Help!!! Moving to Derby

[Eve1989]

Hello all,

I am sorry I am back again to ask for advice on moving. I had posted hear about moving to Grantham but after several visits, I decided not to. I visited derby, Rugby, Coventry, Nottingham, Leeds and Huddersfield last year, looking for somewhere, on recommendation of others and I think I would prefer derby.

I have always lived in London, I am however looking for a property outside because I cannot afford to buy in London for myself and my son. He is 9 and very active in football. He is currently in an academy in London but I think it’s time to get somewhere decent.

I guess what I am asking for is advice on where is better in derby. We are of black ethnic group but I do not want to be in an area that is too diverse.

I have seen some properties in Oakwood, Sinfin, Hilton which I was thinking of viewing.

can you please let me know if these are okay areas? Any other suggestions would be good but my budget is £220.

I need good football clubs, prima school is okay but I would need a good secondary.

Many thanks
🙏

I forgot to add that £220k for a 2bedroom.

Helloooo

we recently moved from near Oakwood and are now near Hilton. Both nice areas, as is Sinfin. They aren’t really what you’d call diverse.

Hilton catchment would put you in John Port Spencer academy - it’s a huge school but pretty good, it just had a good OFSTED. Oakwood is Lees Brook catchment. There are a few you would probably get into, none brilliant to be honest. What’s your budget? Just down the road are Breadsall and Little Eaton which would probably get you into Ecclesborne catchment which is a really good school.

Hello,

Thanks for your reply. This is very helpful. Would you recommend Oakwood though? Did you move because of issues with the area? Sorry if that is a personal question and feel free not to answer but I guess I am trying to narrow down. So far, that is the area I have seen houses, around 200-220k for a two bedroom which is what I am after.

I also like the fact that it’s not too far from Derby station, just in case I want to come to London occasionally.

TIA

Hello,

Thanks for your reply. This is very helpful. Would you recommend Oakwood though? Did you move because of issues with the area? Sorry if that is a personal question and feel free not to answer but I guess I am trying to narrow down. So far, that is the area I have seen houses, around 200-220k for a two bedroom which is what I am after.

I also like the fact that it’s not too far from Derby station, just in case I want to come to London occasionally.

TIA

No issues at all - in fact we’d have liked to stay in many ways. But we just couldn’t afford the sort of house we wanted in breadsall. Four beds with a double garage (DH ) in breadsall would have been pushing £650,000.

I really like Oakwood. It has a nice ‘clean’ and new sort of feel to it!

Thanks for your feedback. I appreciate it

I'd also have a look out towards Belper. Great community, vibrant town, not far up the A6 into the city or up into the Dales and Peaks. Has a train station too. Real community feel, has a parade or festival for every occasion.

Oakwood is mostly made up of 1980's/90's estate homes, a friendly place and the leisure centre is fab.

I like Oakwood houses very much, but it is sort of a dormitory estate as in everyone drives out in the morning to work / school. Lees Brook is ok but with a completely open book I wouldn't choose it as a secondary school. The Derby County Academy is in Oakwood but probably only a 5 minute drive from Spondon / Chaddesden.

West Park in Spondon is a much higher-achieving school; there are parts of Chaddesden that also fall in West Park catchment and are cheaper than Spondon. There's also Allestree for Woodlands school. Allestree is probably the most white British of the areas - Spondon isn't hugely diverse either, but both are quite middle class with lots of pensioners, a little shopping district and decent bus route. I think Ecclesbourne catchment area is probably out of your price range, sadly. Spondon has a couple of football teams.

Sinfin / Boulton Moor are not areas I'd consider for schooling unless they fell in Chellaston school area. Littleover is also a good area with a proper little village centre, not far from the city centre, and is ethnically more diverse.

Derby County Academy refers to football btw, as in Derby County FC. It's not a school!

Littleover
Mickleover
Findern
All excellent areas, great school, access to ammenities and a good mix of ethnicities, especially in Littleover.

PMed you

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You could look at Spondon, and that would get DS into West Park which is great

It also has a nice "village" centre with shops and services - it used to be a real village, but is now really just a Derby suburb - and the community life is good

Very close to a huge retail park, supermarkets and decent road connections too

I'd move to Nottingham, ruddington, west bridgford or Wilford personally. I've lived in WB years and it's fantastic

I grew up in Etwall and went to John Port. It was a huge school in the 90s and I think it’s even bigger now. Hilton is ok - grown so much in the last 20 years, but wouldn’t say it’s diverse.

My parents now live in Oakwood. It’s soulless but safe. It’s just one massive housing estate.

Wouldn’t choose Sinfin or Spondom. My sister lives in Little Eaton, which has more character and seems ok too.

Belper has train station (easy to get to Derby) and lots of nice features. Been a while since I lived there briefly but it has a nice small town feel, rather than just being characterless. I grew up in Duffield which is lovely but expensive - the Ecclesbourne School catchment area generally is. If you wanted to be further into the Peak District, you could look at Cromford, Bakewell, Ambergate etc - all on the A6 (main road to Derby). More rural but still with train stations dotted about.