Commute

[yoga123]

Hi All
My husband has been offered a job in London and we are considering making the move over the summer. DD has been offered a place at St Helen's for 6th Form and DS a place for Yr 6 at St Martin's Northwood. We are looking to live around Beaconsfield. I wanted to ask if the commute was doable . I wont be working but not sure as i dont know that part of town too well . DH will be in Oxford. Any advice would be helpful.

Why don't you try a local Facebook group?

The drive looks shortish but traffic around M40/A40/M25 is a nightmare. There a good schools in Bucks if you want to live there but also a very expensive area.

@yoga123 A local Facebook group won’t help. No one would ever commute to Northwood for schools from Bucks.

Traffic jams are likely to be huge. If you look during good traffic its 35 mins. Rush hours (hours in the morning and starting at 3 in the afternoon) it’s awful. Why not see what’s available around Beaconsfield or Gerrards Cross? What are your plans post primary for y6 DC? Bucks is a grammar school county so are you planning private all the way? If so, where? Why not look at Beaconsfield area preps to 13?

I imagine Bucks 6 th form grammars are full. However I would never ever contemplate that commute. You will be looking at 45 mins to 1 hour each way.

There is a coach from St helen's to the Waitrose for DD which can work but i do hope we can find something for my son. Thorpe house are open to having him but i am not sure if its a good school. DS is decently academic. Looking at trying for Grammar schools at 13 Plus if that is possible. I never prepared him for the 11 plus as moving was never on the cards and we dont have an address right now for Bucks.

How about Amersham and at least you have the option of the Met Line? Driving would be a real slog though.

You've said your husband has been offered a job in London, but then also DH will be in Oxford. I'm confused.

Will he be working in London or Oxford?
Are you looking at him commuting from Beaconsfield to London or Oxford?

If London, which area?

Husband has been asked to move to the UK with his current company. His office will be between Oxford and Bicester. I like to be within commuting distance of London so Beaconsfield looks like a nice option.

13+ grammar entry relies on there being an occasional space, which is not a given. Unless you are regularly working in London there are fast train services from further out which would meet your needs. Do you know the area?

Have a look at The Beacon (prep to 13) and Berkhamsted (all through nursery to 18) for your son. Both have school transport from Beaconsfield and are much better commutes.

If you want both children in the same direction then Merchant Taylors would be a good bet and, again, has school transport from Beaconsfield.

@yoga123 13 plus places are very rare. The Dc are admitted in score order but mostly no spaces. Bucks have info on their web site.

For me, and I’ve lived in Bucks all my life, I would look to live around Buckingham. Or Winslow. The new Trainline to Oxford isn’t that far off opening. This gives you some choice with Winchester House at Brackley, MK private schools or Swanbourne House near Winslow or Ashfold House school near Brill. You also could have Stowe as a day school at 13. They might even have 6th form space. You can get into London from Bicester quite quickly if you are nearer there, or go from MK. Yes, not as easy as Beaconsfield but schooling has a few options without ludicrous travel. Beaconsfield to Northwood is a pretty awful journey! Even if there is a coach from Waitrose.

I sort of like Beaconsfield but the commute is clearly not viable. So either I go further in towards Northwood etc or look at different schools. I have spoken to Berkhamsted they may have a spot for my son at yr 6 but waiting to hear for my daughter for 6th Form. I have reached out to Beacon School but no reply. Davenies does not have a place. Crown House does and Caldicott does but we dont want him to board.

Bicester to London and Oxford to London is pretty easy. Oxford has lot's of private schools.

@yoga123 contrary to what has been said, lots of DCs go to private schools in Northwood from south Bucks and always have – St Helens and Merchant Taylors primarily. It's a perfectly viable daily commute, but you need to think TRAIN not car or coach.

And this doesn't work from Beaconsfield because it's on a different train line from the one you need. A much better option is to live in or around Amersham and Little Chalfont and then your DCs can get to Northwood on the Metropolitan tube line.

To address your other points: Thorpe House is a perfectly reasonable option. You are unlikely to get a Bucks GS place at 13 (as PPs have said). Berkhamsted is a good choice but from your OP you seem to prefer single-sex schooling? If so, be aware that Berkhamsted is only single-sex between Y7 and Y12 so both your DCs would be in mixed schooling.

DD is quite academic and would prefer mixed schools. Most schools open up the registration when they see her expected grades for GCSE. DD is too and we would like for him to try for 11 plus but he has not prepared for them for the last 12 months. Maybe living closer to Northwood seems like an option.

Not everyone needs loads of prep for the 11+, so may still be worth a shot for your DS I think. But not much point in putting him in for it if you're not going to be living in Bucks.

As mentioned above, there are plenty of towns and villages in south Bucks which would allow you to keep your options open between St Helens/MTS/Berkhamsted/Bucks grammars (the latter could also work for your DD at Sixth Form, does she know what she wants to study for A level?).

@thing47 I really did mean from Beaconsfield. 6 miles traffic jams around Chorleywood today! Driving is a non starter from there.

If you wanted to try for a Bucks 11+ place you need to register very soon and be living in a local address by October.

So Berkhamsted is considering both the kids as day pupils. So keeping my fingers crossed. DD prefers a mixed school and I think I would prefer a mixed school too. Crown House is also speaking to my son next week and getting an idea of where he stands on the 11 plus and offering to help with it. Keeping fingers crossed and toes too. I also like for the town to have some life. We have lived all over the world Dubai and SIngapore etc so its important that the place isnt too sleepy.

Berkhamsted is a great school and there’s a lot to be said for having the children in the same place.

The town itself is also a great place to live. 90% of house sales are people moving out of London. Has a Waitrose, Gails and numerous coffee shops and places to eat out. A great tennis club, sports centre with swimming pool, a lovely cinema and half an hour into Euston on the train. Connections to Oxford aren’t as good as Beaconsfield though.

There's a school coach from GX to St Helens. Lots of girls go there. Though the non rush hour drive can be 15 / 20 mins the bus journey will take c45 / 60 for school. Don't know about St Martins. I don't hear of many boys from GX going there.

Berkhamsted to Oxford is cross country. If you had both at Berko, living nearer to Wendover is a better bet.

Is there nothing in Oxford? Seems a lot of hassle to be in Bucks or Herts. Far more going on there too!!

As beautiful as Oxford is its too far for me ( and a bit close to my MIL ). He will go into London from time to time and travel too so Heathrow is close by. We do like Beaconsfield but i dont want to end up in the the boonies as it will play havoc with my mental health.
Lets hope Berkhamsted works out otherwise we will do Crown House / Thorpe House for DS and St Helen's via Coach for DD.

I am an interior designer so chances of finding work or freelance work in an upscale neighbourhood with train links to London are higher.

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