Move to Suffolk

[Redballoon79]

Hi all, I’m looking for help on area and schools advice in Suffolk please. We are moving our 2 small kids 2 and 4 and hoping to move closer to Dh sister in Bury St Edmunds. We need to be able to get to London a couple of times a week for work but my main concern is schools as dd will need a mid year reception place and I cannot fathom which schools are best in Bury at this stage.

We are also going to visit Woodbridge and Sudbury but don’t know those areas well enough yet but online via other mumsnet pages, they do look good. Happy to be in a village a few miles from a station too if the schools and area are nice.

Many thanks!!

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/find-a-school-in-england

You can find out about schools in different locations on the website above.

Thanks Jojo , I’ve had a look and a lot of he schools are rated as good. I’m sure there are huge differences between them all so was hoping for some local knowledge, although that’s a great starting point. Thanks again!

Woodbridge would make getting to London a lot quicker I think, it's about a 90 minute journey from Woodbridge compared to 120 mins+ from Bury.

Woodbridge is lovely.
It was recently on a BBC program called something like ‘Escape to the Perfect Town’.

Sudbury is a little more out of the way where Woodbridge is on a major A road. Just over an hour to the M25 by car.

Thank you, Woodbridge seems more pricey than Bury but I’m surprised about the train times and my husband seems very keen now! Looks like we’ll be doing a few day trips in the coming eeeks. Deciding on a place to bring up our children is so hard!!!

I would agree that getting to London from Bury isn't very quick! There are direct trains from Cambridge and Ipswich, so might be better looking closer to those places if the commute will be by train. Cambridge is definitely more expansive than Ipswich though!

*expensive

We're in a rural patch near Woodbridge and it's a fabulous place to live. The town is vibrant and full of lovely independent shops, the river and the sailing is amazing, there are heaths, woods, beaches, culture at Snape etc. There's so much going on. Farlingaye is an amazing school. Be careful about in year applications, all the primaries are very full. My husband commutes from time to time and it's not too bad though would be tiring full time.

Sudbury trains get to Liverpool st in under 1hr 20 and the Marks tey change is so easy. They always hold the Sudbury train if the train out of London is late too.

I am biased, but I very much like my corner of Suffolk. I am in a village near Sudbury. 25 mins from Bury, 15 from Sudbury. Colchester is only 40 mins away too, Chelmsford is an hour.

I live in sudbury - I can't comment on a comute to London, but we regularly have days out on the train wich goes without hitch usually.
Regarding schools I recommend woodhall and tgs as primary and secondary choices.

Not in Suffolk but similar distance Saffron Walden maybe worth looking at. Amazing schools at both primary and secondary, full of families, beautiful town with lovely C16th cottages, nice shops, NT property at Audley End with summer picnic concerts, lovely public gardens and pond with ducks, lots of events on. Audley End, 2 miles away by bus / bike / car / taxi (country roads with no pavement) has fast trains into Liverpool Street taking an hour or so. You do need to live in SW to get into schools though from what I've heard.

Maybe try MN local board for Suffolk too.

Thanks, I was looking for the Suffolk board but was trying to access via an old link so will try again! We are in north herts and I’m from Cambridge (I love it but it’s generally too pricey), so we know Saffron Walden and Cambridge fairly well. When we initially put our house on the market I was extremely keen on SW because of the schools and it’s a lovely town and fine commute... but husband wants to be either somewhere where we can get more house for our money and be closer to his family (Bury st Ed’s) or close to the coast to get a better work life balance. As I’m driving the move to get a bit of distance from my crazy family, I have to put his needs high up on the agenda, plus he’ll be doing the commute more than me.

My main concern is the mid year reception place for my daughter now. As you say the best schools will be hard to get into and I don’t want to move her to a worse school than she is in currently, so when we do shortlist I’ll have to ring around the schools and LEAs to find out where best to buy.

Thanks everyone for your advice, Suffolk is such a beautiful county and I really hope we make a good choice.

