moving to the Wirral- advice please!

[cheekymonk]

Hi there, a few of you very helpfully commented before when i started a similar thread. DH and I are pretty much set that we are moving up here BUT it seems a minefield where is nice or not! Dh has had a bit of look around and got some advice off locals who advised him to avoid most of birkenhead, new ferry, rock ferry and woodchurch.
Am i reight in saying left of the motorway is generally posher? What is nocturum like?
prenton, moreton, claughton and upton are coming up within our budgets as are bits of bromborough and bebington. So where are the best schools?
DS is 7 and DD is only 16 months but we don't really want to move again after this move so would hope to get in catchment of good primarys and secondarys. i am really keen on grammar system too so would be grateful fior your advice!
I have a great big map up in our kitchen all annotated!

Prenton is absolutely fine. The Dell area less nice but Pine Walks, Prospect Road, Waterpark Road and all roads off it are great value period houses.

Thank you for that!
I really appreciate your time :)

My friend lives in Heswall area and it has good schools and a village feel.

Prenton, oxton, Claughton villages all have nice parts. Some parts of west Kirby are much less expensive than others- have a look around Newton.

Heswall is expensive and overpriced imo there's not actually much there apart from restaurants and estate agents.

Bebington (especially higher Beb) is mostly nice with some good schools, bromborough also has some nice parts.

Best primary school on wirral, is higher bebington primary in mill rd higher bebington.
Best secondary is plessington school in bebington.
When moving these schools should be taken seriously, as they are better than all others on wirral. Check out ofstead reports. There are three areas in bebington.
The best is higher bebington. There is lower bebington which is a mixed area, then bebington which is too close to new ferry.
Best roads in higher bebington, cover a small area that sit across from storeton woods,Looking at transport links higher bebington sits perfectly as it's close enough to tunnel for Liverpool, and motorway for chester. Also it sits on the rail route for both areas. Perfect bus routes for both areas too. We did two years research before moving and used this information to settle here. House prices vary be depending how big you want it but around £200,000 will get you an average semi,

I just wanted to add some pointers because I have lived in Higher Bebington since my first was born, he is now almost 14. I chose this location for the schools basically - all schools in Bebington are good or outstanding ofsted graded. My three boys have all gone to Higher Bebington juniors and this is definitely the 'feeder' for Wirral grammar boys and girls schools, both the juniors and grammar is excellent and better than most private schools. But YOU MUST be in catchment because competition for places is fierce!! Higher Beb is a very sound choice for a family, it is not without some rougher edges (the closer to New Ferry border you go is classed as Lower Beb) but that depends on where you have come from and what you consider 'rough'. For example, you won't be tripping over drunks and being mugged every morning, but you may be nearer council estates/rented housing. The Wirral is an amazing place to live, you can be ten minutes from the coast, from Liverpool city centre, from Chester, from gorgeous countryside. Approx 220 - 300k would buy you a decent 3-4 bed semi in Higher Beb (very middle class family town) 400k a decent 4 bed detached in Heswall / West Kirby / Irby / Gayton (gorgeous posh towns with less good state schools but oodles of private schooling). Prenton and Oxton are lovely and quirky, with massive Victorian houses and green spaces, but unless you can go private the schools there are less good and you would have to really research the options because some catchments will be for the rougher schools in the most deprived parts of Birkenhead. Sorry for the long post - trying to be of some help!