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

Oh and Altrincham/Hale/Bowdon/timperley are only 10mns from Manchester Airport and M60 ring road and about 15-20mins to M6 for South so good transport links

Doesn't seem like 5mins ago that DH told me we were moving to Manchester. After about 12 w/e of coming up to look around we settled on Wilmslow. I love it up here! Park/heath literally at the bottom of my back garden. Great schools both state and independent. We have a fab town centre with coffee bars and resturants. DH commute is just under 1h into Manchester depending on the A34.

Friends live up the road in Bramhall. That's nice too and they have a lovely park with tudor house. They also have excellent schools and a nice village centre with coffee bars and gastro pubs. We ate in one last night, it was yummy! I try to stay away from Bramhall village though as they have a chocolate shop!

I work in Cheadle Hulme which has nice houses,good schools but not much of a centre.

Didsbury is nice with a trendy village feel. Primary schools good, secondary not great. Personally, I wouldn't live in Cholton with school age children. It's hip but a bit scummy IYKWIM.

Sale/Alt/Hale all nice with grammar system schools. Hale has a nice village centre. You get more for your money in Sale or Timperley though less buzz. What I would say is make sure you know your school catchment when buying there. Maybe a better commute to Salford than my end.

Look at Worsley too. IMHO it's the only place in Salford worth looking at. Nice houses, easy commute but you may find it dull after Clapham.

The Heatons are nice too and not too far from hip Didsbury but benefitting from good Stockport schools.

I love the greenery where I am and the short walk into town for good bars etc so obv I recommend Wilmslow but it may not be to your taste or the commute may not be right. Def check us out though!

Stay South though! Oh and I did loads of research and checked out almost everywhere so any other questions,feel free!

I need to sit with my notepad and go through all your great posts.

I am so, so glad you have all replied.

Thanks everyone. I am noting it all down, highlighting it, sticking pins in maps and making spreadsheets of schools and OFSTED reports

My lot have been off school today, so have not been able to apply myself as I would have liked (or, obsession )

Just for your notes

We have 3 primaries graded outstanding in Wilmslow. The others are good. My catchment school is Gorsey bank if you want any particular info on that.

In Bramhall all the primary schools are graded outstanding. Friends children are at Pownall Green and she is very happy with it. their OFSTED was apparently amazing.

In Cheadle Hulme there is at least 2 graded outstanding,one is ranked in the top 5 primary schools nationally. Look at Hursthead OFSTED.

Trafford schools in general have a very good reputaion but the pressure for grammar entrance is intense.

BTW, if you need a postcode for your OFSTED searches, google the train station for most of these places or the council offices and use that on a wide distance search.

Oh and both Stockport and Cheshire (unsure about Trafford) produce booklets showing catchment areas which we used when looking at houses. Very useful.

Didn't realise there was a north/south divide to Manchester too! .

There are lovely places South and North.

OOh Lily, are you near me then?

Hotpot, yes, have to say when we moved up we chose North Manchester/Lancashire as that's where PIL's are from. Did investigate South Mcr but the only place I've ever been "down there" where I'd want to live is Lymm.

In all honesty Wilmslow is all fur coat and no knickers, tbh, Kerry Katona lives there

chorley fm comming in your ears.

machester is just a bit shit really, you should look towards saddleworth

Aw, don't say that Custardo! I'm struggling with it as it is

Lived in Wilmslow for 5 years when relocated from the south. I would agree in part with the "all fur and no knickers" comment - and I come from Surrey! However, would agree about the excellence of local primary schools (DSs were at Gorsey Bank)and we found that the vast majority of people were pretty normal.
I loved watching the blonde bimbos filling the boots of their Bentleys outside Sainsbury's and a South African friend of mine once commented that she had never seen so much gold outside Jo'burg.

Yes, I agree there is a bit of that in Wilmslow but they've usually popped up the road from Alderley.

