Someone help!! Norfolk?

[CharCharxxx]

Argh I'm literally at the end of my tether with this location thing my brain feels like it's going to explode.
We are in South London where we were born and bred. Used to be a fab place as everything so accessible and opportunities etc. Now..those things haven't changed but I'm desperate to get away. The crime, gangs , violence, robbery and all the rest have filtered through to where we are and I can honestly say I feel so unsafe here now, there's no way I'll be happy letting my kids out once secondary school age comes.
So we are packing up and selling up this summer. Now here's my dilemma.. where the bloody hell to?! We have been all over Sussex and Hampshire and even the Cotswolds. But then we saw some amazingly beautiful country houses in Norfolk for so much less than our house is worth! I do understand that this will be partly to do with not as much employment etc therefore this reflects in the house prices. I then kept reading that secondary schools are under achieving so I basically would just like to find out the truth from people who know the area's? We think a village on the outskirts of Norwich would suit us so the kids aren't bored when teens. Any recommendations for nice villages with decent schools?
Sorry for the long post I only plan on doing this once so I need to get it right! X

If you haven’t the qualifications then thinking outside the box of “normal” jobs and London is where you can earn the money.
But you dont need to be brought up in London to do that. When I worked in London I was in the minority of people born and brought up there. Most people were from outside London or the UK. I loved being young in London, finishing work and hopping on the bus into the West End. There is no reason why anyone from outside cant move as most people who live in London have done.

Noodlenosefraggle yes it is quite possible to move to London and get a job but to do most f/t jobs that would support yourself in London requires qualifications (even just a few GCSEs)

To do what Dd and Ds do (Ds is 17 so not quite sure he would be able to rent anywhere)

None of the jobs are regular work so I doubt they would be top of the list to rent anywhere to live.

They are able to save and buy a place without having the cost of rent and everything else that goes with it

at all this high pressure, competitiveness and tutoring in London schools. My kids and all their friends are doing well, getting themselves to good and the best Unis from good and good enough comps with no tutoring at all

I grew up in wymondham, went to the local high school and got great grades as did my younger brothers and we all went on to good uni’s elsewhere (due to the courses) and good jobs. It was a fantastic place to grow up and I would love to go back but life hasn’t worked out that way. Still have old school friends there and go back from time to time and wish we could move back but our business is established and wouldn’t move! It’s more laid back imo than a lot of places and lots of wonderful things to do as child and teen, sailing on the broads, beach’s, art and culture in Norwich. Would highly recommend it for family life.

Both of mine went to London schools.

The only ones tutoring were those who had children who had difficulty in a certain subject or were looking at private schools

Around my area there are no Grammar schools so everyone goes through the comprehensive system.
Maybe tutoring in the run up to GCSEs but I presume most areas are the same in that aspect.

Sheringham, Shipdham, Bacton/Walcott... my family live in Norfolk so I'm 100% on these areas

Thank you all!
I only had doubts about Norfolk schools based on what i had read on lots of other threads and evidently what others have written on my own thread. I was unsure which is why i thought I'd write on here to find out from local people we just need to do our research some more I think, I'm sure we will find the right place. X

Thanks Latheritup will have a look! Do these places have decent schoolw do you know? X

Yes all lovely! Sheringham is more of a close knit village, Bacton is very very rural and Shipdham is more of a town/village so it depends what you prefer They have lovely schools in Toftwood which is very close to Shipdham

Very helpful thank you x

Sheringham has the advantage of the trainline to Norwich and Sheringham High is the best secondary in that stretch of North Norfolk.

Aylsham OK too.

I have a relative who teaches in a N Norfolk comprehensive. Coastal and rural deprivation are real factors and lots of young people in the area have very local view of the world.

There is a fair bit of drink driving, drug use and young people killing themselves in suped up cars.

I have lived in N Norfolk for a series of short periods and have all my family there. It is beautiful, and I love it for visits, but it can be a very long drive to a hospital, the N&N is in special measures and you might be a long way from a GP.

Bacton/Walcott must be in catchment for NWHS which is not desirable at moment. I dunno what OP wants for schools... there is a lack of aspiration out in rural areas. It's not sharp-elbowed (which I imagine London to be). Yet every year Paston College does a bragfest about their scholars, some of whom get to Oxbridge. There are actually high achievers in N-Norfolk state schools, believe it or not.

In our household we live in awe of the Amazons of Sheringham whose netball team kicked our school's team-butt at Netball.

We looked there when we left london but the secondary education and lots of the primary education persuaded us not to. I wouldn't do it unless you can afford private from secondary.