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Original poster

moving to manchester with family-needing urgent advice

105 replies

schatzu · 14/01/2015 22:23

Hi, we are moving to manchester very soon and wanted some advice on a nice area to live. We are a young family with 2 kids (2 yrs old and 4 yrs old) so wanted a nice family friendly area with good primary school as my 4yr old boy will soon attend school. My husband will undertake a post at the University of Manchester so we wanted to have easy access to the university.
Please if you can give me some advice where to start from would be great
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OP posts:
Original poster
schatzu · 14/01/2015 22:26

How near from a school do we need to live in order to be able to apply?
DOes someone know?? Thankssss

OP posts:
OydNeverDeclinesGin · 14/01/2015 22:26

Chorlton or didsbury are both nice and easy to get to the uni from. They're also family friendly but a bit pricey.

FourthMary · 14/01/2015 22:30

Sale is nice, bit further out but on the tram line to the centre. Good schools, family friendly and nice parks.

SophieBarringtonWard · 14/01/2015 22:32

What's your budget? Will your husband commute on public transport/drive/cycle & how long a commute would you put up with?

When I am on the laptop tomorrow I will link you to a long thread about moving to Manchester! I Know South Manchester & think Didsbury, Chorlton, Stretford, Urmston, Sale, Levenshulme are all areas to consider but are very different to each other. I don't know north manchester, or your other option would be to love further out eg Macclesfield, Ramsbottom and commute in.

Is your son due to start reception this Sept?

SophieBarringtonWard · 14/01/2015 22:34

HOw near depends on the school! They are all full pretty much. You have missed application deadline for a reception place this year so will be a late applicant which makes a difference too.

JeanSeberg · 14/01/2015 22:37

Altrincham/Timperley - good schools and tram into town.

Hale/Bowdon if money's no object!

theknackster · 14/01/2015 22:44

For Trafford, you have until midnight tomorrow to apply for primary schools.

legacy.trafford.gov.uk/content/admissions/login.asp?

and yes, Greater Manchester does seem to have a problem with primary school places I'm afraid.

Good luck!

(ps I can recommend Sale/Altrincham as somewhere that fits your criteria).

wowfudge · 15/01/2015 08:04

What about Worsley? There are some great primary schools there. Lots of places to go for walks, etc while having good transport links.

Original poster
schatzu · 15/01/2015 12:49

Hi, thanks so much to all of you for the several tips. It helps a lot! We will need to rent initially and I am looking at rightmove.co.uk but it is also not so easy to find nice properties in these areas. I have seen one 3 bed house in Westcott Aveune, Withington, Manchester, M20 1EU (It is near Levenshulm). There are a couple of schools with good Ofsted. But non with outstanding. Are schools with good ofsted really good or more advisable to try one that is evaluated as outstanding?

OP posts:
chicaguapa · 15/01/2015 13:00

A pp mentioned Ramsbottom. I don't know if it's feasible for a daily commute to the university but Rossendale (just a bit north of Ramsbottom) is a good place for excellent schools. There's a selective state grammar school in Rawtenstall and an outstanding secondary school in Haslingden (which it really is considering the top 10% are creamed off to the grammar school) and an outstanding primary school in Helmshore. There's also a really nice 4 bed house in Haslingden for rent for 825 with lovely a LL. Wink

Original poster
schatzu · 15/01/2015 13:01

hi SophieBarringtonWard,
He could commute from outside manchester if we think it is worth due to schools, quality of life etc. DO you know how much does it cost to take the train into manchester every day? Thanks for your help...PS: if you send me the link you said would be great :))

OP posts:
Original poster
schatzu · 15/01/2015 13:02

I also find a flat in this address: Sale Road, Northern Moor, M23 0ET. Is this area good? Any opinions welcome!
Thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
schatzu · 15/01/2015 13:06

Hi chicaguapa, the 4 bed house in Haslingden for rent? where did you find? Can you send me the link?
Thanks!!

OP posts:
BobbyGentry · 15/01/2015 13:18

Heaton Chapel (train station)/ Heaton Moor's the first nice place coming out of Manchester (Cheshire side.) Lots of lovely boutique, independent, pubs, park, shops & good school's near by. Two stops to Manchester Piccadilly :D

IssyStark · 15/01/2015 13:18

OFSTED reports are very much tick boxes and you have to look into them rather than taking the headline. Our sons school got 'requires improvement' last year but I think it is still a good school; caring and pushes its able students while supprting the less able. The HM made the mistake of putting a newly qualified teacher in yr 2 last year and it affected their results, hence the grading. In previous reports they have been good with excellent/oustanding aspects.