Hi, Lilymaid, it was your comments that made me look at Wilmslow in the first place.
I'm from Surrey too!

Yes, there is a bit of a north/south divide and those south of the city are way too snobby about it even by my own admission.

As I said, Wilmslow may not be for you but do look at it. Also Bramhall, Didsbury and Hale. Disbury certainly the most urban but way too busy for me and although further in it was a worse commute due to local traffic.

Horses for courses really but don't be putoff by Custy. South Manchester is nothing like Oldham!

There's definitely a north/south divide in Manchester. With a good budget I'd go Bramhall, Hale or Wilmslow. Cheadle Hulme covers a huge are, can never work out where the centre of it is.

Fur coat and no knickers!?!

what's the problem with that then?

am off to primelocation to check out Wilmslow and Bramhall.

Thanks everyone

Custy is right though- saddleworth has some gorgeous parts.

Sounds like you have a lot to go on now foxsake!

I currently live in Chorlton which is generally pretty nice, especially the area near Chorlton Green/Beech Road. Lots of stuff for kids to do, close to the city centre, Mersey Valley Water Park for walks, some good primary schools and Stretford Grammar on the doorstep for when the kids get older. I echo what NorthernOne says about crime though - there has been a spate of break ins on my road over the last few weeks.

I'd also like to live in Hale, West Didsbury or Lymm, but can't afford to move at the moment.

Lots of knickers worn up here in Ramsbottom (at least I think there is!)!

Am very happy for everyone to carry on believing its grim up north of Manchester cos then we can keep our lovely hills/countryside and coffee bars free of bling and air-kissing footballers wives!
(Although a few of the wise ones do live around here).

"sn't Salford a bit, umm, shit? I mean there are apparently gated residences (I believe they call them), then boarded up squats next door. I may be stereotyping here, I read an article in the Guardian about Salford once"

Ahem.. I LIVE in Salford, excuse me!!

It's is EXACTLY how you describe it

It used to be a much nicer area.......

Gated residences are where we've had to close off the alleys between the terraced houses to stop undesirables congregating

There are a lot of houses boarded up (no squats - no-one is THAT desperate) but that is mainly because the local council compulsorily purchased loads & load of houses to make way for 'community' spaces, sold them for f*ck loads of money to Urban Splash to redevelop and sell to out-of-towners for way, way more than the local people could afford. Urban Splash didn't want all the properties and so they remain empty. The council got a HUGE grant to redevelop and refurbish these houses and no-one knows where it's gone.
The Council are still repossessing (sorry, purchasing at well below market value) houses then knocking them down and turfing over the area.
They're building a HUGE church (2 have recently closed for non-attendance)
They are closing 3 schools and amalgamating them all into a new-build one they've not built yet.......
We are saving up to move this year if we can

Hotpot, if Ohforfox does goes to the "darkside" and get all WAG with a tangoed face and air kissing, we should still invite her up t'north and show her a good time Rammy/Rossendale style.

Am thinking hotpot, real ale and pies?

We could then show her our ferrets, pigeons and whippets!

Darkside, he he, funny .

When we moved over we considered Altrincham cos we do have friends on the darkside but it was either a cardboard box in Altrincham or lovely detatched in Grimsbottom, oops I mean Ramsbottom. I've saved a fortune on spray tans too.

It was the hills that swayed me, and the fact my mum is 10 minutes away to babysit!!

Sorry ohforfox, hope you aren't getting stressed by this thread, we are only messing about

p.s I do go for days out to tatton park etc cos there are lovely places too down south (make sure am wearing my best clobber)!!

We have National Trust membership and go to Tatton, Dunham Massey, Styal Mill and one park near Stockport...near Disley, can't remember what it's called.
All very nice, I was only joking about the "darkside".

Lizzy less than 5 min from you!!

OOh!
We may have met and never knew our mutual dirty MN secret

Just avoid Glossop unless you are a huge fan of The League of Gentlemen

norty jojo

Sorry, couldn't help myself!