Moving to Hampshire: advice on schools please!

[cicci]

Hello,
we are planning to move to Hampshire in summer 2011 due to husband's redeployment (new job will be in Titchfield area)and have to sort out secondary and primary schools. We are considering three areas: 1) Bishop Waltham; 2) Fair Oak or 3) Stubbington. I have looked at performance tables and ofsted reports for the secondary and primary schools there, but has anybody got first hand information of Swanmore college, Wyvern College or the Crofton School? And of the primary schools in those towns/villages? Girls are quite academic and musical, but not terribly sporty- most of all would like a friendly and welcoming atmosphere to help them settle in in new surrounding!!
Thanks!

Why not live in Titchfield itself? Nice village, nice houses, great butcher, cafe etc.

If you are looking for private then West Hill Park at the top of West Street takes them til 13 and has a good reputation.

I'll ask my sil about Wyvern; I think my niece and nephew went there, and if not, she'll know about it.

FWIW Neville Lovett has a new head who is shaking things up if you end up in Fareham. Ranvilles has always been accounted a good primary as well.

I visited Titchfield last summer and thought the village itself was very nice, but there seemed to be lots of traffic all around it and that put me off a bit. Definitely only looking at good state schools, private has never been an option for us. Thanks!

Wherever you live around there, there will be lots of traffic. Bishops Waltham is on the back rat run to Winchester for example. Stubbington is heavy traffic daily. When I was going at rush hour in the mornings from my db's at Lee on Solent to my ils in Titchfield via Stubbington each day in November (half term) last year I was astounded at the amount of traffic. The whole area is now so built up and the roads can't cope.

Yes, that is also what my DH who often goes to Titchfield/Fareham tells me, that some areas are really difficult to get out of at certain/most times of the day. I thought the area north of the motorways would be better but you say BW is also a rat run... Will be down there next week to explore further...

Have you considered Botley, the primary school is outstanding and it in turn feeds to an outstanding secondary
Might be worth a look

Wyvern better than Swanmore IMHO
just judging by if I'm unlucky enough to drive past at kicking out time (I work all over Hampshire)

Traffic on the M27 is a nightmare.
Comparable to M25 but more blockages on the side roads. Be warned.

Indeed Botley primary seems excellent and I guess it feeds into Wildern also outstanding, downside is Botley seems more expensive unless you go into Hedge End, which I expect is less attractive? It's swings and roundabouts all the time, isn't it

So I guess DH was right about appalling traffic eveywhere and I thought he was exaggerating as usual...

Hedge End has good primaries too, and you might still get a place at Botley primary
Wouldn't want to live in Fair Oak, it's very busy/built up and In my IMO not much of a community

I can't comment on Bishop's Waltham or Fair Oak but Stubbington schools are generally pretty good, Crofton Ann Dale and Crofton Hammond are supposed to be excellent primaries, and Crofton is one of the best secondaries in the area.

Traffic is pretty awful but that's the case for most of this area. At least if you were to live in Stubb you could walk to schools, and it would just be your DH that had to travel to Titchfield which would be easiest by bike!

can anyone comment on good prep schools from reception class upwards please hampshire areas as new job means moving from dorset to Hants for closer commute chandlers ford /winchester/ brockenhurst any advice on your experiences would help thanks

Private or state?
State - get yourself just north of Romsey and you won't go far wrong
Private - Stroud kids are OH, HCS OK, Sherborne house a bit precious, lots of preps in the forest

I've heard great things about Wyvern

thanks will have a look at wyvern thought sherborne house looked ok on the web what do you mean bit precious its for a girl and boy for kindergarten

I live in fareham and dd will be going to Harrison primary in sept. Secondaries in fareham/Stubb are average - crofton and cams hill that said dd will probaBly end go to cams. If you are looking at private wykeham house in fareham, meon house in stubbington, west hill park in titchfield and boundary oak in fareham are all excellent. I've heard good things about swanmore secondary. IMO best state secondaries in Hampshire are in Winchester kings, westgate and henry beaufort but think you would struggle to get in from titchfield area. Not sure how close to a level your dc's are but peter symonds is an excellent college.

Sherbourne House is lovely but quite formal. The grounds are amazing though.

Thornden is a good state secondary but forget it if you're out of catchment.

thanks for that I will look at these, stoud looks good too thank for helping

It's possible to get into Kings in Winchester from BW area sometimes. No guarantees though. The music is good at Kings. Peter Symonds Collge (6th form) got 55 Oxbridge offers this year and 16 came from Kings School!
Swanmore College is on the way up but not in the same league as Kings. The children I know are very happy there however.
Primaries are very good in BW/Swanmore.

My Son is at Cams Hill school in Fareham in year 9 and loves it. It always has very good GCSE results and all the children seem to do well.

He went to Ranvilles Junior but there has been a change of head since he left so cant comment on how it is now. However, i thought it was a loveley school.

All my neighbours send there children to Harrison which is a feeder school for Cams Hill and they all seem to like the school.

Hope this helps

DH did his teacher training at Cams hill.
Their "federation" thing is pretty cool.

OP
Sherborne - their classes are just that bit too small - the kids never have to wait their turn, and by golly it shows in the changing rooms at the gym!
HCS - tried to hit the academic against King Edwards, but money has talked and a lot of their bright kids are now at Mountbatten and Romsey.
For Waterside parents, private has always been a no brainer.

In the forest, Norman Court is used by my friends, and free, Ringwood School is apparently OK

the main thing to bear in mind is the county average - linked to the GS thread.
Any Hampshire school working at national average is failing as Hants is an above average LEA.
Southampton needs to get its arse in gear, as does Pompey..

Many thanks, some very good information here that will be useful in our forthcoming move to Hampshire. In addition to Bishops Waltham we are also looking at Stubbington (more house for your money!)and both Crofton and the primaries seem to have good results/reputation. BUT does anyone know where do children go to after GCSEs from there? Presumably the Winchester colleges are too far to reach from Stubbs? I know there is Fareham college, but are there other sixth form colleges in the Crofton 'catchment'?

www3.hants.gov.uk/education/goingtocollege/post16-collegemap.htm
that should help...

and this page....
www3.hants.gov.uk/education/schools/schooldetails

I went to peter symonds and lived in fareham. Tis only 35mins on train. Lots did it. IMO is the best college in Hampshire academically and sporty. South Downs is apparently v good for vocational and performing arts. Lots of crofton students go on to st vincents in gosport as well I dont know much about it though. Would avoid fareham college like the plague!

Most of the children from Crofton go on to Bay House school sixth form in Gosport.

Fareham Children tend to go to Barton Peverill and Havant College