Lancashire relocation help!

[seafoodudon]

So we currently own a lovely house fairly centrally in Manchester. We've been there for 10 years and were pretty clear about schools. We have four kids currently in primary, with eldest in year 5.

During lockdown we've been living in the countryside, and we've decided we want to relocate to a) be further north and closer to Lancaster, where I work - whilst still being a straightforward commute to Manchester, where husband works and b) get a bit of land (we fancy a small small-holding and space for the kids to run about).

We've basically looked at everywhere from just north of Lancaster (so Cumbria) to Bacup, including the Fylde and Preston. My eyes have gone a bit square with it all.

But I think the hardest thing is trying to figure out where would have decent schools for eldest. She is bright, hard working, and she was planning on sitting the 11+ if we stayed in Manchester.

So I suppose I'm really asking if anyone can recommend particularly good state schools in commuting distance of Lancaster and Manchester (absolute max 1 hour from Lancaster)? To be clear, we'd live near the school, and us parents would commute!

Lancaster has both a boys' and a girl's grammar.

Ribble Valley, beautiful country side and 20mins from M6! fab schools and grammar in clitheroe

Lancaster Girls Grammar seems the obvious choice.

Penwortham Girls High (Preston) is an Outstanding school and I know staff there who ensured their own daughters went there rather than private school.

Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar is fantastic but I wouldn't recommend living in Bacup itself - bit backwards and terrible traffic at rush hour to motorways.

Have you looked at Crawshawbooth or areas around there? Much nicer!

As others have said, LGGS is the obvious choice and there's some lovely villages commutable to it, but worth considering if the other DC won't attend grammar as you'll need to think about catchments for decent alternatives, unless you are church attendees in which case Ripley St Thomas is outstanding.

@mummyshambles123

Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar is fantastic but I wouldn't recommend living in Bacup itself - bit backwards and terrible traffic at rush hour to motorways.

Have you looked at Crawshawbooth or areas around there? Much nicer!

Agree.

Clitheroe and Bacup & Rawtenstall are both very good.
Bury Grammar and Bolton School are private.
There are some good secondaries in the Ribble Valley

North Bury and Bolton have rural areas
Edenfield, Rawtenstall, parts of Helmshore and Ramsbottom
Fence
Chorley villages
Belmont
Abbey Village

There are so many places that you could realistically live in and commute to both cities.

Think you will find what you are looking for. Bacup is likely not that, though you probably would get a great deal on a property with land!

Lancaster Girls' Grammar is very good. It has quite a large catchment (there's a map in the link below). It usually has some residual places; there's a school bus which runs up the A6 from Preston but obviously the applicant has to have done very well on the 11+ to get one of those so not something you could base any plans on.

The commute into Manchester from the north down the M6 may be straightforward but the traffic at peak times is pretty dire - DH used to sometimes have to go in for meetings and always tried to time it for the middle of the day. Not sure whether the train would be a viable alternative from Lancaster.

https://issuu.com/lggslancaster/docs/11admissionssbooklet2020

Thanks so much, I really appreciate the responses. We've found quite a few properties we really like (within budget) close to Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar. It seems the area is quite well connected - easy in to Manchester, and not the quick commute to Lancaster I was hoping for, but manageable. We're both a bit concerned about raising teens in the countryside (I was, and I know what I got up to!). However, the villages in that area look well connected by bus and we could easily get them down to Manchester at the weekends.

@seafoodudon

Thanks so much, I really appreciate the responses. We've found quite a few properties we really like (within budget) close to Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar. It seems the area is quite well connected - easy in to Manchester, and not the quick commute to Lancaster I was hoping for, but manageable. We're both a bit concerned about raising teens in the countryside (I was, and I know what I got up to!). However, the villages in that area look well connected by bus and we could easily get them down to Manchester at the weekends.

I'm not sure how you do it on here but happy for you to PM me! Know the area well. School is also very good.

The area is fine for teenagers. Manchester and all of the local towns have enough going on.

Have you looked at Garstang? Easy commute to Lancaster, LGGS and Manchester. I'd favour that over East lancs. or the bypass has opened up heysham to an easy commute too

@myhobbyisouting

Have you looked at Garstang? Easy commute to Lancaster, LGGS and Manchester. I'd favour that over East lancs. or the bypass has opened up heysham to an easy commute too

We did look at Garstang. We'd heard lots of people rave about it. I couldn't really figure out why when we drove round.

Garstang is nice, nothing exciting, but you still have the A6 to contend with on the commute. If you went for Lancaster both Halton and Caton are quick to J34 and you have the options of QES as a high school alternative from there. Obviously the Manchester commute is longer from there but DH does it, it's just about timing.

My niece goes to BRGS and we live in the nearby villages. I grew up in a big town but absolutely love it here and wouldn't go back to town living. Buses to Manchester are great and if you wanted to get an Uber back they're cheap as chips anyway. There's some decent High Schools nearby too