgate? That looks lovely!

Sorry for the stream of conciousness- should have thought first!

Chertsey is very blue collar, but with middle class housing in the Green Lane area, as well as near the river.

I don't really rate Surrey schools in this area. My DD is at senior school in Chertsey and DS in Addlestone. Both schools are excellent.

I think, OP, you have to have an idea of your long term plans before committing to this area. Primary schools are OK, although unimaginative. Secondary schools are poor, IMO (I wouldn't get excited about Salesian).

OP, were you hoping for state? If so, you need to be very careful about houses and catchments.

If you're probably going to go private then it matters less, of course.

Do you want town rather than village?

Lambrook is way on the other side of Ascot. Not an obvious choice from Chertsey.

Bishopsgate is lovely.

Other areas you might want to look at in Chertsey are Abbey Road, and the roads just to the North of the cricket club.

No, I wasn't thinking Lambrook from Chertsey Claire but maybe from a home further west at the end of one of the bus routes.

Bishopsgate perhaps a better call though.

There is St George's but I've heard quite mixed things about it- especially the Junior School.

thanks for all your responses.

hilary I have one son now but the baby due in dec is a surprise so SWPS may be an option in the future for at least one of them!!

claire with regards to longer term we're likely to want to do state primary but private secondary or grammer (although realise tiffins would be quite a commute)

Little green road seemed like a nice road with benefit of the meadowcroft primary next door but from the looks of it is a incredibly small school which I suppose has both it's benefits and disadvantages.

I have friends who are very pleased with Meadowcroft and who chose it over other "better"* schools. A lot of the infant schools around this area are very small ie one form entry = 90 children. A good thing, I think.

*by OFSTED standards

Problem with going to Meadowcroft is that it is infants only and there is a shortage of Junior places....

It used to be that Sayes Court was juniors (had 3 class intake not so long ago) and St Pauls was 45 for infants and then 60 for juniors. This has all changed so I really don't know where you could get in for Juniors if you went to Meadowcroft without going private.

I think Bishopsgate is a better school, regardless of geography.

Back to the OP, the independent senior schools near Chertsey, SWPS and St George's College, are both selective, of that makes any difference to you. You are pretty much of of catches for the grammar schools in the Kingston area, although not impossible.

One thing that you quickly realise living in this area is how there are few choices for educating boys independently.

I have a several friends that are very happy with Hoebridge which is co-ed.

It's Senior Boys who miss out in this area IMO. You have St George's College but the Catholic ethos might put people off. Then you have St James School in Ashford with its slightly interesting background, Halliford in Shepperton (boys, non selective), and LVS Ascot (coed non selective). If you want a non Catholic selective boys or coed school you're looking at Guildford or Hampton, or indeed boarding.

Both my DSs went to SGC and they didn't feel intimidated by the RC culture. Both brought up as practicing Anglicans, taking themselves to confirmation, they did not feel they were part of a religious school at all.

I like Little Green Lane. Am checking out which of the houses are currently for sale, looking at your possibles !! I agree that the school choice generally is not that great.
What are your thoughts ATM OP?

I agree that it's nice down there, was even better before the post office part of the shop was shut

I think it's the schools that keep the prices down tbh.

Hilary I think not being on the mainline to Waterloo is the main thing!!! Also Addlestone is one of the poorest towns in surrey so it's a vicious school state schools aren't fantastic so people don't want to use them and so on...

yes, that too. (but only if you want to walk from the station. anyone I know who commutes drives to VW on the mainline)

Addlestone and Chertsey are both just one stop from the mainline with a very reliable branchline service. If this gives cheaper house prices then that is a good deal. Nearby, on the mainline, Egham has a poor secondary and mediocre primary schools. I don't think you can blame the trains. Perhaps the fact that the schools are 11-16 may have an impact.

Train service is one of reasons, if you get on at Addlestone and change at Weybridge it adds a looooooooong time onto your commute, and driving to Weybridge or West Byfleet can take ages and cost ££££££££££££ to park everyday. I think that is what started the lower prices which affected the schools and then the schools become the pull as well.

Addlestone grinds to a complete halt when there is a traffic incident on either the A3 or M25. Littlegreen Lane is actually quite good as you can nip around via rowtown and ottershaw when needs must

Just dropping your ds off at WC or St Georges is a traffic nightmare