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?

jeee, the ofsted for the cotswold school is astonishing! I have had another recommendation for bournside school. they seem to have very good schools around the Cheltenham area.
Do you have any idea about SEN in either of the schools you recommended? Thanks.

Hmm may struggle with a 4 bed but there are a few.
schools excellent .
Fab public transport (trains and buses )
Good shopping
Cinema
Bowling
Swimming all in walking distance
Airport on bus /train route
Same 30 mins London /40 Cambridge

In short I love it here and will never ever move

Google hockerhill school , Birchwood , or single sex options . Boys high or Herts and Essex

Oh and Birchwood has fab Sen policy's to

We are Chepstow, comp with sen department, there is a private boardin school but no framers in area , 4 bed house wod be about £300000, close to cardiff and Bristol for anything you might need, concerts, shopping, etc

Yes, Matlock, Derbyshire

Thanks alot for more responses . Any information re SEN in any recommendations will be gratefully recieved!

Hi, South Liverpool has a lot of family homes for well less than that. (Ours is a three bed terrace in a for £134K). Lots of 'outstanding' and good schools - though high proportion have a religious affiliation. One grammar - but it really is a super-super-selective, so the comps still get about 80% plus 5 or more good GCSEs.

ok you don't mind where you live then try Crosby north Liverpool, we have 15 minute train to Liverpool city centre and all the history that entails. We have one of the lowest crime rates in the country (google it it's true!) schools St Michael's local comp which is just getting better all the time, fabulous SEN provision.

Houses this is 5 minute walk from the school and the local shopping centre, Sainsbury's etc. Walking 20 minute the other way you have ironmen and the lovely beach.

Catchment for Crofton School in Stubbington

Lovely big village, v friendly and good access to bigger cities on south coast.

Posted this on the other thread but just in case you're checking this one instead now:

Hi Susie, I know you are ideally looking for state schools but the area we have recently moved from has one or two excellent independent schools who specialise in HFA/dyslexia/dyspraxia. I know of 2 children whose parents sent them to the same school after their state schools failed them spectacularly. One has dyslexia and the other has aspergers. Both are thriving!

It's a fairly pricey area though you do get a few 4beds within your budget. However, as it's a densely populated urban area, living just one postcode along (thus adding 5 mins to journey) gets you a lot more for your money.

Good infrastructure too and easy into Manchester. Excellent state schools too especially primary. I was sad to leave but DHs job rules our life.

Anyway, here's a link to the school. Good luck! here

Sheffield would be a city I'd consider it has very few indies and no grammars so the majority of dcs attend comps some such as Silverdale and Tapton which are outstanding. As a city it has loads going for it and easy reach of the Peak District and 2 hours by train to London. The houses look pretty good too I'd say the south of the city is more des res www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-40229648.html

Great - more food for thought! Thankyou

Auntpetunia, Have spoken to St Michaels in Crosby (2 people have recommended same place!). I t has places so will look further into that one as a possibility.

Will look into other suggestions this morning.
Mumzy, do you know of any shffield schools with a good record of SEN provision?

This is something I've looked at alot for DS (currently private, but wondering why!!). Anyway I looked at counties around the M3/M4 and the best remarks I had were from parents in Chippenham of 2 (yes 2!!) schools Hardenhuish and Sheldon. Many parents from local preps send their children to either of these.
Chippenham isnt exactly picturesque, its nice enough though and the area is lovely. If you didnt want to be in walking distance their are some beautiful villages 10 minutes away and both schools run buses.

Shhhh, please don't go telling people that wiltshire has good schools! Next you'll be talking about how reasonable the house prices are, or the excellent quality of life, or the fact we have very low crime rates, and are close to 2 world heritage in Bath & Stonehenge.
Just stop it!

NewFerry, I wont say a word!
Do you know anything about good SEN pracrice in Wilts secondary schools?

Sunnyshores - I think Hardenhuish are full (in year 8) but quite a few Glos schools had spaces including some very good ones. I can let you have the list if you want. Our ds is also currently in a private school but we are not getting much value for money from them! Its a high achieving school and I think they have written ds off as he performs so poorly academically. As we are completely mobile, our search is broad. So far Glos, Rutland, Lincs and Leicester seems to have possiblities for us. I am quite surprised at the property prices in areas that I assumed would be cheap!

Hmm, I understand that John Bentley in Calne is good for SEN. I have a friend who is a governor there, her DC is Y8, and she is very happy with his progress, though not SEN.
The villages round Calne are lovely, and its pretty close to Swindon for teenage stuff.

Another vote for South Gloucestershire area. Katharine Lady Berkeley in Wotton Under Edge, Castle School in Thornbury - both market towns with good access to Bristol, Gloucester, Cheltenham. Winterbourne International Academy, in Winterbourne which is an area in the very north of Bristol so not as rural, easy to get into centre of Bristol for all city amenities.

NewFerry - plus Avebury, beautiful medieval Salisbury, wonderful local farmers markets, farmshops, Love it here Whoops.....

Yes, yes, Avebury so much better than Stonehenge.
But remember, don't tell anyone, it's a secret!

Susie I'm not sure about the SEN provision but if there are any areas you think are possibilities post in education and I'm sure local posters will be able to advise