Moving to Manchester - and I have no idea where to go. HELP ME PLEEEEAAAASE

[Ohforfoxsake]

So, we are going to Manchester, DP has a job in Salford.

So far I have investigated Altrincham but the LEA have told us that its highly unlikely the children would get into the same school. Its really important to me that they do as they are upping sticks and leaving all their friends behind. I don't mind home educating until places come up, but not as a long term solution.

Or, we could move further out and move out from the city (currently in London so that appeals). If DP can do a maximum one hours commute, its possible.

We have 4 DCs so want to base our search around good schools - they are in primary at the moment, but will soon be in Secondary and we don't really want to move twice, so we'd like to get it right first time round.

I am stumped and have no idea where to look. Any suggestions, words of wisdom or pointers would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you

I too have found this thread a fascinating read. I am from South Cheshire originally (farming) and now live in London. DH was made redundant mid Jan and we are beginning to wonder why we are in London at all - maybe we should release some cash and move to Manchester/Cheshire?!?!! School fees will be so much less - or even free - and general cost of living will be so much lower.

I'm not that familiar with North Cheshire, wouldn't want to be in Manchester city and don't fancy a long commute either. Hence I am very interested in/nosey about everyone's opinions!

Good luck to those who are a stage ahead of us and actually moving...watch this space with us...

Hi all! Just noticed this thread had been updated! How is the hunt going Fox?

I see you've narrowed down to Hale and Bramhall. Both good choices and we considered both quite seriously. Both feel urban but villagy though be careful of the chocolate shop in Bramhall! Did you see on the BBC news a few months ago that Bramhall was voted the friendliest place to live in the UK? It does have a fantastic reputation for it's primary schools but then Hale schools are good too.

I have to admit that in Wilmslow we're a bit too far out for some people whereas Hale and Bramhall both feel like the outer edge of Manchester IYKWIM.

When are you next up? Hope you're now looking forward to it rather than dreading it.

Just bumping in case you're about!

Aw, thanks Myredcardigan

Yes, I am feeling very positive about it now, and chomping at the bit to go. Hale/Bramhall/Heaton Moor/Altrincham/Sale/Lymm are on our reccy in August, when we go and hopefully look at some properties. I'm hoping it will be a defining trip for us and we will be able to focus on one or two areas.

Its still up to DPs work when we go, but sooner the better as far as I'm concerned!

Someone previously mentioned Monton/Ellesmere park. We live here. The commute to work is a doddle compared to South Manchester/ Cheshire which is a nightmarish crawl. There are beautiful houses, canals, green space, footballers, Christopher Eccleston, Corrie and Shameless stars!! nice primaries. Secondaries a bit dodgy but not all bad. Bright kids can enter the Trafford Grammar exams and there are school busses from here taking kids there, to Manchester Grammar and to Bolton School. Will add some property links later if you're interested.

Christoper Eccleston

I'm off to have a look!

Puffling, I agree if I was going to move that side of Manchester it would be Monton or Worsley. Dp used to work in Monton and at one point we looked at houses round there.

You get a lot of house for your money, that's for sure. Blimey! 7 bedrooms!

There are a few houses around at the mo that are absolutely gorgeous. Ellesmere Park is quite unusual. Beautiful avenues with huge individual houses. You whizz straight into Manchester on deserted m'way or train 2 mins away. If you need Chorlton/Didsbury for the Bohemianism, it's only a drive away.

If you do end up in South Manc./ Cheshire it is a nice bridge between London and north. You're more likely to hear southern accents there. But you will pay a premium.

My friend wants to put in an offer on this:
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-8234460.html?locationIdentifier=REGION^66193&pageNumb er=1&backToListURL=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Ffind.html%3FsearchType%3DSALE%26locationIdentifier%3DREGIO N%255E66193%26radius%3D0.0%26displayPropertyType%3D%26minBedrooms%3D%26maxBedrooms%3D%26minPrice%3D% 26maxPrice%3D%26maxDaysSinceAdded%3D%26retirement%3D%26partBuyPartRent%3Dfalse%26_includeSSTC%3Don%2 6x%3D77%26y%3D9%26sortByPriceDescending%3D%26primaryDisplayPropertyType%3D%26secondaryDisplayPropert yType%3D%26oldDisplayPropertyType%3D%26oldPrimaryDisplayPropertyType%3D%26oldSecondaryDisplayPropert yType%3D%26newHome%3D%26auction%3Dfalse'here
It's next to lovely golf course. Ryan Giggs house faces you at other end of golf course.

My friend wants to put in an offer on this:
here

Hiya, glad you're looking forward to coming now. All those areas are good. If we weren't in Wilmslow, I'd go Bramhall or Hale esp with primary aged kids as the schools are all outstanding. Let us know how it goes.

Hello, I'm resurrecting this thread as we are on the market and looking at properties in Sale, Altrincham and Hale primarily. We're also looking in Bramhall and keeping an eye open for Heaton Moor.

So far we've done one day of viewings, and going up again in the new year.

