Woking: What's it like?

[rosmerta]

Dh has decided that he would like to move to Woking! Have had a look at rightmove and we can much more for our money plus reduce our mortgage so it does make sense. But we don't really know the area.

Anyone live there or nearby who can give me an idea of good places to live, if the schools are good etc.

tia

[Hetal5095]

Heyy mums ..i m hetal. My baby Is 18mths now . my husbands job is relocating us from scotland to england. We need to decide and tell the office people if we would like to move to bracknell or woking. So the will make arrangements accordingly. Both are pretty new to me . Can any one guide here . Also would like to know about mom and toddlers or play school around.

[TP100]

I think some of the reviews in this segment are a bit too tough in reference to Woking to be honest. We also moved here from Surbiton 2 years ago because the house prices were more affordable and we've been very happy with the town, the people and the options for schools around here. The town centre is also getting a major overhaul so as much as it doesn't look "pretty" at the moment, it will become a much more modern and attractive place as the area develops and grows. As far as schools go, the best schools are Goldsworth and St. Dunstans but the other schools are all also very good and have good reviews. I'd suggest looking for housing in Mount Hermon, Goldsworth, Horsell, Old Woking and Westfield areas depending on your budget and preferences. Best of luck and yes, lots to do with children as I'm sure you will come accross many activities. A good place to start is the leisure centre in Woking Park.

[woodbrookpet]

Hi, not to bother you much, I read your post about Woking and was wandering if you can enlighten me. Dh and I are planning to move to Woking with our 4 boys and want to know what your experience has been like. Did you eventually buy a house in Woking and where is the best place for a family. I am a bit concerned as all my kids are boys and don't want to move them to areas where it doesn't impact positive behaviour. I have heard mixed info on Woking, but want some from a person who lives in the town itself. Tia

[BBEA]

Hi , we are expats coming from Europe to Woking . First of all I would like to ask any comments from parents from ISL woking? Any feedback about the school please?

[fayeslater]

Hi there,

We have found a house we love in Knaphill but are concerned about the fact that Knaphill Primary has a "satisfactory" ofstead.

If there is anyone with kids currently at Knaphill Primary, I would really appreciate any feedback, comments, advice.

(I'm not worried about the Knaphill Infant school as their ofstead is outstanding.)

Thanks so much in advance,
Faye

[hnc]

good lord you people must expect great things from your town! woking is great. there's very little crime, very rarely anything serious. it's safe, nice and the people are friendly and there's loads to do with the kids. yes, some areas are nicer than others but living this close to london is great and what town is all perfect? if you want scenic village life, you move to a village. woking is a nice small town. i'm not from here, i'm american and only just moved to woking a year and a half ago after being in the midlands for 6 years. most schools are great-again, of course, some are better than others and if you can afford private school then even better, loads to choose from. name one town in this country that doesn't have people falling out of bars drunk after a night out.

[Rianna]

St Dunstan's is excellent and children will go on to SJB- some of the Marist won't get places.
As St Dunstan's is close to the station, houses around it might be a bit expensive.
Have a look at Maybury, the area is improving.
One street might be fine- others less.To get your child into St Dunstan's you might need the priest to sign you are practising catholic.
St Hughes is a fantastic little school but SJB is St Dunstan's parish name of both school and church).
The church itself is a very nice community

[annh]

Bumping this back to the top for the latest query on another thread.

[rosmerta]

Thanks everyone!

We've decided to have a look at the villages around instead of Woking itself, be great if we could get near the Marist school, sounds like a good one!

But it all depends on the estate agent tomorrow. It might all go down the pan yet!

[serin]

We have friends who have just moved their children to the Marist school and they have been made very welcome there.

[ScoobyDoo]

It's my opinion & i am allowed to say it arn't I?

[hippipotami]

oh for heavens sake scoob take a chill pill.

you just came across overly negative that's all, and i never said you were wrong.

it has nothing to do with council housing, i just remember some of your past threads and thought that may cloud your judgement as surely it would.

so calm down.

and fwiw I never said I live in privilidged circumstances either. I am very much the poor relation in my neighbourhood.
But still Woking is not as dire as you paint it.

