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Original poster

Does anyone live in or near Stone, Staffordshire

45 replies

Libby16 · 31/05/2019 10:38

Hi everyone

We live in Cornwall and have done all our lives but my husband may be getting a new job in Warwickshire.

We have visited Stone in Staffordshire a few times and it’s only an hour drive from where my husband would be working, which is fine. The house prices in Stone are really reasonable and we like the area but we have a 6 and 8 year old and have been looking at schools and I’m a bit confused!

There seems to be a lot of first schools and middles schools? I’ve not come across this before, my daughter would be going in to year 2 in September and my son year 4, I would like them to be in the same school. I can I only seem to find one primary(St Dominic’s) that goes reception to yr6 but it looks very religious...which we are not.

I will also have to apply mid year as we need to sell our house and find a new house, my husband finds out in July if he has the job so that wouldn’t give us enough time to apply for September.

Generally down here in Cornwall they go to primary school in reception and stay there till year 6, and then on to Secondary.

Can anybody tell me how the schools here work or any schools to avoid? Are they oversubscribed?

Thanks!

OP posts:
senua · 31/05/2019 12:33

I don't understand why you are actively planning to live an hour's commute from work.Confused Please don't say that he intends to rely on the M6.
There are lovely places further east than Stone, but do watch out for the HS2 route.

HollowTalk · 31/05/2019 12:35

Where is your husband going to work? I grew up near there but wouldn't live there now. And yes, the M6 is a nightmare.

User24689 · 31/05/2019 12:39

I know stone quite well. Can I ask what attracts you to it? I have family there and don't enjoy visiting tbh. There really isn't much to do there, Stoke and Stafford are closest major towns neither of which are great.

There is a three tier first, middle, high school system. I don't know much about the quality of schools and how oversubscribed they are, I would recommend getting that data from the Staffordshire council website as this info is usually published in the 'applying for reception' part of council websites imo.

LarryGreysonsDoor · 31/05/2019 12:39

I thought middle schools had been phased out.

Infants - EYFS to year 4
Middle - year 5 to year 8
Higher - year 8 up.

They are quite good as it gives children a middle ground before the pressure of exams.

But yes, why would you move an hour from work?

MarthasGinYard · 31/05/2019 12:40

Stone to Warwick May be an hour in theory, but realistically that would rarely be the case.

You would be battling some of the busiest parts of the M6 then down the M40. I would give it some serious thought.

MarthasGinYard · 31/05/2019 12:43

I'm here in stone now

Google map shows Warwick 1 hour and 25 mins.

Showing already 2 lots of stack up times on M6

Louise7777 · 31/05/2019 12:45

Stone to Warwickshire commute will never be an hour, that part of the m6 is horrnedous at times!! Have you looked at areas slightly closer like Sutton Coldfield, Aldridge, Lichfield and Solihull. Also I'm in Shropshire and we just have primary and secondary schools over here

YoureMyWifeNowDave · 31/05/2019 12:50

St Dominic’s is a private school btw

cortex10 · 31/05/2019 12:53

I was also going to say have you looked at Lichfield or Cannock and using M6 Toll/M42/M40 (with a tiny discount if you have a Toll Tag)?

nellyitsme · 31/05/2019 13:16

I'm from stafford and stone is a lovely canal- side town. I don't get why you would want up to a 90 min commute each way to Warwickshire daily on the M6. Think of how much that takes out of each day, and the stress! You wouldn't have much time to appreciate the town or get involved in the social aspect of it - you'd be the very thing that small towns don't want- commuters

Staffordshire LEA went 3 tier in the 80s and reverted back a few years later and gave each town the option of keeping the 3 tier system and stone kept it as did uttoxeter.

randomsabreuse · 31/05/2019 13:21

Do not commute on the M6. It makes the A30 on an August Saturday look free flowing and pleasant, most of the year. Used to live in Devon, now in Shropshire- we avoid M6 like the plague

Original poster
Libby16 · 31/05/2019 13:22

He will only have to do the commute twice a week, so it’s not really too much of a problem, the rest of the work will be from home. We have visited and stayed in stone a few times when we’ve been to Alton Towers, and always got a good feel for the place. The houses are really well priced, I’m struggling to find another area with similar house prices.