What I would like to know about now is if there are any primary schools in the Trafford area which should be avoided? I'm taking the approach that you can't go too far wrong in that area, so we can look at our housing needs rather than catchment, but would really appreciate any other advice.

Thanks

I might be able to help re: Trafford schools. What do you want to know?

Hello

Really just want to know if there's any to be avoided. I get the impression that they all seem to be decent. We have four children to get in by next summer.

I'm not too worried about secondary at this stage (although that has been the driving factor for choosing Trafford at the start of this process) so I'd like any opinions/experience of primary schools in the area.

Of course, any opinions on Secondary would be useful!

Interesting on what was said about Bramhall High further down, it really gave me something to go on, and seems that it has turned around again.

Hi fox, glad you're finally on the move!

I can't help you with the Trafford schools in detail though I remember most of them were good. Altrincham and Hale both good choices to live. Personally, I wasn't keen on Sale as it seemed not to have a designated village centre.

My favourite village centre was Bramhall and I remember being amazed that all the Bramhall primary schools were outstanding but we chose Wilmslow because of the house and the fact that we have beautiful parkland out the back yet it's 10min walk into the town centre.

You asked about Bramhall High School; I don't know that much about it but I know it's not as good as the primaries. I also know that they have no 6th forms in Stockport and that quite a few Bramhall kids come over our way. Wilmslow high school is excellent and as we're Cheshire LEA, we have 6th forms.

Obviously in Trafford you have a choice of going for a grammar school place or opting for the comp. It's a Y5 thing rather than a Y6 thing like the 11+ for the indie schools so bear that in mind with the age of your kids.

Keep us posted!

Hi MRC! Nice to 'see' you.

I know exactly what you mean about Sale and its town centre. It seems to straddle a main road I don't really feel as though I've got a handle on it, and I think that's why. We're spending the day there soon so I hope I'll get a better feel for it, and Altrincham and Hale. Does Brooklands have a main central area?

Bramhall was lovely but if I'm brutally honest, almost too smart for me. I worry I feel a bit 'fish out of water'. We said that's somewhere we might move to in the future. I wouldn't rule Wilmslow or Bramhall out, but if we live in Trafford it would take DP 20 minutes to get home, and we're on the right side of town of his family who live a bit further West.

Do Altrincham/Timperley/Hale have town centres?

Hiya,
Timperley is very like Sale, IMO. Both nice areas but I wasn't keen. I just didn't get any sort of feeling for them but then I'm a sucker for villages with 'centres'. Timperley is almost like an addition of housing stock on the edge of Altrincham if that makes sense.

Altrincham has quite a nice, well stocked town centre. Good housing stock too although some areas much cheaper than others. I seem to remember being told not to look beyond (I think) Navigation Rd. Not sure why that has stuck in my head.

Hale has a lovely village centre and some beautiful houses just behind the village. Obviously, both Altrincham and Hale have the Metrolink which is a big plus.
I preferred Hale to Altrincham but both are very nice, affluent, family areas with good schools. Though a couple of the Sale schools also have a very good rep. One in particular (maybe brooklands?)

If you have family that way and the commute is much shorter then I'd say go for Trafford. Bramhall/Wilmslow are much further round/out so longer commute. Not necessarily nicer either; depends what you're looking for. Hale housing stock often older whereas here in Wilmslow the majority is 1930's which I like. Lots of people would always choose H/A over B/W so you're not alone.

Don't forget to check which schools can take all your kids and that in Trafford, Y5 is crucial!

What you say about Timperley rings true - we drove around and hated it, but I think that's exactly why - the housing stock. Closer to Manchester Road seems better than closer to Stockport Road (please feel free to correct me, its an assumption, every chance I'm talking out of my arse).

Ashton-on-Mersey School is possibly the high school in Brooklands? I think its one of those schools which attracts people to move specifically to that catchment. (Again, assumption).

Can you tell me more about the Year 5 thing? Is it that you apply when they are year 5, or move schools then?

I'm tempted to hedge my bets about schools because I'm quite prepared to home-school and bide my time. Saying that, if the LEA doesn't have a sibling policy, I will be stuffed.

Everlong - I will have a look, thank you.

When I say 'hated it', I should say the particular streets we saw didn't, I believe now, give us a fair representation. I can see that some of it is very densley populated and gave me a sense of 'suburbia' which I think scared me. Definately our own pre-conceptions, and very probably not fair. Which is why we are re-visiting.

Year 5 thing is just that in Trafford, the 11+ exam is held in the first couple of weeks of Y6 so all prep needs to happen the year before. I think the results are out end of Oct or beginning of Nov so all done and dusted in that first half term.

Thanks Myredcardican. That reinforces my view that now is definately the right time for us to go.

Mumsnet is great. I'd have never known about that. Thank you so much.

This thread has really helped us. Thank you to everyone who took the time to contribute, we have found it invaluable and have taken everything everyone said on board. I'd welcome any more advice/opinions/help if anyone would like to.

Merry Christmas