Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

Moving to Suffolk - where?

78 replies

doornail · 27/01/2023 11:31

I posted this on the education board, but also thought I'd post here for more responses....

Husband wants to move to Suffolk where he's originally from... we are currently in Scotland (where im from) and have 3 kids - primary school and nursery age.

If we could live anywhere in Suffolk, where would you recommend for good schools and a nice area (work from home mostly so that's not an issue)

And can someone please explain to me about how admissions work with schools in England - if we were to live near a good school (do you have catchment areas?) does that guarantee you a place? If not how does it work?

We have a lot to think about and it's all scaring me as I don't understand it at all!

Thanks

OP posts:
SD25 · 07/02/2023 12:59

Ipswich really isn't that bad. Up around Christchurch Park is really nice, close to countryside but walking distance to town centre, massive Victorian houses for not a lot of money, and a proper community of people. That's where the boys private school is too unsurprisingly.
If I was moving to Suffolk I would genuinely consider that area as opposed to the more holiday/second home towns and villages.

AnotherEmma · 07/02/2023 13:06

doornail · 28/01/2023 21:01

@Spck - it would be largely down to the fact that he wants to move 'home' (although his family aren't there anymore 🙈) yes. It would also be practical from the point of view of work as while we work from home he occasionally needs to travel for work and the majority do the places he would travel to are around the south east area (although not all). He also cites the weather as a pull too, and I know it is warmer down south.

However, I don't really want to move, and I've said if we are to move it needs to make me feel like it's a positive move and that I'm not going to do the work for it, he needs to sell it to me. But having said that, I don't want to be sold a load of outdated info about how nice places are/ good schools from 30 years ago and then we move and discover it's not what we'd been lead to believe, so actually need to do some research.

What about your family? Do they live in Scotland and do you have a good relationship with them?

Where does his family live now?

I live in the East of England and I think you'd be completely mad to move here if you don't want to. My main reason for being here is that my family is near-ish and we see them regularly. I love Scotland and if you're settled with friends there, why would you move away?!

Also consider the education systems; I understand that the Scottish system is very different from the English one (my teacher sibling thinks the Scottish one is much better but I wouldn't know).

Lastly you say you don't want to move, and that is important. Consider your needs and those of your children. If you are the primary carer and do most of the looking after of the family - practically and emotionally - you need support yourself. It doesn't sound as if you'll get that in Suffolk with just a few old friends of DH's around.

Sorry to be negative... I do think Bury St Edmunds is nice but I don't think you should move there!

MsNJ · 12/08/2023 12:23

@Spck Do you mind me asking what kind of area of the north you've moved to? I've lived in the south east, spent time in north Yorks in the past and now in Norfolk... haven't found it at all friendly here and as you say, it does have a big impact on quality of life. Am currently trying to find out what might be the friendliest part of East Anglia to live... but open to other possibilities. Thanks for any info

New posts on this thread. Refresh page