Have you relocated to Dorset?

[FlipFlop100]

We are considering moving from Surrey to the Bournemouth/Christchurch area. We are drawn by the many attractions of the area we have often experienced as tourists and the hope that the people are more friendly and less reserved than we have found them in our part of Surrey.

I would love to know your experience of relocating: how friendly you found the locals, your tips & advice, family-oriented areas to live and whether there is anything you wish you had known before you moved.

We have to decide by next Sun 31st, the schools application deadline - help please!

Flip - you will have to be actually living in the area to be able to make the schools application. Don't think you will be able to do this in a week.

Have friends who moved from Croydon to Dorchester, they found people much more friendly and life more relaxed but local employment limited. This may not be a factor for you, but bear it in mind.

Don't know anything about the specific Bournemouth area.

Thanks for the info Hippo.

DS1 going to try for the grammar school - there is a test and no catchment area. Him starting secondary school is our opportunity to make a Big Move.

Yes, it is lovely. We're in a market town outside of Poole and I don't actually get into Poole or Bournemouth much but potter round the edges quite happily. A lot of people where I live have moved down from London and fitted in just fine. You've got the choice of being in Bournemouth/Poole/Christchurch or being a little further out, which ever kind of environment you prefer. We're happily settled now having been here for 8 years, we came down from Somerset. Very strong sense of community where I am, woods 3 minutes round the corner to walk the dog, schools in walking distance and buses to the Grammar school. We're absolutely going nowhere until the children have left home as love it here.

Just be aware that for the Parkstone Grammar you have to get a higher mark if out of catchment, I would have thought the same applies for the Bournemouth ones but don't know that for a fact. DD has announced she wants to have a go so I also need to get in gear with the application form.

Flip - oh I see, so I assume that you are making the application now with a view to moving before September if your DS gets a place?

You have checked closing date for applications haven't you? In our area the grammar has no catchment area but you have to have the application in by the closing date for local applications or you cannot take the test. Apologies if I am stating the bleeding obvious, I am a bit OCD about these things!

Oh, and I would live in the area our friends moved to like a shot, but DH is a bit more of a townie and won't move into the "sticks"

Thanks guys, this is really helpful. Have just spent the weekend exploring the residential areas. Having bored children in the back of the car was interesting "When are we going to the beach?", "When are we going swimming?", "Is there any food?"

Hippo - don't give up hope. It has taken me 10 years for DH to come round to the idea that we could have a good life in Dorset :o

We live in market town 10miles from b'mouth.
Still can get buses to grammar schools in b'mouth and salisbury but not sure about poole

Can I just ask something about primary schools? [would love to move to Dorset and now it may be a possibility in the next few years] The primary schools in the area seem to only go up to age 9, which means another school move at that age. Do children have to travel further afield to get to a middle school? Are they generally much bigger and less local?

Sorry for hijack!

I live in Bournemouth and i highly recommend it. it's lovely here!

POFAKKEDDthechair - The primary school in my road goes up to age 11 but I went to a first, middle and upper school in a village just outside of town. It's just a different way of doing things.

Thanks scoobles - I just wondered if all the class went to the same place or if it was a bit disrupting [I went from primary to middle and lost all my previous class mates]

Well I dont know if it's the same in all the schools but where I was everyone went to the same schools so it was fine :)

ok thanks. There seem to be more first schools than middle schools so I guess the middle schools are bigger. Will have to go down and have a look sometime...