Cardiff

[whotheeff]

Considering relocating to Cardiff due to a job offer at USW. I have a rising year 9 and year 7. Budget for a home is £600k. Where would you live? We like to be pedestrian with shops and cafes. Not interested in private schools. Thanks!

[lockdownbreakdown]

Sorry @not0from0round0here , it the original poster who poo-pooed everyone's suggestions and clearly had a massive chip on her shoulder about middle class schools and areas. It was very irritating, smug and superior to read . If you look at the Estyn reports of all the secondary schools in Cardiff it should give you a good idea of the makeup of the schools. Once you have picked a school find out the catchment area and choose a house. Its should be relatively easy if you are actively looking for somewhere not leafy and fairly rough by Welsh standards. You wont get anything like as urban and diverse as inner city USA in Wales though. No guns or police helicopters. You will probably have quite a bit of money left over as well. Good Luck!

[BBCK]

Fitzalan has a very ethnically diverse intake, if that’s something that appeals to you. Cardiff High, Whitchurch, Llanishen are predominantly white. Fitzalan punches way above it’s weight when it comes to results but the kids are more streetwise than in the other schools.
Cardiff is a great city though and with your budget you’ll get a fabulous house. Good luck

[not0from0round0here]

@lockdownbreak my message seems to have rubbed you the wrong way, this was not intentional. I am new to Mumsnet and did not realise I could message the OP directly, which would probably have been more appropriate in this case. I'm just trying to figure out the best fit for my family and plan a complicated international move to Cardiff during a pandemic - isn't that a legitimate use for this forum?

[lockdownbreakdown]

@not0from0round0here why not just start a new thread asking what the worst performing schools are, in the roughest areas, that the middle class mummies from Cardiff would die before sending their kids to? Crack dealers next door, an added bonus! Then you will have your answer without asking @whotheeff.

[not0from0round0here]

@whotheeff in case you are still following this thread, I would LOVE to get in touch as I seem to be in a similar situation as you were, and I am looking for very similar things as far as school / area to live in goes. My kids also lived for years in an American inner city, I HIGHLY value diversity and STRONGLY support public schools, and we are planning a move to Cardiff so I can take up a new job at Cardiff University. Feeling lost over here as I've never spent any time in Wales, and know next to nothing about UK school system - we are currently in the NL and can't even visit Cardiff thanks to covid-19. Would be beyond grateful for any updates or pointers on how your search went!

[ChristmasCarrot]

@cit80 In fairness, you're knocking perfectly good areas and schools. Other people live in Cardiff too, it's not just the snobbery patrol whose opinions matter.

By the sounds of some of these teachers, I'm quite shocked and disheartened that they think so little of more disadvantaged/ special needs children.

[CIT80]

@whotheeff I have family and friends who teach / have recently taught at all of them. I am far from snobby and living in a leafy suburban village. I grew up on a Cardiff council estate and want better for my children. Whitchurch high takes children from all over the city and is very multi cultural, the area also offers nice houses in your budget and brilliant transport by bus rail or car to USW, school offers a place from 11-18 so ticks a lot of your boxes - but if you want to do your own thing that’s fine but please don’t ask for advice then knock the advice of people who have been born and bred in the area and give first hand experience.
(Side note my children do not attend any of the schools mentioned in my posts )

[whotheeff]

@StillIRise87 my kids will never be miserable as they are well adjusted and kind and make friends wherever we've lived.

[whotheeff]

@ChristmasCarrot totally agree and it dismays me that we're writing kids off based on circumstances. My kids have great friends from all different backgrounds and that's precisely why I don't want them educated in a bubble. I should know better than to take the bait on here. I just wanted to learn more about areas of Cardiff lol.

[ChristmasCarrot]

*not make the giant leap

[ChristmasCarrot]

I think some of these attitudes is the reason why Cardiff High doesn't like accepting poorer kids. A truly good school would be able to manage social deprivation and make the giant leap that being poor would mean that the kids are badly behaved. The good schools are the ones that are able to teach kids, whether or not they grew up in a nice house.

