Advice moving to Surrey

[baronflick85]

We are also moving from Winchester and need to be near West End in Woking. We have 4 children and so will be looking at primary and secondary schools. I don't want more than a 20 minute commute. We need entertainment for both young children and teenagers and nice safe green areas for the younger ones. We have been so spoilt with Winchester we are probably quite picky! Would really welcome any suggestions.

Camberley and Woking are similar in my view. Guildford better if you prefer city life.

Windlesham is a strange school catchment area if I remember rightly. Think the secondary school for catchment may be in Camberley.

How old are your children? How will they get to school? One thing to look at is transport. Not just for school but for leisure, especially for your teenagers. There are bus routes but they don't all run that frequently. Aviva is the local bus company, so look at their route maps for Guildford and Woking areas.

Is being able to walk to a train station necessary? That would limit choice, as many areas are not near a station.

I prefer Camberley to Woking but I'm not sure about the secondary school in Camberley. I have a friend in Bagshot, down the road from Camberley and she fought hard to get her son in the aforementioned Charters rather than her local secondary. My two oldest go to Charters, it is excellent.

regarding the commute, if you DO consider berkshire, the Chobham road/Windosr road is a lovely, mostly straight single carriageway which dh used to drive for work each morning, and goes from Sunningdale to Chobham, then you go to West End. It is generally quiet too. That would def be doable in 20 minutes from Sunningdale and surrounding. Sunningdale has a train station - kids could get a train to reading, Camberley, Woking, or Bracknell once it is regenerated (it is mostly a pile of rubble atm) a small village center and is catchment for Charters. If you can afford the £££ house prices, it would def be my pick for West End.

The best school in the area, by quite a margin, is St John The Baptist (Catholic) in Woking. You enter automatically from a feeder primary school, of which there are ones in Knaphill, Woking and West Byfleet. These have their own (usually religious) admissions arrangements.

West Byfleet is a bit of a trek in the traffic. Knaphill/Woking both fine.

There is nothing wrong with Woking, the town centre is ugly and just chain stores really, but the Hockering and Horsell are within walking distance and these are very good residential areas with high-quality housing. You are much better off renting something like this:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-42890677.html
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-44695526.html

in walking distance of Woking town centre

than something in say Windlesham: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-36720625.html
because in one of the village like Windlesham, Chobham, etc., there is literally nothing at all.

Of course Guildford is better still, but only if you are actually IN Guildford, if you are going to be a couple of miles outside, that's definitely worse to one of the many family houses within walking distance of Woking town centre.

I think Camberley is a little rougher than Woking, but the shops are better if very much Primark and shopping mall rather than lovely little boutiques like you might find in Winchester. Housing should be cheaper in Camberley too, because it's a very shitty commute to London, whereas from Woking you can be in Waterloo in 25 minutes.

If you are going to live in West End there's a sought-after state boarding school, Gordons, but you need to live within half-a-mileish, and be aware of the fees (for so-called 'day boarding'), around £7k/year I believe.

Going to look at houses in Normandy, Onslow Village and Worplesdon on Saturday. DOes anyone know anything about the local primary and secondary schools in the area?

You are looking potentially at five boroughs in Surrey, you are also not far from Hampshire (Aldershot, Farnborough) and Berkshire (Sunningdale)

Guildford
Woking
Surrey Heath
Runnymede
Waverley

Admissions for Woking schools:

www.surreycc.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/541486/Woking-V3-Allocation-of-secondary-school-places-2013.pdf

St John Baptist outstanding - feeder schools, Catholic

Bishop David Brown - failing school avoid

Winston Churchill - ok - admissions area is West End, Bisley, Knaphill, Brookwood, Hook Heath, outside the area they go up to around 4km

Woking High School - ok - you have to live in the admissions area, which is Chobham, Horsell, Goldworth Park, Brookwood, Mayford, Hook Heath, Knaphill. Distance around 4km

Guildford schools:

www.surreycc.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/541459/Guildford-V3-Allocation-of-secondary-school-places-2013.pdf

Ash Manor - mediocre, not oversubscribed

Christ's College - another to be avoided

George Abbot - very popular, the school must be the closest to your home

Guildford County - less desirable than George Abbot 2.4km distance last year

Howard of Effingham - this is miles away in Leatherhead

Kings College - very bad indeed

St Peter's Catholic - another naice Catholic school

Runnymede:
www.surreycc.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/541469/Runnymede-V3-Allocation-of-secondary-school-places-2013.pdf

Fullbrook - ok, admissions area is Ottershaw, New Haw, Woodham, Byfleet and West Byfleet

Jubilee - avoid

Magna Carta - too far away

Surrey Heath

www.surreycc.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/541473/Surrey-Heath-V3-Allocation-of-secondary-school-places-2013.pdf

Collingwood - mediocre, you would get in
Gordon's - £7k/year must live less than 500 metres from gate
Kings International - another to avoid
Tomlinscote - very good, catchment of Frimley Green, Lightwater and parts of Camberley

Waverley

All Hallows Catholic - a bit far away
Broadwater - very bad
Farnham Heath - too far
Glebelands - too far
Rodborough - too far
Weydon - too far
Woolmer Hill - too far

So:

Woking - Woking High is fine, Winston Churchill a bit behind it, SJB better if you can pray
Guildford - George Abbot, Guildford County or don't bother
Runnymede - Fullbrook
Surrey Heath - Tomlinscote

From Worplesdon or Normandy I think you would likely not get into any good schools.

In Onslow Village you would get Guildford County School.

Primarys should be less of a concern.

But if in-year admissions, then it's different again.

Also what's your rental budget?

