Best state secondary schools in Hampshire and can we afford to live in catchment?

[NellyJames]

We are relocating to Hampshire. DH needs to get back into London just 3 times a fortnight so commute not really an issue.
Our eldest will be finishing GCSEs when next DC moves into Y6. Youngest will move into Y4. So we’d like to be in catchment for an excellent senior school for the younger 2 and where older one can do Alevels. I understand there’s far less pressure on 6th form places.

2 snags: we need 5 bed as it’s very likely that infirm MIL will move in within a couple of years max (she has no property so can’t contribute)
We have a max budget of 700k which I know will limit choice in very expensive SE.
DH has suffered a mini breakdown and whilst work have been phenomenal with regards working from home on a permanent basis (he’s quite senior) he’s very keen to be near the coast. Not to live on the coast but to be able to access it within an hour or so.
But schools will really determine where we end up.

@CarolEffingBaskin that's a shame about admissions for TPS I'd heard that they were taking less students from further distances.

I'm not sure about some of the smaller less known beaches being packed every sunny day @NellyJames . My local beach of choice is on Hayling usually not really any problems getting on and off as daytrippers tend to prefer the bigger sandier beache like Witterings or Bournemouth. Corona has changed things somewhat there are more people around, not on hols with more time on hands. I think it will settle down and we can go back to days of having the lesser known beaches with lots of space for everyone..bliss !

I would go for as close to the beach as you can, one of the less crowded as mentioned by PP, as being by the sea will really help the MH of not just your DH but the rest of the family as well. You can't beat it.

itsgetting
Lucky you did not have my DD dancing across that picture as she regularly goes to Hillhead beach
we let the tourists go to Bournemouth and we go to Hillhead
both my kids have learned to paddle board there :-)

Another option could be a larger 4 bed house with a large single or double garage that could be converted to provide a downstairs bedroom and bathroom for MIL?

I still think Petersfield ticks a lot of OP’s boxes wrt to schools, transport, access to coast, plus the South Downs on your doorstep.

Do you know why he wants to move to the South coast? What will this change provide that he isn’t getting where he is? If you are 1hr from North Wales you have some great countryside around you (if not the sea).

I understand there is a push from where you are i’m curious about the pull to Hampshire.

An complete curve ball - West coast of Scotland! You could get an amazing house and your husband gets the sleeper down when he needs to go to London.

Another curveball is the Durham area

• super fast train to London
• coast
• much cheaper
• great eye tests at Castle Barnard

Alton.
Alresford.
Both beautiful places to live with great primary and secondary schools. You can't go wrong.

@ListeningQuietly

itsgetting Lucky you did not have my DD dancing across that picture as she regularly goes to Hillhead beach we let the tourists go to Bournemouth and we go to Hillhead both my kids have learned to paddle board there :-)

Ds has learnt to paddleboard this year. My dad brought one and I've promised ds I'll buy him one for next summer.

That photo was about 8.30am!

We had a day where we decided to go early and cooked breakfast on the beach. It's an amazing beach isn't it? Both the low and high tides offer so much and even when tide is right in its shallow enough to swim and play in.

Itsgetting
I am not a Portsmouth fan you can guess where I live
and so always used to head west to go to the beach
but since I started dropping my kids off at Hillhead to meet their friends
I'm a convert.

Are there any waves at Hillhead? We've just got one of those wooden bellyboards keen to give various places a go!

@OrangeCinnamon1

Are there any waves at Hillhead? We've just got one of those wooden bellyboards keen to give various places a go!

Not really waves!

The beach has shallow pools when tides out as their are spits that jet out. That's photo. It also has loads of sand but that's just to left of photo.

When tide rolls in there can be a few waves but nothing I'd call large and rolling (unless it's windy!)

The tide comes up and over spits and then gently rolls up the beach and just gets deeper!

There isnt really anywhere along our coast that has rolling waves. The best you may find is south sea beach if you want any waves at all!

@OrangeCinnamon1 We are in the village that has always been just inside the southern boundary of ‘yep, they’ll get into TPS,’ then last year a lot of us were disappointed. We were in the top 10 of the waiting list and once the private school place holders had dropped off we might just have squeezed him in (they took a bulge class), but DS preferred the certainty of knowing where he was going over the summer so stuck with our second choice.

OP I really do think Gosport won’t be for you. I’d you’re moving from an area that has all outstanding OFSTEDs and Oxbridge applicants, you’ll have a shock. Alverstoke might be lovely (it is) but the poverty gap between Alverstoke and Rowner is the widest between adjacent postcodes/districts in the entire country. Rowner is an extremely deprived area, and Forton/Bridgemary/Elson etc are not exactly prosperous. Alverstoke is like an enclave of privilege surrounded by severe deprivation, and you will have to go through to dodgy bits to get there daily. The commute is also hugely more awkward than it is from Havant/Petersfield area.
Also agree that Winchester is too north to be considered coastal, though it is stunning, but it’s also rapidly becoming a very studenty city. Which may or may not float your boat.

I advise visiting all the areas mentioned that are nearer the coast to see which one ‘fits’ your family best.

What do Gosport / Portsmouth people think of Southsea? Lots of big Victorian / Edwardian terraces that would provide the space in budget, close to the sea. Commute is long though, plus traffic can be bad getting on/off the island.

@sabrinathwaite I think it is an up and coming area , trendy parts, quite eclectic but portsea itself is quite populated and you get the issues you get with any city.

Southsea itself is lovely, but like anywhere on Portsea Island, you might get three nice roads surrounded by seven shitty ones. So it's worth looking really closely at all the surrounding streets to work out where you really want to be.

I grew up down there and love the area.

Would be wary though that all schools are academies and this can be an issue. (Personal opinion but also don't think any Portsmouth schools have great results?)

I don't think any of the schools would be what OP is looking for - not compared to Gosport and Bay House.

We live in Netley (I have four DS's) and catchment to schools in the area has been great. Barton Peveril for eldest (and now Southampton Uni), the other three are at local schools that they can walk to.

Check out Hamble too - trains are pretty regular to London via Southampton as my DH goes about once a month for work.

It's beautiful here by the sea and Royal Victoria Country Park!

Thanks so much everyone. You’ve all been amazing giving up your time to talk it through with me. We are coming down as soon as possible to get a feel for the place. We were going to wait until October half term but actually, seeing it in summer will probably give us a better idea of crowds and traffic. DH definitely does not want to live in a very touristy area. I don’t think his nerves will take it. He wants to sail in the summer and take windy walks in the winter. I just want to ensure that by moving to such an area and leaving a very urban, affluent area with very high achieving schools that I’m not disadvantaging my kids. I know we need to go. I know my budget doesn’t stretch as far in Hampshire and I also know there will be new opportunities for the kids perhaps involving the sea. It will be fine I’m sure. It’s just a bit daunting but less so with all your help. 👏👏👏 I’ve made a note of the schools that have been recommended so we’ll be checking out homes in those areas.

Sorry, one last question: Are there woods nearby any of the areas mentioned? Only because we’ve been advised that getting a dog may help DH. Obviously this would be easier if there were places walking distance to walk the dog.

Lots of woods near Petersfield, you are in the South Downs National Park and right next to Queen Elizabeth Country Park.

Hi. Sailing is seriously pricey in the SE, I know it is expensive everywhere but it is eye watering down here! We have a 34ft yacht and marina fees are ££££.

Not the best sailing as well! The Solent can be very choppy, there is a strong tide and it is busy so if you want to go anywhere you have to get there early.

If sailing is something you want to do I would definitely look further down the coast.

Or look at a wider area but be creative with the commute, sleeper, fast trains or even going to London once a fortnight and stay overnight. If you save a lot on the property this could still make financial sense.

You can get dog walks anywhere can't you? We are spoilt with woods and nature reserves round here but loads of dogs are walked in the parks too. Presuming you're just after something smallish and local rather than an enormous forest.

I would just say, if you "need" the sea, I wouldn't go anywhere much north of the M27, though that might break down a bit round the Portsmouth area which I don't know so well. The coastal roads get very busy in the summer. But houses do get pricier again once you get really onto the coast.

@NellyJames

Sorry, one last question: Are there woods nearby any of the areas mentioned? Only because we’ve been advised that getting a dog may help DH. Obviously this would be easier if there were places walking distance to walk the dog.

Loads of woods in Hampshire.

Near Bay House/Alverstoke that I've been mentioning you have Albee Valley country work and stokes bay with loads of fields .

For days out/ travelling for walks there's queen elizabeth, queen Victoria, lepe, country parks. Itchen valley.

Dorsey way you have Avon valley and Moors valley.

I've always felt very lucky living this area (and I'm in a 2 bed HA flat in a very mixed area ) because there's everything.

Lockdown made me appreciate it more. 10 minutes walk away there is mikes of country and field for me to walk through. 10 minutes drive away is miles of beach.

Lots of woods RVCP, Itchen Valley, Forest of Bere....the New Forest isn’t far!

Good luck op

@itsgettingweird, where are you again? Roughly it PM if you don’t want to say on here. Because 10mins to that sort of walk and 10min drive to the beach sounds exactly what my husband needs.