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!

[Squirreltamer]

@Confusedandworried321
It thought it was the opposite and Llanishen was improving year on year.
Llanishen used to be better than Whitchurch but about 6 years ago? Cardiff council shut the school on Llanedeyrn road and Cardiff High couldn’t take in any displaced pupils. Cardiff high also stopped taking in pupils from the Crystals. So they basically made their catchment only the very rich areas. Llanishen high became the defacto school for all of the displaced children who had to travel 4 miles to school and results and attendance stumbled.
Now the new schools are open results have improved back to near Whitchurch 69% gcse including english and maths a-c vs Whitchurch highs 70.5% vs Cardiff highs 89%!
Cardiff Highs results are definitely engineered to be super high. Only rich catchment and lots of pushy parents with private tuition. The governors went wild when distance catchment was advised a few years back which I think is a much fairer system.
How can a child be expected to be in the learning mood after being on a bus for 2 hours a day. And the extra needless car journeys and pollution...

And this is coming from an ex Cardiff High pupil... many moons ago!

@whotheeff

I reckon this road other than the parking would be perfect for you. Lots of high price chancers but some lovely homes.. like this one. A house on that road was on at 650k, then 600 now 500 and is still 80k overpriced ! But the one linked below is great and priced great.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-62604225.html

[Bingoa]

Cyncoed/lakeside/Roath Park/Penylan are lovely. Cardiff High School has an excellent reputation but probably oversubscribed so you would have to check that out.

This!!! I found you a few houses next to school.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-69637681.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/map.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E68383&maxPrice=650000&numberOfPropertiesPerPage=299&propertyTypes=&viewType=MAP&mustHave=&dontShow=&furnishTypes=&viewport=-3.18299%2C-3.15552%2C51.5029%2C51.5189&keywords=

[whotheeff]

@Squirreltamer that is superb for the price!

Schools are such a personal thing aren't they? I want a good diverse school in terms of income and culture. I pay little attention to school inspections as they can be skewed by so many variables. Here in Leeds catchment means nothing- you can pay a fortune in Roundhay for a house and still not get in Roundhay High due to the sibling rule. Traveling a couple of miles to school on the bus doesn't worry me at all. I went to an all girls grammar and want to avoid a similar school at all costs

[Senoritaforever]

It sounds like Pontcanna and Lakeside/Roath park/penylan would suit you but schools could be a problem especially mid-year. Why don’t you get some advice from the local authority but be quick as they might not be there through the summer holidays!

[Confusedandworried321]

squirreltamer I haven't ever considered Llanishen so I don't know the full details - thanks though that's interesting, I may look into it as although I'm a Welsh speaker I'm undecided as to whether Welsh medium education is for my kids, and I will have to get them baptised for the faith school! So our English catchment non primary (that is very good as far as I understand but it feeds Llanishen High so I was put off) may be an option.

[whotheeff]

What about Cathays high school area? Sorry if I've missed it.

[btwiammumtoday]

I would not send my child to Cathays high school.

[NomDeQwerty]

There are a couple on in Pontcanna proper that I'd be tempted by with teens. I'm walking the dog down from Tesco excelsior way to Sophia Gardens and it's lovely.

[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.

[whotheeff]

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

[ChristmasCarrot]

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

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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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'.

[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.

[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.

[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 )

[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.

[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!

[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!

[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.

[ChristmasCarrot]

*not make the giant leap

[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.

[whotheeff]

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