Just spotted this old thread of mine accidentally whilst looking for something else - apologies to jk765 for the very late response - I don't have specific answers to your questions re: Clevedon School, I'm not too driven by results but they seemed OK (above average?) when I looked a while back, I don't know much about the school's feel/pastoral care unfortunately though... Also hello to more recent poster dorotheamink, relatively good timing for me to see this!
I'm very happy to do an update! We have now sold up in SE23 and are impatiently waiting for our completion to go through on our new place... in Wotton-under-Edge, which is about 30 mins from Bristol on the other side (borders of Glos/S Glos/Cotswolds), so all change!!
In the end we went round the houses literally and figuratively in Clevedon, still feeling a bit unsure, and then happened upon the idea of Wotton, via Mumsnet and a few other sources, which is 20 mins from where I grew up (Thornbury). It was a curveball considering we wanted the seaside or city originally! We compared it with Clevedon and decided that WuE, although smaller, would offer us a more like-minded community (apparently lots of ex Bristol people from areas like Easton as well as ex Londoners) and really excellent schools. The high street is compact but packs quite a lot in and the town has open air pool in summer, small cinema, library, a couple of parks, children centre and enough little activities to keep kids and babies busy as am expecting number three later in the year. I've even found a newborn friendly community choir a bit like the one I've been going to in London for years! Plus have managed to get into contact with a few friends of friends who live there and to be honest their enthusiasm for the town totally sold it to me. When we visited the schools we were further convinced it was the right place. The fact that there are enough bits and bobs in walking distance is important to me as I'm still learning to drive - and to be honest with a new baby and three lots of school/preschool drop offs and pick ups to do for my older two I think my days will be quite full anyway. The house we have found backs onto beautiful fields but is a 5 mins walk from all the amenities so am feeling happy with our (dated, needs extending, bad bad bathroom) choice and location.
We still love Clevedon's beauty and charm and will definitely be visiting lots (it's about 45 mins away) but there was an ongoing niggle for me that it didn't have quite the sense of community that I wanted. I could well be wrong about this as you know what it's like gleaning this kind of information from online sources without actually living somewhere yourself.... but it was the overall sense I got, and I did worry about the small and big c conservatism!! (WuE is also a Tory town but I think the make up of the families there is potentially more diverse/more ex-boho than Clevedon).
Dorotheamink I found your post really interesting and I hope life goes well for you in the town and the benefits do outweigh the costs over time - I have an old schoolfriend with a one year old son who just moved to Clevedon from Clifton if you would like an introduction (I have another friend with a one year old son who has lived there a bit longer too)? I'm sure it will get easier and hope you find some nice activities and friends in walking distance. Like you I fully expect to go from our weekend trips driving out from London to seek the Kent countryside to morph into weekend trips driving into Bristol in search of sushi, urban charm and street festivals!! We are expecting bumps in the road with such a big change - and DH and I have said we must give it a good two years before making any snap judgements! Fingers crossed the school places will feel right as think that will be key to all of it. I'm sure once your little one starts preschool/reception you will start to make lots of new contacts and friends - certainly worked that way for us in SE23.
Really interesting to read this old thread again so many thanks for the more recent posts. It is overwhelming to make such big changes but I am feeling positive and happy to update again in a year or two's time! Fingers crossed everyone searching to make a change has lots of luck and success!