Places to live/places to avoid in North East

[JalapenoCheeseOnToast]

My family and I are planning to move to the North East in the next couple of years and I'm looking for recommendations on where is amazing to live and where is best to avoid :)

DH is from Sunderland and his family are still there. I also have a family member near to Durham. I don't fancy Sunderland myself but we are looking for anywhere within a 30 min drive radius of there so that we are near family. Thinking anywhere between Newcastle and Durham (heading towards the coast, not further inland than these).

I have DS who will be in y7/8 and DD who will be about to start Reception at the time of the move so will also be interested in good schools.

As a born and bred Southerner (lived in SE, SW and now East Anglia), I have no idea of places in NE and DH knows a lot about Sunderland areas and not much else!

Any advice or recommendations would be gratefully received! We need to start making some decisions early next year and it's a minefield!

@SunonmyFace
We’re Christians hopefully oversubscription won’t be an issue
“There are huge advantages to the middle school system” Please elaborate, I have no idea about this 3tier school system in whitley Bay.

How about St Wilfrids in South shields? I saw someone commented south shields isn’t a promising area to live. School is an outstanding secondary so it would be easy for kids to continue without a change. If the neighbourhood isn’t good, I am bit worried.

Many thanks. I agree with your point about commute, once I visited Durham University, it took about 40+min in off peak. I got all the school info from school performance gov site 2019, It's interesting to know the opinion from people actually live there.

So the catholic school criteria will prioritise children who have taken sacraments in the catholic faith and there will be a criteria just below for those who practice other faiths, you’d need to check for each schooI I think. it is a long time since I looked.
The three tier system goes first, y r-4, middle, yr 5-8 and high yr 9-13. It works really well but again you’d have to look it up and decide if you liked it. On your list it is only Whitley Bay that has 3 tier but you find it in other places too including bits of Northumberland.

There are some nice bits in South Shields and surrounding
, the (National Trust ) coast is lovely as are the parks and it is an easy commute through the tunnel to North Shields

@MDJAMS

@JalapenoCheeseOnToast I’ve worked in schools throughout the North East and Whitley Bay High School is hands down one of the loveliest schools I’ve ever worked in- they’re like a family and have the happiest students I’ve ever seen. I would recommend Northumberland too; Hexham, Alnwick, Morpeth, Rothbury are all very beautiful places. King Edwards in Morpeth is also an excellent school with a really good reputation.

@Weredone
Thanks for sharing details, I am also searching for a state secondary schools for my kids. Kindy let me know, if you know info about these schools and availability of additional support facilities for struggling students

1.St Wilfrids RC College (Temple Park Road, South Shields, NE34 0QA)
2.St Thomas More Cathiloc (High School Lynn Road, North Shields, NE29 8LF)
3.Valley Gaedens Middle then to Whitley Bay High (Whitley Bay)
4.St Lenoard’s CatholicSchool (North End, Durham, DH1 4NG)
5.Belmont Commuity School (Buckinghamshire Road, Durham, DH1

Thanks

@MDJAMS

@*@JalapenoCheeseOnToast* *@allnomdeguerrrr* *@CeeceeBloomingdale* *@EllenMonte*

I have recently moved in to Newcastle and planning to move my family after the summer vacation. I am looking for a good/outstanding sate secondary co-ed school for my kids.
I checked the good school guide and got few suggestions from friends too. Not bothered by buying a house since l plan to rent at the moment. kindly help me with few questions and about the schools also please recommend other schools you know
School suggestions
1.St Wilfrids RC College (Temple Park Road, South Shields, NE34 0QA)
2.St Thomas More Cathiloc (High School Lynn Road, North Shields, NE29 8LF)
3.Valley Gaedens Middle then to Whitley Bay High (Whitley Bay)
4.St Lenoard’s CatholicSchool (North End, Durham, DH1 4NG)
5.Belmont Commuity School (Buckinghamshire Road, Durham, DH1 2QP)

Is it difficult to travel daily from Durham to north shield for work during bc hours?

Durham Sedgefield has good schools too, would it be difficult to travel to North sheilds daily ?

Why south shields houses are cheaper than north shields?

Thanks

Crossing the Tyne is always a bottleneck and you'd have a bit of a trek from either Durham or Sedgefield to the Tyne tunnel, on a good day. Probably 25-30 minutes then the tunnel (apparently faster now the payment app has been launched) then the onward journey.

South of the Tyne has been cheaper than North for as long as I can remember, though the gap is closing. Historically, north has been big business and finance and the kudos of a city while south has been more industrial, manufacturing etc. Even in County Durham, which on average is dirt cheap, Durham City is much pricier and rent there is very expensive.

And yes, Belmont is a good local school but not one to relocate to get into.

@PickAChew
Thank you so much. Kind of info I am looking for, if the school is worth of relocating and crossing tunnel daily for work.

Some nice areas around Chester le street

@SunonmyFace
Thanks, Really appreciate it.