Bury is fairly expensive to buy. The schools are all of a good standard. I would advise looking at some of the villages just outside the town. You'll have more space with the little ones. The newer build houses have tiny gardens and no parking. I'm out toward Thetford and can say that Ingham is lovely as is Barnham and the school there is very good. Honington is also a lovely place to live and my children enjoyed being at the primary school

Just to jump on I'm trying to convince DH that sudbury might be a good move for us (currently in braintree but originally from chelmsford). Which areas are good?

Clarinet thanks so much for sharing your local knowledge, that’s really helpful and we’ll pop those villages on our list to look at. We can get a bit more in Bury than here, I think because where we are it’s very easy to get to London but our top budget will be around the 400k mark, so not huge. Hubby loves a new build, but I’d like a lovely big garden for the children to run about in and chickens, so may need to work that out somehow!

I’ve heard that Sudbury is nice too inferiorbeing. I hope you manage to convince your hubby! The pressure of bringing up a family in a safe area, nice house with good schools is immense! X

Thanks dancingandthedreaming, Englishrain and Jess for the local tips and knowledge too! All great to help us shortlist. Sounds like we can’t go too wrong but just need to worry about schools

I know you didn't ask about Hadleigh, but we moved to here a few years ago and love it. The nearest train station is Manningtree but Colchester is only 20 mins away and 50 min direct train to London. My husband works near Bury and it takes him 40 mins to get there. Such a convenient location for reaching Colchester, Ipswich, Chelmsford and Bury. Can't comment on primary schools but there are 3 in the town. Also has a lovely high street with independent shops and restaurants, I know I'm biased but I love it here and recommend if your passing to pay it a visit.

I’ve made an account just to comment on this! Grew up in Bury St Edmunds - as did my husband, and all my friends! In laws are parents and happy to talk schools on here if helpful. Bury is such a wonderful, friendly place to grow up in. Yes it’s more expensive than other parts of Suffolk - but that’s because it’s walkable, has culture, is equidistant between the seaside and London and has lots of nice Victorian houses. I can’t think of a reception/ primary school with a “bad” reputation - I went privately there (moved to area aged 10 and boarded) and husband went state all the way through. I’m often say that it’s given him an unrealistically rosy view of all state education, it was so good. Hope this helps.

BramerTown, that’s so nice of you to make an account to comment. Very reassuring to hear that the schools have a good reputation. We really love bury, the benefit is we’d still be able to easily visit friends and the town has everything we need on the doorstep and lots going on. Plus abbey gardens and nowton park which are fabulous. It feels quaint still too. I think it’s a little gem of a place so it’s weighing up commute times and costs etc. This is such helpful info.

Wonkeydonkey, Hadleigh will go on the list! Good to know even when there’s no train station in a nice village that commuting is still quite do able. Eventually our jobs will move so being close to a few towns would be handy.

@Redballoon79 you’re very welcome! Yes abbey gardens is fab - especially this time of year with fireworks displays etc.

Commute times - if you’re looking at London commute - are relatively long. My dad is still working and he does every day in London from Bury and I know it takes its toll. But if you aren’t living in town town then there are a few options - drive to Stowmarket to hop on train, drive to the Colchester line? It really depends whether it’s more helpful for you to come into Liverpool st or kings cross.

For villages - I’d look at Horringer, Hartest, Great Barton. Good luck with it all!

Ps realise my first comment should have said “in laws are teachers!” - so still v connected to schooling!

Beamertown that’s great that they still teach there and you still think the schools are good. DHs sister doesn’t have children so is not much help on schools. Serby Common(?) and Sexton Manor look quite nice. We’d rather a community school than a church school. Again it would depend on spaces available too.

You must make sure the schools actually have a place if you are an in year applicant. I know Woodbridge schools can be full. So check with Suffolk county council where spaces are. Or you could be commuting the DC to school as well.

Thanks bubblesbuddy. This will be a big part of where we choose. If there’s no space in the schools in Woodbridge we’ll have to look at villages or elsewhere. Same goes for any area it’s very important Dd can walk to school. I looked at Suffolk lea and only 1 of the 3 Woodbridge schools was oversubscribed at the usual deadline. I’m hoping this is a good sign. But will definitely check the current waiting lists etc. beforehand.