I went to Manchester and still have friends there who never left after graduating, n decades ago. It all depends if you want to live in the city or in the suburbs. Personally I'd try for Levenshulme, Chorlton-cum-Hardy or of Monday were no object, Didsbury but then I don't like be far out from work (I dislike wasting time travelling), and like to be near enough to pop into the city centre.

The University is best serviced by buses. If you need to use the train, then factor in a 15 minute walk from Oxford Road (longer from Piccadilly).

iloveaglassofwine · 15/01/2015 13:22

North Manchester is not as pricey as South Manchester and is often overlooked - Whitefield is on the tramline for an easier commute. There's also Prestwich, I can't comment on schools there though.

Out of the city centre and into the peaks, places such as New Mills - I think this is on a train line, I used to work in city centre Manchester and people commuted in from here.

Also Sale in Trafford, on the tram line, I think schools are good and it's a nice area.

In terms of Ofsted reports, I'd personally just use them as a guide - you get to know more about the schools from visiting them, you'll get a "feel" for one. I know that's all well and good when you're in the area but hopefully you soon will be Grin.

Good Luck! Bring a brolly, it rains a lot here Smile

Inthedarkaboutfashion · 15/01/2015 13:23

If you are looking for good schools then trafford is your best bet. The schools in trafford are the best within greater Manchester (according to league tables they consistently perform the best).
Sale, Hale barns, timperley are good areas with excellent schools and you can easily reach Manchester quickly on the tram.
A lot depends on your budget and housing needs.

SophieBarringtonWard · 15/01/2015 13:34

I'd consider that house on Westcott Ave to be in a good location actually, just from looking at the map - down the road from Withington centre, with its swimming baths, Sainsbury's etc, and up the road from Burton Road which is all boutiques & delis. Lots of young families, young professionals and students. On a busy bus route to the university, which as a previous poster said is best reached by bus (or bike!).

With regards to the schools, if your son is due to start Reception this September, you will be a late applicant & not guaranteed a place in the nearest school to you.

Here is the thread I mentioned - it's from 2009/2010 but the information will still hold pretty good.

Where do you live now and what do you like about it/not like about it?

mandy214 · 15/01/2015 14:26

Hi, another vote for Trafford (South Manchester), its not just the best place for schooling in Greater Manchester but pretty much the country (Altrincham was listed by The Times as the best place in the country to live for education I say that all the time).

I think you need to visit - Rightmove can be deceptive - what looks nice online might be completely different in person.

Have a look at transport links - trains are good into Manchester Oxford Road for the university (if you're further out of town) and buses are great (if you are not too far from the town centre). The metrolink extends quite far out of town now in various directions.

I have lived in North and South Manchester. I agree that North Manchester is often overlooked and you will definitely get more for your money than in South Manchester. Schools however are better in Trafford (South Manchester) - the vast majority rated as outstanding so it depends what your budget is and what your priorities are. Good luck!

amy83firsttimer · 15/01/2015 14:32

We live in Levenshulme and love it but it's still very a bit rough around the edges.
You could rent a massive gorgeous house here for similar money to a 2 bed terrace in Altrincham. Let us know your budget and preferences re size, location, amenities and we'll be better placed to help.

NancyJones · 15/01/2015 14:33

We live in Wilmslow, north Cheshire but probably too far for the university.
I teach and I'd say if you want somewhere very family friendly where most of the primary schools are good or outstanding then you have 2 options.

  1. Trafford; sale, Altrincham, Timp, Hale etc
  2. Stockport; the heatons, cheadle, cheadle Hulme, bramhall.

You wouldn't go wrong with Cheadle Hulme/Bramhall because almost all primaries are good or outstanding and Cheadle Hulme High is excellent and getting better year on year. Bramhall high is also good.

chicaguapa · 15/01/2015 15:46

The house in Haslingden is on rightmove. There's no great public transport links for commuting from there, though you could drive to Prestwich and get the tram from there. But it ticks the great schools box and affordability too.

ExitPursuedByABear · 15/01/2015 15:50

Saddleworth is lovely.

wowfudge · 15/01/2015 16:16

You can do better than the house in Withington for 900pcm OP imo - there are houses in better areas which could suit you. Do a search on Rightmove of Greater Manchester and see what comes up then look at the Ofsted reports for the nearby schools. You need to make a trip up here and have a good drive around too.