Buying a house far from good schools (not a parent yet!)

[stewmew]

Hi all,

I have just had an offer accepted on a house (Eastville in Bristol). I don't have children but might do in the coming few years. Now that I've had the offer accepted I've looked at primary schools, just to check what the situation is, but the house is only close to an inadequate school that's just been turned into an academy.

Interested in people's opinions - is this something to be concerned about? Can schools improve drastically over a few years?

I'm not even close to being a parent yet, but thinking about it in case I have my own children, or for selling it in years to come and this affects the value :).

Many schools go through a cycle of good to bad to good again. You can't predict where a school will be in five years' time.

Bristol has a particular problem with schools, particularly secondary schools, because of the disproportionate amount of private schools in the city. Also Bristol LEA does not have a good reputation. However there are some excellent primary schools in Bristol.

Eastville has been a 'rough' area for decades, so I wouldn't bank on it changing. My cousins went to school their and the stories they tell are horrendous.

I would say that Eastville is the type of area that is "on the way up".
My daughter went to school in Bristol (not Eastville) and her primjary school was rated inadequate and placed in special measures. Within a 2-3 years it was rated "Good" and was one of the most popular schools in the area, so things can change.

I have no idea of the area so I’m no help there.

However, we bought a house and immediately got pregnant. Fast forward 3 years and we had to sell and move due to the primary school we would have got a place at. Although “good” Ofsted, this was because the entry level of children was so low that the fact the majority were nearing average attainment but then end was huge. The attendance was terrible and quite transient, with lots of EFL.

Although I get that it was a school performing well as the progress scores were immense, my son could read easy words and do basic maths at age 3 and would not have fitted in at all (an extract from the report is “most children enter the school without knowledge of basic colours and shapes”).

I guess it's something in an ideal world you might consider now but having found a house I don't think it should stop you. My first house was not near a school that I wanted my daughter to go to so I moved before she started school. However, it was a two bed that we were starting to outgrow anyway. I think I'd move anyway provided you don't view this house as a long term house (if the school situation were different).

When my eldest was 3 we decided to move locally (just for a bigger house - unrelated to school choices) and the house we found was next door to the school we had always assumed would be our first choice - outstanding, the right size for DC etc. When we went to look round we hated it.
The house fell through and we ended up falling in love with another house having no ideas about the local schools. The nearest school was way less "perfect" on paper but we literally walked in the door and knew that it was right for DC (they had fairly specific needs). It proved to be the perfect school for all our DC - we were there for 12 years in total!
I would say you don't necessarily know what you need before you've had your child so I would go for the house and then consider moving again if you decide to have children and if the local school isn't what you want for them once it becomes relevant.

no you just have to love the house and the area.

we chose our house because it was exactly right for us - nice quiet area. outstanding primary was a bonus.... but by the time dc went to school it was in special needs and they went elsewhere....

Yes it is something to be concerned about if children are even vaguely in your mind. You will be so relieved if you end up in the catchment of a school
You are willing to send your children to.