Do your dcs attend a happy and decent mixed comp? Can you buy a 4 bed house for £300,000 within walking distance?

[SusieP40]

Hi, name changer here so I dont out myself and fuel local (smallminded here!) gossip.

We have decided to move away and after months of discussion we know exactly what we want but are not sure where we can find it.

We would like dcs to attend a decent HAPPY properly comprehensive school - so preferably a grammar-free area. DS12, is so unhappy at his current school :(. We are really disappointed with the lack of provision (mild SEN) and lack of care (that's a whole different thread).

We want to move from the snooty area we currently live where the neighbours are so up their own arses noone speaks to anyone else! We run an internet-based business and dh works 16 hour days and more to meet mortgage payments on our house. I want us to be mortgage free so we can actually spend some money enjoying life. We can move ANYWHERE but would like to be in a friendly neighbourhood with a sense of community. Maybe in a market town? Our budget would be around £300,000.

Ideally I would like dcs to be in walking distance of school - its healthy , sociable and good for independence.

Any ideas?

The NE and Newcastle in particular is great and cheap. Overall cost of living is lower there as well as house prices, so your money will go further in all ways. If you can work anywhere then I think it's a good bet. There's loads to do, great public transport, friendly people, countryside and coastline all within very easy reach (less traffic than in the congested south). However, it is very cold in winter and do not expect any type of summer.

Rosy that's not completely fair - it is cold up here but we have also had plenty of lovely summers in Newcastle. The year I had my DS it was sweltering, and the couple of years after (he's 4) his summer birthday has been nice enough for outside parties in the park. It's not as hot as the S but it's not non existent. It was rubbish this summer but I think that was nationwide.

wow - lucky you to have such choices

we live in a fairly unfashionable but utterly normal, pleasant suburb of greater manchester. when we moved from London we could have chosen to move into an 11+ area, but i disagree with selective education, so here we are.

300k would get you near good comprehensives in all but the most fashionable South Manchester suburbs. In fact, in most parts of the North, if you look away from the obvious areas to which newcomers are instantly attracted, you could find something to fit your brief.

vj32 sorry but that's rubbish.
I'm another southerner whose been in the NE for a long time with no issues. When I was in the south I also moved from SE to SW (as a child) without problem.
I have many many friends who have moved around (both nationally & internationally) as both adults and kids with no problems.

We are ten minutes' walk from great, mixed comp school (like you we purposely moved away from a grammar area), on the edge of a fab city (Norwich). Our four-bed detached house cost 2/3 of your budget.

You'll hate Noth Baddesley and Rownhams then
let alone Cuperham or the Cleveland bay end of Chandlers ford

after all we only have some of the best comps in the south feeding into Peter Symonds

and at a push there is always Ringwood

this area is so dire
and only an hour from London

East Renfrewshire (Scotland) regularly has the top 2 comp schools in Scotland. Excellent extra-curricular activities and support for all kinds of learners.

House prices start at about £200k and up.

We live in a small rural village near the Fylde coast in Lancashire. Excellent schools, beautiful countryside, 4 bed detached for 300k very doable.

Come live here - we are dead friendly too! :)

Lots of nice places in Leicestershire would meet your criteria. We're in South Leics and the SEN support is excellent where we are (though DS1 who has ASD is still in Primary School) there are several Ofsted outstanding high schools - though 'high school' here means middle school - Yr 6/7-9, with colleges from Yr10-13... weird system

Yes. And £300k would buy a two bed flat. But there will be places. Probably in the north? Maybe East Anglia. But if you can work from home, you're sorted.

I promise if you consider the NE you would could get lovely house/MC area AND great sought after school for that money. Here are the best options:

• Morpeth (northumerland) - king edward school
• Hexham (northumberland) - QE school
• Ponteland (edge of northumberland - close to city) - Ponteland High
• On the coast: Whitley Bay/Cullercoats/Tynemouth - Whitley High/Marden High/Kings Priory
• Gosforth - Gosforth Academy
• Durham - St Leonards/Durham Johnston
• Catholic - all good in and around Newcastle

A poster above mentioned that in Wales, your children would have to learn Welsh. That is true, but they would go to an English-speaking school, and learn Welsh as a second language. They wouldn't have to do everything in Welsh!

You will not have much choice of a 4-bed for 300k in catchment for Arthur Terry, Sutton Coldfield! 3-beds galore, but 4 beds usually more pricy, or out of catchment.

Ditto Solihull.

It's possible, but very limited choices.

I used to have a sales job in north Wales, of say hello in English and they would respond in welsh. These were so called professionals. Only spoke back to me in English when I stood my ground. Happened more than once.

You can do that in York. You'll need to pick your house fairly carefully to get in to the better catchments but it's absolutely do-able. Our house is 4 beds and one like it would cost 70-80 thousand less than your budget. Catchment is for an ok secondary but the one my dds attend is actually closer (they walk)

East Midlands has lots of good schools - in Derby, Nottingham, countryside around etc.

You can easily buy a 4-bed house for £300k too.

Sorry I meant to post a list of schools rated outstanding or good - West Bridgford on edge of Nottingham, also Toot Hill in Bingham.

In Derby, Littleover School and Chellaston School, Landau Forte college tho that has very different term times; in Derbyshire Kirk Hallam College and Ecclesbourne School.

Check out Robert Bloomfield middle school in shefford!

Milton Keynes. We relocated there to a new development. Real community feel and some great schools. Loads for kids to do and as lots of peopl mew to town, everyone is friendly and open to meeting new people.

We live in a small town/ large village with a happy comp and lots of lovely independent shops, library, leisure centre, pool, pubs, cafes and nice people. We are less than 10 mins from nearest motorway. Our 4 bed detached with views of open countryside cost £165k 6 months ago. We're in North Lincs. Nothing is more than a 15 min walk from my house and we live on the edge of the village. There is another house 2 doors down from mine up for sale at £190k at the moment.

Also nearest train station is 10/15 mins.

North Worcestershire - I see a house in my town has already been linked to. Schools good and comprehensive, though not v ethnically diverse, town small but has most amenities and close to bigger places/ forty mins from Birmingham. Transport links pretty good.

Yes-York. You wouldn't get a massive house for that amount of money, but if you're not too fussed you'd get a 4 bedroom. And even York's 'dodgy' areas are lovely!