Where did you move to from London for secondary?

[Tapticktoes]

Been in London 20 years. No family here except my own (dh and 2 kids, we are very much a nuclear family) Like large towns or city outskirts. Don't need to commute but need train links. Good secondary school that progress the vast majority to university.

Can anyone share their experiences and where?

@ScandiNoir i know Peter Symonds from reputation (seem to see a lot of graduate CVs with it! very large 6th form) how do kids get aournd though on their own though? It seems pretty semi-rural and it'd take probably 40 minutes drive to get from Alton to Winchester?

@Tapticktoes They get the bus! My daughter got the bus at 7.30am on the days when she had an 8.45 start, but this was probably only 2 mornings a week. They often have their first lesson at 11 or similar. It's a bit of a trek, as you say about 40 mins but loads of them on the bus together and it's quite social. Later in 6th Form they've often passed their driving test so can borrow mum's car once a week or similar, and the drive from us is about 20-25 minutes!

Symonds itself isn't rural, it's about 10 mins walk from the centre of Winchester and Winchester train station.
It's an excellent 6th Form, and we and our girl were very happy with it. She also did gold D of E there.

We moved from London a few years ago, partly for the secondary issue. We have one boy, into music, latin and other geekery.

We didn't want to to be in the London orbit of commuterville - ruling out St Albans, Harpenden, etc; looked at the Kent coast, but it was a bit Brexit; Bristol, but few good schools and expensive houses; and then fell in love with York. It's been great!

All the secondary schools are good, pretty much. There are no grammars, so you get a good mix of kids at each one, and the college seems well-regarded.

Coming from London it doesn't seem too small. Small enough to bump into people I know in town, but big enough for requisite anonymity if required! There is SO MUCH going on, well pre- and post-covid, and Leeds is only 20 minutes away on the train for any edgier teen requirements.

We are former Londoners who have settled in Solihull. We don't find that it has a 'small-town' mentality at all. The comprehensives are superb. In The Sunday Times rankings this year there were three non-selective schools in the top twenty state schools in the West Mids: St Benedict's (RC) in Alcester, Warks, Kenilworth School, and Tudor Grange in Solihull. Lots of Solihull children used to go to the Birmingham grammars but they (rightly) introduced geographical catchments a few years ago and fewer now get in as a result. Birmingham is on our doorstep, but so are Stratford, Warwick, and the Cotswolds.

If looking at south Birmingham then choose your roads carefully; there are some admissions black spots for secondary schooling. Finally you don't mention if your children have any SEND but if so be aware that the SEND provision at Birmingham City Council is in absolute crisis at the moment and was put under the supervision of a central government commissioner a few months ago. I have a child with SEND and an EHCP and we have had good experiences with Solihull LA.

Marlow - on the assumption that if he did not get into the grammar (there are several in the surrounding area) then the local comp had a good reputation (he did get into the grammar)

Sorry - meant to add train links to most places from there and close to M4, M25 etc

I moved back to London for secondary school for my dcs - the schools are better here than where we were. (Borough of Camden...). Have no regrets several years on - have 3 dc at university, no grammar school or selective schools (or fee paying).

My friend moved to Canterbury and although it took her a while to settle, she loves it there now.

[quote Tapticktoes]@lagerandcigars Harpenden seems very lovely. Why would there be so much tutoring? Any thoughts on Sir John Lawes?[/quote]
Great school but no guarantee of a place unless you live close, and the local house prices reflect that