Moving to Epsom, Ewell, Cheam area - help me choose!

[Exempt]

Hello
As the title says I am trying to move to the Epsom area. I am after some local knowledge if you don't mind helping me please?

Streets: Are there any particular streets/areas to avoid in these areas?

Areas: are there any particula advantages to one of these areas over the others?

Schools: what is your take on Roseberry, Glyn, Epsom and Ewell, Cheam High, (any others locally that I have missed)?

I really appreciate any thoughts you can throw at me!

The only thing I can say about the Epsom area is that there are a lot of new developments that are going up and, no doubt, will skewer the stats and catchment areas for the schools. There is also a co-ed school Blenheim High

Like all schools, there is always good and bad, but most children seem happy at their chosen schools. The other 'advantage' to living in Epsom is that there is also quite a big uptake of children going to independent schools and the good selective schools in the Sutton and Kingston boroughs

Thats quite an interesting point about the developments, I hadn't thought about that. Do you have any local knowledge on the schools, the good, the bad, the ugly?

We moved away from Stoneleigh/Ewell area - really really didn't like it at all. Don't know much about the secondaries as we didn't get that far, having looked at the primaries. Glyn used to have a good rep, but had a bullying problem when we were living there (4 years ago). Roseberry good, but you need to watch the catchment. Competition for the selectives (Nonsuch etc) is intense.

Thanks for replying PanicMode. How long did you live there for?

I have heard that Stamford Green and Wallace Fields are excellent Primaries/Juniors. Does anyone know anything about Epsom Primary, St Martins Junior, and Southfield Park Primary?

I grew up in Ewell but moved away aabout 14 years ago. I still have family in the area who are very happy there.
I always prefered Ewell to Epsom and even more so since all the new estates have been built.
Good infants and primary in Stoneleigh The Mead and Auriol middle school with a lovely park nearby.
Epsom and Ewell secondary school has never been that good even when i went there over 30 years ago. But Glyn and Blenheim are both good but over subscribed.
If i was looking to move back i would avoid anywhere on or too near the longmead estate and the Waters edge estate and look mainly around the ewell/worcester park and stoneleigh area. All the roads running down to stoneleigh train station and the KT19 area are lovely.

There is a huge issue with primary schools - All are oversubscribed and the agents tell complete lies wrt schools catchment areas. If you are keen on a particular school the easiest thing is to look at the admission criteria and go from there if schools are a big priority.

Epsom PrimRy have had a lot of funding and money pumped into it - Sure Start centre. Wallace Fields is considered the top primary for the area and admission is pretty strict. There is something like 90 children gunning for 60 places in the Juniors because of a decision not to support a 'bulge year'. I will say that I rhink St Martin's is a reasonable choice.

Southfields Park has also got a food reputation - it is a newish school and has just been expanded. They have a different admission policy favouring the estates around rhe school - Claredon and Livingstone Park.

3 years and I started looking to move after 12 months. Nonsuch Park is lovely and it's convenient for commuting but there was a lot of antisocial behaviour, often broken glass in the park and the final straw was having a car set on fire outside our house - one of the supposedly 'nice' roads leading towards Stoneleigh station.

I know lots of people like it round there, but I just found it too suburban - part of one big South London sprawl. The only thing I miss is that we had a very large garden!

Thanks so much for all this information. There is nothing as good as 'local knowledge', I'm very grateful for you taking the time to reply

Can anyone tell me where all the new developments are that are going up in Epsom? I have seen a house I like in Epsom but I obviously have an eye on the secondary school catchment areas and I want to try and 'guess' how this may affect us in the future.....

Hi Exempt, not sure if this is too late to be useful to you, but thought I would reply anyway. The new developments are all around the former hospitals surrounding Epsom which show up on road maps - so Clarendon Park, Livingston Park, Manor Park etc. Mostly based very close to Southfield Park primary school, not sure how this affects secondary schools.

sashamc, thank you!

Just posted this on a few of other threads - hope it helps anyone looking to move to the area!

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I moved to Ewell Village from Clapham/Balham area and really love it. I was a bit lost as to where to head to after "Nappy Valley" and it took a good 18 months of driving around SW London until we came across Ewell Village. I thought I'd provide some up to date details as I know how tricky it is working out where to move.
We moved here because of the good commute into the city, and excellent primary/secondary schools. Ewell Grove School (which is turning into a Junior school) and Wallace Fields are both Ofsted Outstanding. I can vouch for Ewell Grove being excellent and our next door neighbours' children go to Wallace Fields and are very happy there, their eldest girl goes to Rosebery (secondary - Outstanding) and the village is also in the catchment for Glyn school (another Outstanding secondary) - both are currently in the top 10% - league table wise and both have sixth forms.
The village is a conservation area so nice and leafy. There's a village footpath leading to Nonsuch Park and the London Loop starts at Bourne Hall and runs through the Hogsmill river nature reserve and onto Horton Country Park. The village has a number of little shops for all the essentials and Epsom is a 5 min bus ride or 20 min walk for more shops, or you can take a bus to Kingston.
Ewell Village is 5 mins walk from Ewell West station and 10/12mins walk from Ewell East station (both Zone 6 so you can still use Oyster). From Ewell West there are 4 fast trains (35 mins) and 2 slow (45 mins) every hour at peak times direct to Waterloo (and 4 off peak taking 33 mins). From Ewell East station you can go direct to London Victoria, trains take between 32 and 45mins or direct to London Bridge taking 40 to 45mins (direct trains to London Bridge are only in mornings & evenings though). After a late night out my husband usually gets the Northern Line to Morden, then takes an Uber which takes 10/15mins to the village, also handy if the overland ever goes down! Not sure how old your children are but there are lots of baby groups in Epsom and the village, and a number of fantastic nurseries. I know how hard it is to make the decision to move so good luck!

Hi and thanks to lholland900 for all that really useful info. You mention at the end of your message about really good nurseries. I am moving to Meadowview Road in West Ewell and am struggling to find one - I work full time so need one that offers full time places rather than just morning or afternoon slots. What have you found?