Possible move to Bucks / Hertfordshire

[Noplan100]

My job might be relocating to Uxbridge, which wouldn't be commutable from where we currently live in East London so we're considering a move out west. My wish list is quite long: at least a 3 bed house, a max 30 mins drive in rush hour traffic to Uxbridge, local amenities (at least a cafe and playground within walking distance), good primary schools within walking distance, within a 10/15 minute walk of a tube/train station for access to central London. Plus somewhere which won't be ruined by a Heathrow expansion or HS2 (and doesn't currently suffer from too much plane noise). Our budget would be around £650k. Is this possible? Any suggestions for areas to look at? Thank you so much in advance - I don't know the area at all so any suggestions are gratefully received

High Wycombe
Loudwater
Holtspur

All are the right side of HW for you to be in Uxbridge via the M40/A40 within 30 mins but personally I’d rather live somewhere nicer and have a slightly longer commute.

Places like Beaconsfield & The Chalfonts will be pricey but a tad closer.

I can’t advise on Herts.

Chorleywood and Rickmansworth might fit the bill. However, the primary schools in Chorleywood are often full so that would be worth checking. They both have good amenities, they are close to the Aquadrome which has a good playground/walks/cafe and both have tube stations.

Chesham and amersham as well.

Berkhamstead?

Finding a good school with spaces will be your biggest problem in Bucks. They don't have any spaces in the good ones.

Your budget would be OK for Chesham but it's a rotten drive to get to Uxbridge via Amersham. Chesham and Amersham are on the Metropolitan line. Amersham has more trains. The Chalfonts are more expensive than Chesham but a shorter drive. The underground/main line station is at Chalfont and Latimer.

Seer green - you'll get a 3 bed in the village for around your budget, the primary school sometimes has places, there is a train station in the village and it would be around a 30 min trip to Uxbridge.
We do have the 11+ though, so if that wouldn't suit your children I'd look towards Herts.

With the 11 plus, Seer Green is in catchment for the Beaconsfield School (secondary modern) which you do not want if your children do not get the grammar schools. This may concentrate the mind!

Bucks has a current list for primary vacanices dated 18 Feb on their web site. It gives you some idea of where there are vacanices but of course this position can change very quickly. More than 3 bed will be difficult in this area. Chesham might be better. Tring may be better. Berkhamsted is expensive.

Thank you for the suggestions. DS1 is due to start school this September so the timing is annoying as we've just missed the applications. I suspect he would be ok on the 11+ (I went to a grammar although I don't know how much the 11+ has changed) but DS2 is only 6 months so it's impossible to know how he'll be. Might try calling some primary schools to see if they can give any guidance on whether they'll have spaces

Consider looking at Ickenham. From what you've said it might be a bit too close to HS2 development, etc for you but it is a lovely area and less than 10 minutes drive to Uxbridge (around 5 minutes on the tube). Also, spent 20+ years living in the Uxbridge area (mostly Hillingdon and Ickenham) and hardly ever noticed the noise from planes but definitely avoid living close to the train lines!!

BubblesBuddy needs to concentrate their own mind regarding The Beaconsfield School. I have personal experience of child going there, not a bigoted outdated view. Seer Green us really nice though,

I commute there daily from Chesham - I don't recommend it - definitely takes longer than 30mins

I agree that Chesham/Berkhamsted/Tring are too far to be within a 30 minute commute.

Might be worth looking at Little Chalfont (which is the edge of Amersham really). That's in Bucks but on the right side of Amersham to get to Uxbridge.

The other place I've just thought of is Gerrards Cross, although I don't know anything about the primary schools.

Ickenham is sadly going to be heavily affected by HS2 - although they are tunnelling underneath it, the traffic is already horrendous and is only going to get worse because it is one the routes by which the lorries will be going through. Parts of Ickenham are also being lost to HS2. If you drive through Ickenham you will see lots of HS2 banners. It is not popular....

The Beaconsfield School is still Requires Improvement from Ofsted. That was late 2016 so is due a section 8 visit shortly. It was RI in 2014 too. When I worked in Education in this area some years ago, it was poor too and had been for years despite constant efforts to improve. It is rarely good.

Anyone looking for a good school will have to show a lot of faith in the current SLT to keep it out of RI. Clearly being an academy hasn’t improved anything. In comparison some other schools, it’s not a very good school. Each to their own of course.

The 11 plus in Bucks has changed. Lots more competition for places now. Lots of degree level professional parents are disappointed every year. Just because a parent went to a grammar, I wouldn’t be complacent about what your 4 year old can achieve.

The best advice for Bucks is to live in an area with a consistently good secondary modern. Just in case. All the Grammars in this area are Outstanding so you don’t have to worry about them.

If you look on the Bucks web site you will see which schools have vacancies. Phoning up loads of schools won’t help. If schools have a place, Central admissions will know. You will have to be flexible.

I second that High Wycombe is a lovely place to live!