Looking to relocate to Devizes

[GuruK]

Hello, we are currently living in South East London but looking to relocate to Devizes in Wiltshire. We have family in villages nearby and from what I've read about the town it seems to fit the bill for us. We will be making a few visits in the coming months but wanted to ask a few questions from and local to the area on here. We have two daughters in Reception and Year 3 so I'm keen to hear opinions on primary schools within the town. Also are there any areas to avoid when looking for a house?

Any more general advice on relocating your family, in particular how on earth to manage the whole in-year school application side of things would be gratefully received too!

Although my husband's family now live in Wiltshire, neither of us grew up in the area so it's a huge change for us (and my mum who will be moving in with us in an annexe!) so I'm finding the logistics of it all very daunting!! Excited about the many positives the move will bring too of course!

Thank you!

I moved here from a large city as a teenager. I went to Devizes school and had no issues. I now live in one of the surrounding villages and my children go to a village school which has been amazing for them. Transport links are poor but as long as you drive nothing is too far away. Very different to a city but that's why I like it!

I quite like Devizes.

what i would say is you should visit the schools if you can. you can't really get much of a feel from an ofsted report that might be many years old.

from what i have seen of schools around similar rural market towns is that you don't often get really bad ones. they may not be offering a wide range of extracurricular activities or have the best facilities but broadly speaking they are close knit communities and great on the pastoral front, which for me, especially at primary, is probably more important than box ticking on SAT tests.

The best regarded primary here (not devizes but not too far away, similar kind of place) , with a 4 year old OFSTED is actually a bit of shit show having had 3 headteachers in the time since the last inspection. lots of teachers are off for long periods with stress, they have a high turnover of staff and an air of disorganisation and lack of focus due to the above. It's still a good school and the kids are happy and achieving well, but the rosy ofsted is not the whole story

I have heard mixed reports about Devizes - mostly around behaviour and the changes made to the school since it joined the White Horse MAT. Saying that, I think the 6th form is better rated and there are people who have been very happy with how their kids have done there. I'd say it's about 50/50 who say it's fine v sent their kids elsewhere/have pulled them out. However, that's how the school is now and by the time your children are old enough to go there, things could have changed. I think I have to agree with the PP who said that schools in a small market town are always going to be a mixed bag and generally good, drawing from a mix of demographics/backgrounds.

I only know a handful of parents with children at Trinity, but they seem to be really happy there. I'll send you a PM as I don't want to out my kids here!

I also agree you need to visit the schools and get a feel for them and whether they would suit your children, as OFSTED reports and views from us only carry so much weight.

Thank you everyone for your replies and sorry for not replying to you all, life got a bit hectic! I have since come to visit the area and pleased to say I did really love Devizes. We also had a look at a few other towns in the area but Devizes is definitely our preference. Over the Christmas hols we are visiting family again and will take a look at Salisbury too. Malmesbury looks lovely, thank you to the person who suggested that but it's just that little bit too far from family and as they are our main reason for moving, it makes sense to choose somewhere closer to them. Thanks again everyone!

@GuruK I like Devizes- mentioned it on a post below- we've popped there a few times as live in Bath- so it's just 25 mins.

I also really like Salisbury too - excellent Saturday market in square and very good shopping- it is of course much bigger than Devizes.

Funny, I just read that thread too! The poster had a point, but I'd say this is only one side of the reality in Salisbury

I grew up there, attended a grammar, moved to East London now hoping to return to be near family as I now have a child

Fwiw I don't remember feeling immense pressure at the grammar or to pass 11+ at my 'crammer' primary. (although my parents were pretty pragmatic about it which had an influence ((lefties, politically, they do exist in Salisbury!)) I also don't recognise this talk of 'hot housing' and found my education at the grammar encouraged me to think deeply and independently. So that's my 5p on Salisbury grammars

I'm now a teacher and the state secondaries in Salisbury have vastly improved in last few years. I'd happily send my bairn to wyvern/St Edmunds (which have a fab pastoral/sen team and is now co-ed, something I like)

The issue I think is the lack of stuff for teens, but I think most teenagers get bored with their neighbourhood in the end. I found it was the kick I needed to focus on school and get into a uni somewhere more interesting

I hope that returning will bring us more space, both in housing and the surrounding countryside, a more settled and calm pace of life i remember. I also think being a big fish in a small pond isn't so bad for a child, compared to the potential of drowning in the commotion of London or a larger city

Best of luck OP wherever you choose, but Salisbury would get my vote, especially as some great independent businesses have sprung up in last few years and the art scene seems to be getting better and better

@Returner79 we like Salisbury too- we live in Bath but pop over on the occasional Saturday- I'm suprised it isn't mentioned more on here- good shopping, nice cafes, nice countryside , great market