[annh]

All of the Catholic schools in the Woking area are very good and if you are planning on being here for the long-term, the Catholic secondary school in Woking, St John the Baptist, is also very, very good - of course, that is years off for you, might all have changed by then! If you are looking at faith-based schools, you will not be so tied to the area in which you live as they have different admissions criteria. There are lots of children in the Marist from Pyrford, Byfleet, Horsell, New Haw,even Ripley - as well as WB itself. We now live in the WB area, having moved there from Woking and are very happy. I don't rate Woking shopping very highly but it's easy to get to Guildford or Kingston if you wish, WB itself has a Waitrose, Woolies and Boots. It is unfortunately going the way of many peripheral villages in that many of the independent shops, boutiques etc are closing and being replaced by cafes, recruitment agencies etc but I think that is a nationwide trend and not confined to this area. There are some good pre-schools around (although didn't experience them myself) and you're not too far from London for a fix of the bright lights!

[ScoobyDoo]

Oh & i am sooo sorry i don't live in the great circumstances you do, my circumstances are not that bad you know & just for your information i don't live & never have lived on a council estate!

[ScoobyDoo]

Er it has sod all to do with the council housing, why bring that up? i don't like Woking, i used to like living there when i was little & i actually had a very priveleged life.

It is now just built up & crime is quite high there these days as well as drugs.

I like places on the outskirts like Pyrford & weybridge but Woking itself i don't like at all.

It's my opinion just because you don't agree with me does not mean i am wrong!

[CarGirl]

Yes Woodham is close to the Marist in West Byfleet so you should get a place there easily, however do check before buying a house as it can be a bit of a no-mans land there as many Woodham folk are private education all the way incomes

[ScienceTeacher]

It's not that bad, Scooby!

[hippipotami]

Woodham is fab, some great residential areas. And I believe you are close to the catholic school in West Byfleet there too.

[hippipotami]

Scooby, you had bad experiences with council houses and what not?
So your experiences are bound to be different from those who live in different circumstances.

Sorry you had a crap time, but I think you are being unfair to Woking.

[ScienceTeacher]

We live fairly close to Woking. It's a fairly attractive and comfortable place - pure Surrey.

The nice places to live are Horsell, Woodham and St John's.

I think the town centre is pretty good. There is a modern, four-storey shopping mall, complete with cinema and theatre. There is also a traditional high street. Debenhams is as good as it get for department stores, though. I'd say that it is on the good side of 'ordinary'.

The state schools are among the best for this part of Surrey, which is otherwise dire. I think Woking High and Sir Winston Churchill have good reputations. They are meddling with the idea of having the whole Woking area as a single school system where theoretically children could have classes over a 10 sq mi area.

There are lots of Woking children at DSs' independent school.

[ScoobyDoo]

Woking is awful, i was brought up in westend in surrey just outside Woking, lived there for 24 years of my life, the place is horrible now thats why we moved out, there is no way i wanted to bring my children up there!

Ask me anything you like i will try to help you.

[CarGirl]

£350k can buy you really "nice" 3 bed detached with parking/garage and decent garden in a "nice" area IYSWIM also from the areas I've managed you are half way between Woking & Staines so more shopping & entertain options avaiable there.

[hippipotami]

There is a nice catholic school in Woking called St Dunstans. It is very good. Then there is The Marist (I believe) in West Byfleet and St Hugh of Lincoln in Knaphill. Both very good too

[hippipotami]

rosmerta, it depends on your budget. What I would class affordable may well be miles away from what you class affordable.
My budget is limited, hence why I cannot afford what I think are the nice areas. But they may well be within your budget

Let me know the areas you are thinking of and I'll let you know my take on them

[CarGirl]

In that case it opens up Chertsey, Addlestone (there are some nice parts - Rowtown & the like) and west byfleet up to you as they all of great catholic schools, but your dc must be baptised and may well have to attend mass to be secured a place as they have really tightened up on these things recently around here.

Weybridge being the nearest mainline station to all of these, they all have local stations but you have to change at Weybridge which is a bit of a pain possibly better to drive to Weybridge.