Guildford move - local advice wanted!

[timesarechanging]

I am thinking of upping sticks and moving to the Guildford area. Can anyone offer thoughts/advice on nice areas and schools etc?

DS1 is 3.5yrs (we'd be looking to start him in reception in 2009) and DS2 is 18 mths. Most likely to look at independent schools for them, so not too tied down to fighting for catchment areas (unless you are really passionate about a local primary that is worth moving next door to ).

Happy to consider urban or a village setting, with a very strong preference for a detached house and no nightmare with parking which is the issue I have with our current area in Richmond Borough! Budget roughly £800K. DH loves the outdoors and walks, mountain biking etc. Commute to central London a big factor so we'd need to be able to get to a station, too!

Or if anyone reads this and can recommend wherever they live, Guildford or elsewhere, please do share your views!

Thanks very much!

milford infants is a really good state school, ds2 left there last summer to go to chandler junior school, which again is v good (all 4 of mine have gone through the junior school)

I would doubt if you could get a house near Lanesborough for much less than £1m - the area is called the "Golden Triangle" and is very popular given the proximity to Lanesborough, RGS, GHS and Tormead. I agree Bramley to Cranmore would be a nightmare for school run and even if there was a minibus it would go very early to get there on time and it probably wouldn't run both ways so you would still have to go at the end of the day.

HAve a friend with 2 boys at Aldro - specifically as they want them to go to Charterhouse. It does have Saturday school which would put me off at this stage (plenty of time for that at 13+!)but has a good reputation and obviously much closer to Godalming

IN fact re school run you really want to avoid anything that would take you round the Guildford one way system at school run / rush hour time. It really is terrible with badsly phased traffic lights etc and you can end up feeling murderous...

Surreylady thanks for the school link for Busbridge. The infants does sound outstanding.

HUGE problem for us, though, is that we are going to be 'late applicants' for state schools. We can still specify 3 preferences but surely all the good schools will be TOTALLY full and we won't stand a chance. If anyone knows about the system and how to play it when late like we will be, do shout!

Willali you are right re house prices. There is nothing in budget that I would like to live in in that 'Golden Triangle' area. I need to get rich quick!

So, from what you've all posted, it sounds like if we live on the Godalming/Bramley side, the best school option location wise would be St Hilary's for infants, and then hope they get a Lanesborough place at 7+.

Or, if they go to Cranmore, then a village on that east side of Guildford (Clandon, Horsely etc) would be most sensible.

And does everyone think that getting to Lanesborough if you live outside of Guildford itself is a nightmare and worth avoiding?

Getting there slowly!!

surrey lady, when we moved down here 6 yrs ago it was v last min and we applied directly to the schools we wanted and got in.

i think we applied at the beginnning of july for starting in september, so it might be worth a try

sorry i mean timesarechanging!

Does anyone know if the villages of Ripley, Send or Sutton Green are nice and what amenities there are in each village?

Is Woking nice?! Or perhaps not so nice...

DH might be working in Hook (Hamps.) next year so I figure living between Guildford and Woking might be a good option, and I could get to Cranmore School in West Horsley without a nervous breakdown (possibly!).

Hi All. Things are moving rapidly! House is about to go on market and now looking to rent in the Guildford area for 6-12 months while we find our feet and see what the property market does!

We can literally choose anywhere to rent, so I think our guiding factors are:

1. Close to as many good state schools for Reception as possible just to keep state option open if DH gets made redundant etc and we can no longer afford private.

1. Able to walk in pushchair to at least a local shop/shops, and preferably swings etc.

1. Bearable distance to Guildford station for DH to commute to Waterloo...

So, any ideas as to where? Busbridge sounds a good bet. Also can consider Guildford itself (and I will feel less jittery about leaving all the amenities currently on my doorstep!)

Just called Surrey Council education people to ask what will happen as we're late applicants for schools. She said that if we are as close as possible to as many state schools as possible, that we'll go as high as possible up the waiting lists!!!!!!

