Moving to Deal, Kent

[Balaclavarama]

Hi,

We are planning to move from South London to Deal, Kent.

We’ve spent a bit of time in the area as we have a family friend with a home there so we have been back and forth over the years.

However we have a 2.5 year old and another on the way now so life has changed!
Just looking for some advice – how would you say living there is in terms of activities for kids, schooling, and general day to day life?

Will we miss being close to lots of places, we are fairly spoilt here surrounded by towns and areas and green spaces, as well as 30 mins from the airport for holidays.

Has anyone made the move and found it easy to make friends?

Really appreciate everyones advice :)

I moved to Deal in December from East London :).

Lovely, friendly place to live.

Nice little high street, there are green spaces around the town and parks plus of course you can have lovely walks on the seafront.

Easy to travel to London (1.30 hr to King's Cross).

Seems to be lots of sporting activities and groups going on for kids but maybe less stuff for teenagers though.

Easy access to places like Folkestone, Canterbury and Margate/Ramsgate. Margate has a good art and music scene.

Not Deal but am also in East Kent in Folkestone. Moved 3 years ago. It is very different in London due to the tiny towns if you need a xervice there is oftrn not much choice, if you want to join a xocial group again not much choice. Its more cohesive and I seem to find I end up being the person who complains about things in London I could keep my head down more! There seem to be quite a lot of people who have had the same friends for twenty years and don't want new ones! Having said that I know a lot of families who have sett.ed well I think I find it harder as a single mum. There is a large DFL community in Deal so I would scour the internet/whats app and try and link in with that now.
Mad as it seems I would consider secondaries now, secondary moderns as well as grammars as it all goes on one days test and no child is guaranteed a pass. I aould check the last distance offered for sandwich technology college and aim to be within that. To do that you may need to do a freedom of information request mad as it seems as kent don't publish this information. Roger Manwood grammar has a large catchment.
I do wish I had considered Canterbury more for better opportunities.

I live in Herne Bay and also have a 2.5 year old, and I think Deal is great. We usually go twice a week to go to baby gym and swimming, and he absolutely loves it. Baby gym is on Tuesday, weds and Fri morning 9.30-11.30 at the gymnastics club and is really popular. My little boy asks if we are going pretty much every day.

the swimming pool there is really good as they have parent toddler mornings. It’s a beach pool with slides and spray things. It’s definitely the best pool in the area. You do have to book in advance though and it gets booked up quite quickly, especially if it’s bad weather.

there is a lido on the seafront, which is amazing in the summer for kids, and is free to go to.

Thanks everyone for your responses and sorry for my late reply!
We are actually in the process of starting to look for a house in Deal now also considering Herne Bay and possibly Folkestone (if anyone has advice on those places too!) X

I am in Folkestone, does have that coastal isolation but less so than Deal I think, we have easy access to Ashford and 35 minutes to Canterbury. The public transport at the moment is reasonable. I prefer to have access to William Harvey hospital than QEQM. The secondary moderns around here don't stream which did concern me a bit. Move to within a mile of Turner school to have that as a fall back. Also Brockhill performing Arts school which if you were that end of town you would also be in catchment for. For a secondary modern which does stream would be faith place at St anselms in Canterbury. A lot of good primary schools here many of them undersubscribed. Folkestone is very beautiful, not just Leas, but West wear bay in East, and Warren woods and obviously we have the sandy beach which is a plus. there are 3 theatres. Folkestone is very much a Town of 2 halves, middle classes in West, and deprived communities in East. We live in East and am happy, just wish I hadn't chosen such a deprived primary school for my son, but it was my choice. There is a group on whats app Folkestone mums and dads which it is worth searching, drop me a message if you can't access it.

I have lived in Deal all of my life and love it. 😊 It has a nice little high street and it’s lovely to walk along the seafront, especially when the sun is shining.
Like a previous poster said, the baby gym is great and runs 3 mornings a week. There are also some lovely play parks, a nice library, a swimming pool and now have a soft play in town.
Betteshanger park is close by and is fantastic. Great play area there, nice coffee/lunch place and they often have events like Easter egg trails, Christmas events and lots more.
You are also close to Canterbury, Folkestone and Thanet. The coastal park in Folkestone is great.

Thank you all so much for your helpful advice!
We've always loved deal so will search there first as well as Walmer and sandwich.. but once our own house is under offer will widen the search and also planning a visit to Folkestone as we've never been there but it does sound like it had lots of things that would appeal to us and we've heard lots of good things!