Horsforth (and maybe surround areas?) anywhere to avoid?

[KTD27]

Hi all
Life has turned upside down a bit for us and we are looking at doing a VERY quick relocation to the north from London. Closer to my family and hopefully some job prospects for me and DH. Horsforth is coming up over and over as a nice place for us to move to - we have two D.C. one will be starting school in September and one is 2 in summer.
Is there anywhere in particular to avoid in Horsforth or the surrounding areas? Any black spots in terms of school catchment areas? We will probably need to rent first but ideally would like DS to start very close to the beginning of his reception year if there are any spaces at all once we have an address. Sigh. Don’t suppose you know if all schools are oversubscribed?
Stressing much?!!
Any help or advice would be appreciated!

There is a new station at Kirkstall Forge. Not sure what the parking is like, or how crowded the trains are, but it's an alternative to Horsforth Station if you are south of the Ring Road. Avoid Hawksworth like the plague! (as mentioned above). It's pretty rough.
South of the ring road there are two fab primary schools - Featherbank and Newlaithes. Newlaithes is Reggio Emilia inspired - very interesting. I think secondary catchment for this area is still Benton Park School in Rawdon, as well as Horsforth School, although you would be wise to check... We used to get the bus up...

I live in Chapel A . Personally I would avoid Horsforth way due to time it takes to get into city or elsewhere. I also think it feels less green and really congested. If you are moving from London though that's probably not an issue for you.

There’s a private primary in Horsforth if you could do that while you wait for a space? Froebelian school. There is movement with the school places, my dc have seen a fair few come and go.

@b1rdinthebush totally agree our children went to Lawnswood and Carr Manor Community and both are fabulous schools. Headingley and Meanwood are fabulous- lots of university employees and far more liberal than Roundhay. Lots of students in Headingley but personally I love that as there is always something going on and great facilities.

@ktd27 there is a spreadsheet on Leeds council website that is kept updated with school places available in each year in each school. There are over subscription issues but in my experience it always works out. Leeds is very transient with people moving in and out all the time. £500k will get you a good family home but Leeds has a shortage of housing stock and its pricier than you might expect.

This FB group is useful and Councillors are on it to help too www.facebook.com/groups/427822377389985/?ref=share

I grew up in Horsforth and still live in the area, the schools are good although you will find it very difficult to get in to a school part way through a year. Have you looked at cookridge, both cookridge primary and holy trinity are good schools and Horsforth train station is handy for cookridge. It’s about a 20 min walk to the shops in Horsforth from cookridge - I suppose it depends on whether schools or amenities are more important. I grew up in the Newlay area of Horsforth, it’s quieter for planes but only really busses to get into town.

Horsforth has a lower crime rate than Chapel Allerton and Headingly, and a great community feel. With your budget I would recommend the West End side, or the Hall Park area, the Scotlands are lovely, but too flight path busy for me personally.

If you struggle for a child place in Horsforth, there is a neighbouring village called Rawdon which has good schools, Rawdon is quieter and less fashionable than Horsforth, but very pleasant and has some gorgeous property, and is a low crime area.

@PerpetualCircle THANK YOU you’ve solved my question which was why when looking on Rightmove I kept finding myself looking ‘around Scotland’ couldn’t work it out
@cardiffbird I think we might check out meanwood - our Leeds friends have said the same and it’s closer to the hospital which we often need for DS (tricksy heart condition well controlled but might time dashes to A&E aren’t unusual)

Roundhay is another option, nice area with a village feel and easy enough into Leeds and Bradford. Nice big park too

@KTD27 We lived in Meanwood when we first moved up from London. My twins were born very prematurely so I was thankful to be so close to St James' whilst they were on neonatal. The children's A&E is at LGI but it's still not a long journey at all from Meanwood.

@B1rdinthebush does it have a high street of sorts? I know we would be happier a bit further out but as ever it will involve compromise. I think if we thought the schools in horsforth might have some movement we would settle there but it looks like that could be tricky. We have friends in yeadon so will have a look there too.

@KTD27 It does, all centred around the Waitrose. It used to be a bit scruffy but there's some nice pubs and coffee shops and even a sushi place now. There's also an Aldi and hardware store etc. Basically, anything you need day to day you could get in Meanwood.

@KTD27 Agree r.e. schools in Horsforth, I didn't realise just how oversubscribed they actually are...

@B1rdinthebush @KTD27 the Waitrose is fab and there are lots of new pubs/bars popping up there. I have many friends that go out there - all parents I know from Carr Manor Community - there is a really active pta and I met some fabulous friends when we were there. Boot and Rally is new and fun m.facebook.com/BootandRallyBarLeeds/ there's also Culto amazing for pizza cultoitalian.co.uk

@littlegoth Roundhay and Oakwood are hugely overpriced imo due to Roundhay school catchment which you're still not guaranteed to get in due to sibling rule. It quickly gets quite sketchy too near the Easterly Rd.

@ktd27 Westwood is North Headingley and worth searching on RM - lovely housing stock and nice villagey feel

Brilliant thank you @cardiffbird

@KTD27 should say Weetwood not Westwood

I've lived in most of the places mentioned at some point or other.

A lot of it will come down to schools. I'm in Horsforth now and a lot of people have moved here for the schools. Main thing being that both the primaries and secondary are well regarded. (I know people whose children go to Lawnswood, Ralph Thoresby too and they are happy with them so I don't think it's as big a difference as is sometimes made out). I personally like the location of Horsforth, and being on the train line, even with Northern Rail being as terrible as they are, is so much better than having to rely on a bus. Yes, car parking at the stations isn't great, but from most of horsforth you're not more than about 15 minute walk from either. I personally don't mind the airplane noise, and never really notice it indoors - only when out in the garden, but even then there aren't that many planes.

Meanwood is great, the primary there really is one of the best anywhere. Location wise it really is very quick to get into the city centre, there's a nice park, things going on, still close to Headingley.

Weetwood is the other side of the park from Meanwood and would maybe have the sort of house that you are looking for. Again, the local primary there is very good.

Unfortunately all the well regarded primaries are likely to be oversubscribed. I do know quite a few people who have managed to move schools after a year or two though. So it's not necessarily the case that you'll be stuck with a school you're not keen on forever.

@cardiffbird was near junction of street lane and the park until recently and liked it better than the other Leeds areas. Over the last 3 years also lived in Weetwood, Rawdon and Headingley but found the traffic appalling for commuting to Leeds or Bradford. Very expensive though as you say, but I thought it was worth it - I’m missing the little deli, pubs and shops now I’m out in the sticks

www.google.com/amp/s/www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/traffic-and-travel/leeds-transport-race-car-v-bus-v-train-v-bike-we-test-whats-fastest-commute-city-1357412%3famp

By chance this article was in the local newspaper with a light hearted article about the commute from Horsforth into Leeds city centre, interesting read!

Haha the timing! Thank you again that’s brilliant.
My friend in yeadon has been selling me on that side of Leeds all evening yesterday so we are going to pop up next week and see what we think. Will defo factor in the commute though.

Calverley is very pretty, it has a village look and feel to it but it's location is better for accessing the links to the ring road and motorways. Horsforth is lovely but the traffic at peak times is horrendous.

96 mins by bus?!