Thanks to you all in advance!

I grew up in Busbridge- my parents still live there- went to Busbridge First and Middle (as the Infants and Junior school were then) and then Rodborough (comprehensive in Milford) and finally Godalming Sixth Form College (in Busbridge). Lovely area to grow up in in my opinion! All your school friends in walking distance and great community through school/Brownies/church/etc etc. Lots of walks from your doorstep.
My dad walked to the station for years to commute to Waterloo, about a 20 minute walk depending on where you live in Busbridge. You are in walking distance of swings at Holloway Hill recreation ground as well as swings down in the town. I spent a lot of my youth walking myself into town or to the station and the walk is perfectly possible and keeps you fit (quite a hill on the way back). I can imagine trying to persuade a tired toddler to walk back up the hill might be a bit much though, so you might need to be strong pushing the buggy- although it is perfectly possible. Sainsburys and Waitrose in town though with good car park facilities.
In terms of schools, Busbridge also has St Edmunds junior which is the catholic school. I'm afraid I don't know anything about getting into any of them at the moment or indeed their reputations at the moment.
Hope that helps- good luck selling your house!

Thanks Wakeup (yes, one of mine woke me at 6.30am today!) that's really helpful.

Hills! Oh no! I am always shocked in hilly parts of Cornwall to see VERY old folk carrying their shopping up steep hills and I am sure it's actually very good for your long-term health!

Going to see a school this week (Cranmore) and if we get time we'll try to see Busbridge too. Your Dad must have spent 40 min walking and then 1.5 hrs on the train each day!

Yes, selling the house is the 1st challenge!

not sure if you're all still out there...!

we've done a couple more trips down to get a feel for the area. i have decided that proper village life would be a bit too scary for me at this stage. i think east horsley is about as small as i can go!

can anyone tell me which parts of guildford itself are nice? it's a nightmare going on to the property websites when you don't know onlsow from burpham from merrow etc...

and does anyone know anything about Worplesdon, which is half way between Woking and Guildford? the commute to waterloo is only 31 mins - prob horrid place and too good to be true!!

No, Worplesdon is quite nice.

The "rough" bits of Guildford are Stoughton, Bellfields and the Park Barn Estate. Although nowhere is very rough - it's all relative.

thanks tutti.

are there areas that are favoured/sensible to live in if you're using the station for waterloo each day? i haven't quite got a sense of scale yet and worked out where to live so you can still walk to the station. or do people drive and park (i imagine traffic is hideous and it would be pointless) or do people use a (motorised!) scooter etc??!

thanks.

Guildford Station is very expensive for parking (£ 8 or 10 per day I think)- my DH has a push bike (ok for downhill mornings) and some other people we know have a moped as this can be parked free. There are two ends of town - The Farnham Road end is probably the best walk to the station but the top end of town by the downs is nice too - you can use London Road Station as an alternative. East Horsley is nice but we tried for a year to buy a house there and failed depends of course which schools you go for.

Thanks surreylady.

Can anyone help on the subject of Cranmore School in West Horsley....

DH and I visited last week and I really, really need some 'inside info' if anyone knows of anyone with boys currently there, or knows anything generally. The Good Schools Guide gives it a thumbs up, but I am feeling a tiny bit perturbed after my visit. I see in their annual magazine that the previous Head of Juniors has left after 24 years of service, but photos of her suggest she is not yet retirement age. There is a new Head who's been in post for 2-3 years. He was unable to see us one Tuesday due to illness, and the following Tuesday was also still sick (gastric flu), and would have to miss the annual Christmas carol service that night, so the new Head of Juniors showed us round (she only started this term so did well to know her way around!). There is also a new head of their Progress Unit (dyslexia, general support etc) who has been there 8 or so years.

