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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

schools in Milton Keynes

10 replies

miller599 · 27/07/2014 07:56

I am thinking of moving out of London this year to buy a house in Milton Keynes. Mainly because houses are cheaperWe will probably end up renting first for up to a year until we have enough money. I 2 dc 1 starting year 8 this Sept and another due to start reception next Sept. Just wandering if anyone knows any good state primary and secondary schools (cannot afford private). I have heard mixed reviews about the area and schools especially with catchment areas and some schools only selecting you if you live in a certain part. Bletchley is an area I thought of but not sure if the area is good. Also would you know if Milton Keynes is multi cultural

Thanks

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Pompomfairy · 27/07/2014 08:04

I would probably say the best secondary schools are the newer ones, so hazely, oak grove, or shenley school so your looking at estates like westcroft any of the shenleys, oak hill, Middleton, medbourne, these are all fairly new eatates some have brand new primary schools but I'm not sure about how good they are. Stay away from Stantonbury Campus (I went there) Leon ( which is the on the worst estate in mk) and lord grey in Bletchley. There is a school called Milton Keynes academy which used to have a terrible rep, however a whole new teaching staff came in and turned it around, the problem is, because of the location ( it's very close to some of the worst estates in mk) you still have the potential for trouble.

miller599 · 27/07/2014 11:38

Thank you. I shall look into these schools.

My other option is Kent (Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and Edenbridge)

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OneMoreMum · 28/07/2014 11:32

Bear in mind that the good schools are usually full, so even if you move into the same street as the school you are unlikely to immediately be given a place. You may well end up with a place on the opposite side of town in a less desirable school until someone leaves.
I would recommend you contact the local authority for advice on available places.

Decent senior schools are considered to be (in no particular order): Denbigh, Shenley Brook End, Hazeley, Oakgrove, Walton Hall and Ousedale. OK but not fantastic ones are St. Pauls (catholic), Stantonbury, Radcliffe and Lord Grey. Generally considered avoid at all cost are MK Academy and Leon, but that's probably snobbery as much as anything.

Niceness of areas tend to follow the school catchments to a certain extent, if your budget is limited try to look for an older area with good school catchments, maybe somewhere like Two Mile Ash, new estates are very expensive (and the houses are tiny). Bletchley is a big area with some nice streets but a lot of it is pretty rough, Newport Pagnell is a lot nicer if you're looking for a proper town rather than an estate.

Oh and MK is pretty multi-cultural, and being mostly new there's a good mix of people rather than enclaves of particular races. In my experience people are pretty tolerant.

Greenandcabbagelooking · 30/07/2014 17:38

Lots of MK residents send children to the Aylesbury Grammars if they are clever. Aylesbury Grammer is boys, Aylesbury High is girl, Henry Floyd is mixed.

miller599 · 31/07/2014 14:25

Thank you, my dc is not overly smart so not sure he will make the mark for grammar. I spoke to the Lea and will have to wait until Sept as they won't know what schools have spaces until then. Hopefully some of the ones mentioned will have space

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FozzieMK · 06/08/2014 12:29

Many of the better schools in Milton Keynes have long waiting lists even after September sadly. For both my DD's I applied for the better MK senior schools and just got given a place at the catchment school I definitely didn't want them to go to. The better schools informed me that I was on a waiting list of 35 plus at various times of the year.

JufusMum · 11/08/2014 12:03

You may wish to consider Elizabeth Woodville School, a ten min drive out of MK at Deanshanger, or a twenty min drive to the other site at Roade. DD goes to Roade and we are happy :)

Womaninthecity · 29/01/2016 13:11

Did you move to MK or Twells? We're in a similar position (no kids) and trying to figure it all out!

littlelz · 31/01/2016 13:41

I would recommend Newport Pagnell and Shenley area, both have good primary and secondary state schools.

Mumofmanychores · 12/02/2016 06:11

Woneninthecity we didn't end up moving in the end due to schools. Neither places had schools that were reasonable distance and the schools that had spaces were appalling although may consider mk later on down the line.
Tw I didn't find multi cultural enough for us

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