South Cambridgeshire villages and schools

[Chaosonthehorizon]

We are planning to move but need to be within a 1.5 hr commute of the city (london) probably cycling to the station rather than driving). Please can I have your recommendations for villages and schools (primary and secondary, state and independent). Thanks (and also any absolutely no go places/educational establishments!)

I'm fairly familiar with the area and I'd be happy to live anywhere in south Cambs on the Cambridge to Kings X line. There's no bad school, primary/secondary, that I'm aware of. For independent schools I think you'd be looking at Cambridge, although I'm not familiar with those.

Do you need to go into Kings X or Liverpool St? of Liverpool St would look at Whittlesford or Duxford, both lovely villages and you can cycle to Whittlesford station. Secondary school is Sawston Village College.

If you want th Kings Cross line then Meldreth is a nice village. with a station as is Foxton. Melbourn has a good village college.

There aren't any "no go" areas in South Cambridgeshire!

The independents tend to be in Cambridge at secondary level - at primary level there's one in Saffron Walden. All south Cambs and Saffron Walden schools are good, transport into London is slow though. From Saffron Walden its Audley End, other areas its miles and miles before a train station. Hills Road is a great 6th form and lots of schools feed into that.

Perse and Stephen Perse are good independents, around £18-19k a year though.

Thanks so much! Totally missed the notification for these replies. Liverpool st would be easiest but kings Cross is fine. In addition and thinking a lot further ahead, what is life like for teens? I grew up in the country but wasn’t very sociable so just happy with my pony and friends at school (a good hour away) however my husband wished his upbringing wasn’t quite so rural as he struggled to get to sports practice and to see friends in the nearest town. Thanks

We live in a South Cambs village and it's been fine. All the kids at the local secondary live rurally so they're used to being cut off! You do end up being a bit more of a taxi driver but you swap lifts etc with other parents. DS2 was very sporty as a teen and we had lift shares going with other people so we werent always having to take him to practices.

If you can afford it, Great Shelford is a good compromise - on the Liverpool Street line, and easy to cycle into Cambridge.