Help, Moving to Southend??

[dollydaydream3]

Hi Everyone,

I need some advice please. We currently live in Cork, Ireland. My dh has got a job starting in 3wks in Brentwood Essex, as we are looking to permanently relocate I am trying to find an area commutable with good schools. We can not afford Brentwood. I have as 6yr old dd and 2 dogs.
I have been looking and reading all I can about Southend, I have never been there.

We have lived in in London for 17yrs and Kent for a year, so even though we are both Irish we are well familiar with U.K life (well parts of the South East anyway!) and like many others are looking for that elusive area in the South East that is nice to bring up kids and affordable.
We don't want to be rural but what I have read about Southend town the general feeling is to say away from it. I like to be near life, shops etc. and Southchurch seems to be the area I am veering towards, Westcliffe also. I have read everything I can find on the area and the reviews are somewhat mixed, mostly good but when they are bad they are very very bad, some descriptions would deter you from visiting for a day not to mention moving your family there. Also are there any schools to be recommended or avoided, all opinions would be helpful.

Thanks!

I live in Southchurch and love it. It's close to town, but not so close you get trouble. Close to the seafront too! I've lived in this area for nearly ten years and have had no trouble.

All of dh family live in Southend. They are in westcliffe and seem very happy it's always lovely when we visit.

Thank you, both, greatly appreciated, hopefully it will put my dh paranoid mind at rest.

Can recommend the roads close to Southchurch park (the houses overlooking the park are lovely). We moved there recently and the area is fantastic.

Rayleigh is nice.

Sorry, posted too soon.

All the primary schools are good. As are both the high schools.

Houses are reasonably priced. Good train line to London.

Close the the A127/A13.

I was posting to suggest Rayleigh, for the exact reasons Wirecat said . With the road links it would be 30 mins to Brentwood and you wouldn't get caught up too much in the Southend area traffic.

There are grammar schools in Southend so this has quite a big impact on the area and surrounding schools. The grammars are great if your children are academic. Some (not all) of the non-grammars are poor so there are better areas for proper comp schools.

What's your approximate budget? Can you afford Leigh-on-Sea? I am biased but, for me, it's the best part of the area. Good schools, close to beach and woods, close enough to Southend to be able to use but not impacted by the downsides, lovely shopping, bars, restaurants, social life of its own.
3 weeks is not long! Assume you are looking at rental and in year school transfers, have you been in touch with council about school places?
What's your rental budget, let's see what's out there and make sure to get to a nice road/patch of town!
Note it will take up to an hour to commute from eastern Southend to Brentwood, the traffic is not great.

What about the other side of Brentwood heading towards London? Hornchurch/Upminster/Romford? Less small town/rural than Southend but not as expensive as Brentwood. Very short travelling time- in rush hour traffic still only 20ish minutes to Central Brentwood.

Schools also good in Havering which is the London borough the towns above are situated in. Especially if you happen to be Catholic.

Hi everyone, thank you all so much for your responses, I hve not been on as hve been v busy. My dh's job has been deferred thankfully until end of month, so have a bit more time. Am trying to research schools at moment and it is difficult to get a feel. A good few Ofsted reports say improvment required but most people seem to praise the schools. My dd is would be in Year 2 if we move before school hols which seems the plan. Blenheim Park, Bournemouth Park, Eastwood Hall, Porters Grange, Richmond Ave, Temple Sutton, Thorpe Dene, and Westborough all seem to have places right now, not veering towards any in particular Westborogh maybe?? Can prob work house near right school as we would rent initially.

Any thoughts, any opinions very welcome

Thanks again!!

Eastwood or Edwards Hall?
If Edwards Hall is available, I would say that's by far the nicest/best of the schools you list, plus a good area and is also towards Rayleigh so DH's commute is better.

Thorpe Dene is probably next 'nicest' on your list but is other side of town so DH's journey is a good 20 mins longer. Near the beach though!

I can recommend Havering if you want to consider places nearer to Brentwood. We moved to Upminster for work reasons 6 years ago and love it here. The schools are excellent too.

Actually, I'm not sure about Thorpe Dene, think I am muddling it up with Thorpe Greenways. Not my side of town.

Edwards Hall!! Actually this one hasn't a definite space but I have it listed as a maybe, thank you so much for responding, it's tricky from here to say the least.
Looking forward to it though.

rental house v close to Ed Hall school

Thanks again everyone, to fidget pie, would need to look at the areas you mentioned, the idea is to not move schools again, so where we rent we need to be able to afford to buy in the future, not sure what property prices are around there, am assuming the closer to London the more expensive they are. Also we used to live in London but completely the other side, Ealing. Thanks for suggestions, at the moment am looking blind, but getting more info constantly. All suggestions very much appreciated.