Relocating to Cambridgeshire for a young family

[JollyTeaScroller]

Seriously considering a move to Cambridgeshire from North London.
We have had many suggestions about places there, such as Waterbeach, Ely, Histon/Impington, Comberton, Trumpington, Eddington..
We are Danish and Greek, and we are used to the diversity of London but want something calmer for our young family.
Ideally we would like to be close to a nursery and a good primary and a good secondary, so we don't have to consider moving again down the line.
One of us does not drive so we are considering either somewhere like Ely, where one could take the train to Cambridge, or Waterbeach, or somewhere like Histon, where you could take the bus to Cambridge (the one that goes directly in the centre, rather than the one that goes around the villages and takes a long time)
We both cycle, even though we don't both drive, so we were thinking of either a cyclable route to the centre of Cambridge, or a place inside actual Cambridge, that we can afford. Budget is around 500 for a 3 bed
Any places inside Cambridge that combine good primary and good secondary that are relatively affordable?
Do you think in the long run, it would be best to choose a village, or choose an area in Cambridge?
I feel more drawn towards inside the city but my partner prefers a village for the community feel.
Is there any places/streets in Cambridge that have community feel, families with young children? Or any other villages that combine what we need (good primary and secondary and cyclable to the city) that we haven't thought about?

I don’t have additional suggestions but Ely and Histon are both great, I’d be happy to second the recommendations for those. Don’t think either are particularly diverse though.

And you can cycle to the city centre from Histon I reckon it’s a little distance but all very flat.

Actually, if you wanted to be more central you could probably get something in Kings Hedges/ Arbury for that budget. Not as pretty but you’re not at all far from Cambridge proper.

Quite

Will the non driver learn to drive?

Some friends live in Cherry Hinton. It has good schools and you can cycle to the centre easily from there.

Some Cambridge state schools are excellent, and some really really aren't. You want to look very carefully, not only at catchment areas, but the pressure on places - as an example, Chesterton Community College (desirable secondary) only admitted children who lived in catchment and went to a feeder primary school last year. Those who moved into the catchment, but kept their children in another primary are facing some unhappy options. Cambridge is growing, and one of few places in the country where the number of children entering primary schools is set to increase over the next few years.

With that budget, and assuming you're looking at schools too, your best bet is one of the villages just north of Cambridge. Impington Village College (secondary) is excellent, and serves Milton, Histon, Impington and Girton I think, but do check. It's better cycling into the city from Milton and Girton.

You could look at the villages that the Cambridge guided busway goes through or near. There a great cycle path that goes all the way alongside that into Cambridge. I've cycled it.

With that budget you can definitely buy in Cambridge. There’s lots for families, and getting around in the winter months without a car will be much much easier. Depending where you live you might not find the community that different to North London.
I’d start looking for a 3bed flat with garden or a fixer-upper off Mill Road. The secondary school that lots of people want to get a place at is Parkside so look at the catchment area.
Otherwise some areas of Chesterton, or down to Trumpington.
Newnham is probably the area that ticks all your boxes but it is extremely expensive.
But you can get a 3-bed if you would consider a flat www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/159610124#/?channel=RES_BUY

I relocated from North East London to Histon 20 years ago when DS1 was almost 1. It was lovely, but took me time to adapt to such a different environment. There were a lot of local groups and I got to know other parents and made some friends.

I moved a further away from Cambridge to buy a cheaper house when exDH and I got divorced. But overall it was a good decision to move to this area and I think it's a nice part of the country to live in.

Cambridge itself is vv diverse.

Thank you, I am looking for similar placs like Histon, with a good primary and secondary, and cyclable to Cambridge. Histon is really nice but it's a bit expensive, so was wondering whether there are other places like that?

Thank you for this, I will have a look at these places too!

They will try! :)

I did find a very nice property there, is it a nice place to live? Cyclable to the centre? I will definitely go and check it out next time I am in Cambs!

This is exactly what a friend told me, she does supply teaching across Cambs and she told me there is no way to get into a good secondary if you are not there from primary age too, which makes the decision a bit harder, as I want to think further ahead, even though our kids are still so young!
Is there any location in Cambridge that will tick the box of catchment for good primary and good secondary as well?
Histon is good as it has two primaries and catchment for Impington, I am looking for alternatives to Histon too...

Thank you I did have a look, I am not sure if this link works but it was helpful
https://www.thebusway.info/routes-times.shtml
What about Cambridge North? Someone said it's nice there close to the river.

Thank you, someone likened Mill Rd like Hackney, that it's totally gentrified and too expensive, so I was thinking we might not find anything, but maybe a fixer upper? I will have a look at Parkside catchment, any idea about feeder Primary at all?
Chesterton and Trumpington are cyclable to the centre? A friend told me Trumpington is really nice and most of her friends live there but another friend said it's more of a road than an area and not so much community?
Newnham looks and sounds wonderful but truly so expensive! We live in a flat now so we are sooo looking forward to not living in a flat so I am not sure whether we could compromise on this to live in a beautiful area, we might do, but feel like to justify the move, I want to live somewhere I like a bit more than where I live now.
Thank you for the link, I added an alert for that area anyway..

I feel it will be such a massive shock to the system, too used to so many takeaways here, not many options in a village, might be better for our health? :)

Do you happen to know any places in Cambridge that are diverse but have a sense of community?

@JollyTeaScroller my friends like it. They have school age DC. It’s always seemed nice when I’ve stayed with them. You can definitely cycle to the train station end of the centre easily.

You need to go there and hang out and feel it for yourself. Personally I couldn’t live with the students, the tourists, the traffic jams …

It was definitely a shock. I didn't feel like I fitted in at first, but I did settle in eventually. The main thing I have liked about it is the lack of noise and traffic, that's what I found hard living in London. It's much quieter and more peaceful around here and I can go for quiet walks in nature.

Ely College has just had a successful ofsted and all the primary schools are good. Histon has really sought after state secondary schools nearby, I’m not sure about primaries but assume they are fine.

ah thank you for Ely College info as I was told Ely did not have good secondary schools. I think Ely or Histon/Milton are very strong contenders. Histon apparently has two primary schools and I assume they are good.

yes it seems like maybe somewhere a bit outside is the best of both worlds. But I am sure it will feel calmer from London? Whereabouts do you live?