Hello, could be worth also posting on our Local Surrey talk board:

local.mumsnet.com/Talk/surrey/local-active

Local Editor

Right we are definately movinig and hoping it will be around June time. We just need to decide where to. I want to be about a 20 minute drive away at the most. We want to be walking distance from a town centre for the older ones and walking distance from the schools for my DH who doesn't have a car. We need good primary and secondary, a 4/5 bed house and have a maximum budget of 2150 pcm ( and that would be tight). We have found a lovely house in Camberley very near the town centre and the schools nearby are all rated good or outstanding by ofsted. The trouble is we have heard really mixed reviews of Camberly. Any thoughts? We had a good look at Woking but actually thought we preferred Camberley but then we really know so little about both areas. I really like Guildford but it seems very pricey - would it be woth paying probably 350 pcm more a month to live in Guildford. Also the school we saw in the catchment area of the house we like was rated as needing improvement which worried me a bit. Any advice would be greatly recieved we have never moved before and I am a bit terrified!

whereabouts in camberley is it?

Surrey has been hit badly by the changes in inspection regime - so my DD goes to a needs improvement school - which while IMHO isn't as Outstanding as when my eldest started there is still a very Good school and will probably be raised to at least Good when re-inspected this autumn (I think) if not Outstanding again.

Is there anyway your children could get into Gordon's? Is there a staff entry criteria, because it has even better results than SJB.

Otherwise beware of predictions of secondary "catchments". This year children for example have not got into George Abbot from Send which was always pretty much a given. The next few years are going to put even more pressure on school places, so do not just trust Estate Agents predictions.

Gordons is not as good as SJB, it just has a wealthier intake. Plus it costs money.

Send is quite a long way from George Abbot, so it's not that much of a surprise.

Never trust anything estate agents say about anything.

I'm not sure what you want to say about Camberley? Spend a day walking around the town centre, you can see what's there. It's not Winchester or Bath, it's just a functional shopping centre.

Guildford is a better shopping/dining area than either Woking or Guildford, is that worth something to you?

I don't know Camberley residential areas, looks relatively cheap, but not so much choice.

I just looked at the admitted criteria on Surrey CC website, some schools have admitted quite a bit over their PAN number.
I am surprised that Kings isn't full but Bishop David Brown has admitted 69 over its PAN. I would prefer the former, and I know a lot of people got the latter who didn't have it as a choice.

69? Are you sure.

Where is the link.

here not where the offer letter said

Can only assume that most of those won't accept the offer.

We bough in Camberley 18 months ago and love it here. There is so much to do for both kids and adults and the town has a nice feel. We're also walking distance from town centre and it really makes a difference not having to drive everywhere.

There's is a £300 million investment & regeneration plan for the London Road end which is currently not the prettiest area (development due to start this year, www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/300m-pot-to-take-camberley-6397278) which will bring lots of new shops and restaurants. We already have a great cinema, bowling, leisure centre, rugby club, cricket club, football, go karting, parks, great shopping centre and nice restaurants. Lots of pretty countryside nearby. Schools are good standard too (although I've only looked into infant schools for now).

Other lovely things about Camberley are the monthly farmers market, La-Di-Da cupcake company, Good Taste artisan bakery and cafe, great library, theatre and friendly locals (we've made lots of friends already). ?

Also, I might add that we were also looking in Guildford and Woking before deciding to buy in Camberley. Camberley is much smaller in size (38,000 residents versus 62,000 in Woking and 74,000 in Guildford) and I think there is a great community feel :)

Oh and the fabulous Pennyhill Park hotel & spa (England Rugby Team's official training base) is just a mile away! I can recommend their 2-Michelin star Latymer restaurant :D

In many areas at rush hour you could do about a mile and a half for your 20mins.

I had to abandon applying for a job I really, really wanted in Woking because it just wasn't possible to get to it without leaving at 6am.

Did everyone see that they're opening a new secondary on Chertsey/ Addlestone border in 2017? Assume it'll be a free school?

www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/ex-meads-school-pupils-welcome-runnymede-6886575

No I think Surrey is opening it because otherwise there will be a huge shortage of places!

I thought I read somewhere that councils couldn't open new schools, some restriction or other.

Perhaps it will be an academy it is Surrey who are behind it. They absolutely c*cked up over primary places so perhaps are actually going to plan a little to make sure the same doesn't happen overy secondary places. There is a real shortage already in the area.

Burpham / Merrow in Guildford, close to the A3, Secondary - George Abbott, Primary - Burpham junior school. People move into area to get into these schools. Big family areas, bus into centre of Guildford for teens. Good local amenities, big supermarket.

George Abbott - very big, 300 in a year but they do run a very tight ship, strong discipline, great results - bit marmite like.

North of station / central Guildford - Secondary - County, much smaller / half the size, music academy, very artistic, great boys choir. More holistic, less strict. New headmaster just taken over, so expect changes, few staff changes because of it.
Junior / primary - Holy Trinity Pewley Down, St Nicholas, Queen Eleanor's, others I forget - all good schools.

I realize this thread is a few months old, but for the sake of anyone reading it at present I would like to put a few points straight. Mention of the Bishop David Brown School being a 'failing' school is inaccurate. Yes it was 10 years ago and since then the staff under an inspirational head have worked tirelessly to turn it around. It's huge advantages are it's smaller size and when it comes to 'added value' it would be heard to beat. The school has recently been judged as 'Good with Outstanding Features'. This is no fluke, just a lot of hardwork. Alas those who criticize it the most have never visited the school as if they had would see it does not need Ofsted to endorse what is already known. Do not discount this school!