Hi! We are planning a move to Norwich from St Albans and I soooo need some help with schools and areas please! Are local schools difficult to get into? We would be making in year applications (year 1 and year 4) and not sure how hard this would be. Are they oversubscribed? We would also want to be in the catchment of a good secondary school as that isn't too far off.
My Mum and sister are in Stowmarket/Bury St Edmunds so need to be near enough to them. We love Norwich, the city, the coast and the countryside and it doesn't seem too far from Suffolk, with good house prices. We are being crippled in St Albans and this is meant to be the forever area we live in so I am trying to make sure we make all the right decisions (fingers crossed)! So the kids could settle in school and make lasting friends. Would we stick out like a sore thumb??
We've done several visits and I have tried to do as much research as I can! We have narrowed it down to Thorpe St Andrew, Eaton, Cringleford, Trowse and maybe Costessey, although not so sure on this last one, just really liked th retail park!
I know it is generally advised to avoid Mile Cross, Larkman, Lakenham, Heartsease and Bowthorpe. Also that people recommend the Golden Triangle but that might be pricey. I like the the sound of Eaton but is this more for students? We will be looking for work nearby but don't have to live right in the centre although I wouldn't like to be too far out from things to do, or be stuck in traffic every time we went somewhere. A perfect mix of the two would be great!
We love Thorpe St Andrew along the river and I hear the schools are good. Is Dussindale Primary good or are the other two better? Is the derelict hospital any kind of an issue for attracting undesirables? I read about a recent tragedy there...I am sure this is a one off but is that area any kind of a concern to locals? Or exploring kids....
Any advice on areas/schools would be great! Thank you :)