It is a big school so I figure that some staff changes are normal, but I can't shake a feeling of something not being quite right. DH thinks I am worrying unnecessarily, but I am concerned that the new head is not popular/effective etc. He apparently did a fab job at Barrow Hills School in Godalming so on paper he is great.

Their enrolment for Reception is also down. Currently they have 3 classes of 12 boys, but for next year it is a full class of 12 lower. This could be explained by the economic climate, but if I were to jump to conclusions then my hunch could be right!

Does anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks!

Bring Up My Thread!

Times, I know several mothers of Cranmore boys. Nearly all are very pleased with the school and the boys are happy there. They say it is second to none in terms of facilities and good academically.

One Catholic friend is disappointed that the school is "not Catholic enough", because when shown round the school this side was stressed to her but she thinks in practice it's not that strong. For me this would be a plus point though! Certainly the school is less Catholic than it was 10 or 5 years ago.

I've heard people (whose children don't go there) say they think it is too pushy academically. Not sure how true this is, or how much a case of sour grapes.

thanks tutti, that's great to hear. i am the same and the 'not Catholic enough' would not be a negative!!!!

it's a funny thing but i am finding it hard to expect parents to be objective about their kids' current education. it seems if they're in state schools the parents feel they have to prove a point that although it's 'just state' that it's excellent, and if it's private then it's hard to admit that for £10K or so a year that you are not happy with it, IYKWIM!!!

i think i just need to meet the head and that will hopefully put my mind at ease.

if you hear anything from your friends about the staff changes etc then do shout! thanks again.

now we just need to sell our house

hi all.

um, i now need urgent advice on finding childcare in guildford. if anyone can recommend a nanny, how to find a nanny, or a good childminder etc i would so love to hear from you.

We've accepted an offer on our house so the move is imminent! i am likely to need childcare just 2 days a week, so i fear it's going to be tough to sort something out by (gulp!) april! i need to get into central london so i think someone based at home would probably be easiest, but i can consider anything!

i also need to look into playgroups etc for DS2 who's 21 mths - i imagine names need to go on waiting lists etc??? oh dear, what have i started...!

thanks again.

bump - is anyone there?!

I live in Guildford.

Great state primary is Pewley Down, though to be honest St Nicholas and Sandfield are pretty well though of. Catchement area a bit odd as pewley hill area and then out to bits of Shalford.

Best place to live in Guildford Pewley hill area, minutes to town and less time to the most fabby countryside. Bit hilly but my 5 year old trots up there with no problem.

Playgroup - christchurch or harvey road.

20 minute walk to station, lots of people do the scooter.

Busbridge also great - both junior and primary and nice area to live in though not as nice as Guildford

We moved in May and got my son in for September. People moved out, decided to go for the private option and although we were first on the waiting list quite a few got in.
If you are close then you go to first on the waiting list, despite the fact that other people have been on the list for longer.

Any other questions please ask

When my eldest was little we used Fitzimmons Place Nursery in Portsmouth Road - quite close to station if you need to get the train to London. Otherwise there are numerous Nanny Agencies locally, but a part timer is difficult to locate - maybe advertise for a Nanny Share??

You could always buy our house! We live right in the centre of Guildford in a mixed urban setting yet a very quiet road. Our house is a detached 2400 sq ft with walled garden (not huge) and a steep drive with parking for two cars and a double garage. Was valued at the start of last year at £800-850k, suspect we would get less for it now, although we have not tried to sell it. The house is a 5 minute walk from the mainline station and a 3 minute walk from M&S on the high street. We moved in to it when we moved down from Richmond and we were scared about moving to the country so wanted to be near everything. We are definitely near everything here. The plus point is it is in the catchment for the St Nicolas CofE infant school. We are also close to the river and the tow path for cycling so fits all your criteria really ;-)
Re your nanny question - I have a similar problem. Starting back at work at the end of April and need a 2 day a week nanny/nursery. Not having much luck so far in finding one!