[StillIRise87]

Yep, I've been in all of them and agree that I wouldn't even consider them.I have two friends who teach at two of the schools and wouldn't send their kids either. I'm not white and Lakeside Primary, which is a feeder for Cardiff High is 50% non-white also. If you don't mind your kids navigating the huge amounts of social deprivation and associated behavioural and emotional problems of the kids then knock yourself out and send them to Willows. As you are middle class your kids may struggle to fit in socially and probably will achieve well but will probably have an overall miserable experience. Willows is also quite 'White' too!

[whotheeff]

@Northernsoullover yup Penarth is beautiful but I couldn't live there. We're definitely city folk and enjoy a bit of noise, grit and grime lol!

[whotheeff]

@CIT80 have you ever been inside Cathays, Fitzalan, Willows or Cantonian or spoken with teachers there?

As a lecturer and educator myself I'm always fascinated by opinions formed on hearsay. I've done my research and I think all are fabulous.

I'm not looking to live in 'white, leafy suburbs' - I've just moved from inner city Atlanta to inner city Leeds and now to inner city Cardiff. We're quite comfortable in 'diverse' environments.

[CIT80]

I would only consider Whitchurch high , radyr high or Cardiff high. Cathays, willows and fitzalan would be an absolute no.

Whitchurch sounds perfect for you - 10 minutes down the road From USW great little shopping village lots of lovely parks and only ten minutes by train bus or car to the city centre.
£600k would buy you a nice house and Whitchurch high takes children right through from age 11-18

(I haven’t rtft so sorry if have repeated other people’s answers )

[Northernsoullover]

Llandaf North is another area you could consider. Its right on the train line for Pontypridd but commuting to Pontypridd as opposed to from isn't too bad anyway. Station Road has some nice houses. Llandaf is a nice area too. There is probably more of a choice in Llandaf.
Penarth is beautiful, I wouldn't commute into or out of Penarth in rush hour if you paid me though. I did it for years. Horrendous.

[ChristmasCarrot]

Grangetown and Leckwith are catchment areas for Fitzalan and they're both fine. Also, you'd be near the motorway and driving won't take you long.

I've lived in various different areas of Cardiff and I can honestly say that the south is more friendly and accepting. Plus, in places like Butetown and Grangetown, you're only a short walk from the city centre and the bay.

[ChristmasCarrot]

@whotheeff You're quite right there, it extremely selective and they like to choose the 'best' children. I wouldn't send my children there on that merit alone. The areas around the south are fine, they just receive a bad reputation on the amount of 'effnics'.

[whotheeff]

@ChristmasCarrot I don't like the look of Cardiff High - it appears to be 'selective' based on the fact it is hardly representative of the local community.

[whotheeff]

@ChristmasCarrot Fitzalan has an Estyn report of Excellent in all areas. It's on our list. As is Cantonian which has turned from failing to good in just 4 years. I'm a huge supporter of our public schools.

[ChristmasCarrot]

By the way, Grangetown is just fine. Grangetown Primary School is good, as is Fitzalan High. There's Ysgol Hamadryad , just over the bridge leading to Butetown. I would much rather choose Grangetown over Roath or Canton (which is a bit of a dump). Also, your property price will be worth double in a few years.

[ChristmasCarrot]

Cardiff High is fine for the affluent children without special needs.

@whotheeff A Welsh school teaches every subject, except English, in Welsh.

[whotheeff]

@NomDeQwerty we'll definitely be looking to buy between Pontcanna and Roath once we've settled in!

[whotheeff]

@btwiammumtoday I think it looks a fabulous school along with Fitzalan and Willows has improved tremendously. Often failing schools have the vision and new leadership to turn things around. I'm happy sending my children to any of these.