OP posts:
MaitlandGirl · 31/05/2019 13:22

The Stone schools are

First - reception to year 4
Middle - year 5 to year 8
High School - year 9 onwards

I used to live in Stone, left 10 years ago and from what family there say it’s really gone downhill. The one way system in the town is awful and the shopping is virtually non existent - but it does have a good food festival (or at least it used to, and a farmers market).

I agree with those posters above who’ve said the commute will be awful, the M5 junctions at Stafford and Stoke are horrendous.

You’d be much better off looking for somewhere closer to Warwickshire.

Comefromaway · 31/05/2019 13:25

Stone is a lovely place to live if you are going to be working in Stafford or Stoke - the daily commute to Warwick will be a nightmare, just don;t do it - I mean it - don't.

But yes, Stone has the middle school system. Every so often there are rumblings to get rid of it, but often parents object as they quite like their kids being able to stay in middle school for a bit longer.

MaitlandGirl · 31/05/2019 13:27

Ok, so just seen you’re fairly set on Stone, Christ Church First School was good when my girls went there, and by all accounts it got better after we left and Manor Hill is well spoken about by people I still know in Stone.

It all depends on where you want to live as there are a few schools in the area. Personally I’d avoid the Coppice Road area as it gets blocked off when the train barriers are down and it’s a pain walking up the hill with loads of shopping LOL. The Valley Road area is nice and is close enough to Aldi to walk.

Comefromaway · 31/05/2019 13:34

The reason St Dom's is a normal primary is that its a feeder school to a Catholic secondary Painsley in Cheadle. Both St Dom's and Painsley are oversubscribed. (9 were refused admission to St Dom's this year and 80 were refused admission to Painsley)

Original poster
Libby16 · 31/05/2019 13:35

Thanks the advice, we are not 100% on stone, I am open to other places with similar prices that are safe and fairly quiet?

OP posts:
randomsabreuse · 31/05/2019 13:36

Even twice a week, don't do it. I thought the A30 was bad (and avoided in summer) until we moved up to Shropshire. The M6 is a disaster, queues all the time and the surrounding roads gridlock every single time it snarls up. Oh and when it's not queuing there's mismanaged motorways limiting the speed more or less at random, including slip road at 40, motorway at 60 type insanity...

M40/42 also prone to disaster. More or less at random... so no day is a good day to rely on it.

Norrisskipjack · 31/05/2019 13:42

I went to Painsley (Catholic College) in Cheadle which is the school st doms is a feeder for.

It used to be an incredible school under the old head master but it’s gone down hills be it’s average now from what I hear.

DO NOT commute on the M6 even 2 days a week, it’s not worth it seriously.

senua · 31/05/2019 15:09

Thanks the advice, we are not 100% on stone, I am open to other places with similar prices that are safe and fairly quiet?
Just had a look on Rightmove: there are some seriously cheap houses in Stone!Shock
What's your budget? Have you thought of Leicestershire?

MarthasGinYard · 31/05/2019 15:18

Twice a week Is much more doable Op

nellyitsme · 31/05/2019 15:26

A couple of times a week is more feasible from Stone. Have you thought of Lichfield or Barton under needwood or Leamington spa area

Original poster
Libby16 · 31/05/2019 15:34

Our budget is between 250k-270k ideally, we currently live in a 4 bed house down here which will sell for around 250k. The houses are quite cheap down here compared to up country! We can’t go less than a 3 bed, ideally with a utility room/garage so a bit of extra space downstairs...Stone very much fits our budget and you get a lot for your money! I’ve seen 4 bed detached houses for very good prices. I will look at these areas thankyou

OP posts:
MadisonAvenue · 31/05/2019 16:00

OP, I'm in the Cannock area and there's a lot of new housing in your price range being built at the moment which would put you near enough to the M6 Toll to make the journey easier. You could also look at the Norton Canes, Burntwood, Hammerwich area.

Staffordshire LEA went 3 tier in the 80s and reverted back a few years later and gave each town the option of keeping the 3 tier system and stone kept it as did uttoxeter.

We didn't go three-tier at all in Cannock but locally some South Staffs villages did and have kept it. I know that Penkridge, Brewood and Codsall still have first, middle and high schools.

Original poster
Libby16 · 31/05/2019 17:24

Very reasonably priced in Cannock, will have more of a look at there thanks! I don’t suppose anyone would know if the commute from Malvern in Worcestershire would be any better, from what I can see it seems to avoid the m6 toll, it’s another area on my list, thanks

OP posts: