New Forest Secondary Schools

[Cheekyb]

Hi, we are thinking of taking a leap and moving to the New Forest after living elsewhere for 10 years or so for work. I'm familiar with the area (parents live there and I went to primary there) but wondered about the secondary schooling options? DS will start sept 2022 and DD a couple of years later.

We are mainly looking south of the A31 primarily Brockenhurst/ Sway/ Burley/ Bransgore.

It looks like the secondary options are Priestlands, Arnewood, Highcliffe and Ringwood.

DH went to grammar in Bournemouth - I see they run a bus from Lymington/ New Milton but not sure how realistic it would be for the children to get a place even if they did pass the tests.

Any opinions on the schools would be gratefully received as secondary catchments are a big factor to our search. There is only so much you can get from ofsted reports and open days are obviously not happening at the moment.

Many thanks

@Cheekyb did you ever move or did you still want any info? Just came across this while looking for something else 😁

@mysteriousmonkey thank you, we did move. We are Ringwood catchment but still thinking about putting in DS in for Bournemouth Grammar tests but expect too far out to get a place (assuming he does alright in the test!).

@Cheekyb glad you got moved. DS is sitting the 11plus this year as his sisters go to the girls school. He doesn't want to go to the boys though and wants to go to Arnewood like his brother. I heard the boys is virtually impossible to get into out of catchment but figure it won't do him any harm to try and have more than one option😁

Ps I don't know why my happy smiley faces look so grrrrr! I don't know much about Ringwood secondary schools, but assume they are okay as generally (except the Grange in Highcliffe) they all seem to be a mixture of good/outstanding here. I liked Highcliffe the best when we looked around a few years ago but my kids disagreed

@mysteriousmonkey that was my thinking too - might give them options. Ultimately the extra work won't go to waste! Good luck to your DS

Yours too!

Brockenhurst had a good rep. Also on train line if south of A31.