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.

@yoga123 Gerard's Cross

A word on Crown House. It’s a total grammar 11+ crammer (but I guess you already know that). The facilities really aren’t great and the fees reflect that. It’s only recently they got a teacher of sport in house. It’s small size has it’s benefits, but be prepared for a lot of time sat at desks working and very few of the added bells and whistles.

That’s fine if it’s what you want, but just wanted to highlight. You’ll get a very different experience at St Martin’s, Thorpe House or Berkhamsted.

But if your ds will be entering year 6 the Bucks 11+ test is this September so will he have little time to benefit from any cramming.

@yoga123 What are boonies?

So you would have DC commute to Berko from Beaconsfield? Just too far. Berko is pretty MC. If you need work that badly surely around Oxford works just as well. (Or is DH in London?) What are you too far from? Around Beaconsfield and Gerrards Cross is countryside. Plus loads of interior designers already who are established. It’s an overcrowded market here!

Yeah, as @TizerorFizz says, don't do Beaconsfield to Berkhamsted – that's a half-hour drive on a Sunday morning, at least twice that in school traffic.

I strongly recommend you decide on whether your house's location is the priority, or your DCs' schools. Then choose the other accordingly…

Where do you expect DH to be based? How easy should his commute be? Personally I like Berkhamsted as a place to live and it has good access to London. To Oxford it’s not great - cross country - but doable once a week or twice. . Would not want it every day!

Why won't you live within walking distance to St Helen's so your DD can prepare better for A Level?

@TizerorFizz the boonies are the sticks. It's an American expression for an area that isn't easy to get to and isn't v sophisticated.

@ChickenSoupAndLokshen How very rude! Nowhere deserves this woman!

Not sure the people of Oxford would think of themselves as unsophisticated, but equally given how built up the South East is, nowhere is really that far out/ rural, South Bucks is almost the most rural South of Oxford given how difficult it is to get planning in the S Bucks area for new developments.

Ease of the commute is as significant as time up to a point. Hour door to door here, but 50 minutes on the train makes it possible to get plenty of work done en route.