Moving to Lichfield from Harborne - pros and cons

[ekate]

We are currently based in Harborne, both work at the University of Birmingham, and have a 9 year old DS moving into year 5 in September. Currently there is no commute for anyone, just walking or cycling, which is amazing, but state senior school options are limited, and far away, including grammar, if he is lucky to get in.

We are now looking for good senior school options, mixed, ideally state, but private also an option. We started looking outside Birmingham in nice areas that would not require our son to have a long school bus commute through Birmingham from Harborne every day and also more access to the country side. Lichfield has good direct train links to Birmingham University and London, and ticks a lot of other boxes, a beautiful place with history and culture. Any advice on good areas, catchment and senior schools in Lichfield, pros and cons of moving there? I've read a few threads on Mumsnet and it looks promising, but many of these are from a few years ago. Thanks in advance!

I've never lived in Lichfield but my brother went to the cathedral school and the children are known very well by their teachers and the facilities are good. I've said myself before that I'd send my child there if I could afford it.

Thanks for sharing, sounds lovely. I've heard good things about the Cathedral school. Wondering how it compares to Friary and King Edwards school.

Bear in mind that you'll both have to commute to work for the next however many years - probably longer than your son will be at secondary school! I work at UoB and used to live locally, but now have a commute and it's such a pain! My ds went to Handsworth Grammar and we rate it highly - it's not a long commute on the number 11 bus? Kids generally quite enjoy the camaraderie of the journey on public transport too - at least both mine did!

That's an interesting perspective. I was wondering about how commutable this direct line is, in reality. Where do you commute from and are there many everyday disruptions, apart from strikes?

To be fair I get two trains - one into New St and then one on the cross city line out to Uni. I've only been doing it for a few months and they are reasonably reliable, but you always have the odd day where there's a strike, or a delay due to the weather or someone on the tracks, or they don't have enough drivers. Do you go in every day? Also consider the cost - you'll have to both get train passes.

It's fine if you actually want to move out of Harborne and you think you'll be happier in Lichfield long term, but I wouldn't do it just for schools. My ds had to take a bus up to Selly Oak and then join the number 11 and he was jealous of people who only had to travel from Harborne! But there were loads of them getting the number 11 and it was a very sociable experience. Also, the student bus pass is so useful for them to have at weekends and in holidays, so they can get around. Living in Lichfield will be a very different experience - and it could be just what you want/need, so I'm not dissing it! It's a lovely small city, but a very different vibe to Harborne. Also, it may only be for five years as you may find your ds wants to move school for sixth form - both mine did - and some do travel from Lichfield to Sutton Coldfield for the grammars.

Thanks a lot for sharing! These are all really useful considerations! Also will look at Handsworth grammar, as wasn't on my radar so far. We were very much hoping for a mixed school, and not much choice in Birmingham with the other considerations in mind.

That's true, the best schools in Birmingham are single sex. Both mine moved to a mixed environment for sixth form and that seemed like a good balance to me.

I think if I was going to move for schools, I'd go to Sutton Coldfield, rather than going as far as Lichfield as that would reduce your commute and as far as I know, the schools are really good.

Oh, one more thing - if you wanted to stay where you are and you're considering private, there's Solihull School, which has a bus from by the uni.

I read this yesterday and was going to suggest Sutton Coldfield but got waylaid. I agree with the advice from @crazycrofter

As you know, the only mixed state grammar in the area is KE Five Ways, and you basically must live in the catchment area to get a place. Prior to the introduction of catchment areas for the KE grammars, many Harborne residents favoured Five Ways (or the Camp Hill grammars) and were very put out when the new catchment areas put them in catchment for the Handsworth grammars! (Unfairly – they are also very good schools!) If mixed schools are high priority for you, have you considered moving to a location comfortably within the catchment area of Five Ways that is also close to a good state secondary (so you have a backup if your DS doesn’t get a grammar place?)

In terms of state secondaries in Lichfield, all I know is that a friend decided not to bother putting her bright daughter through the 11 plus as they were very happy with their local school, which was King Edward VI.

Also third hand… another friend considered Lichfield Cathedral school along with some other private schools for her DC, and concluded that the Cathedral school was less academic than others they were considering (which included Highclare and Wolverhampton Grammar.) For context, their DC didn’t pass the 11 plus for state grammar. I don’t know whether their view was fair/accurate though.

Thanks, that's such helpful information! Which good non grammar school near Five Ways grammar are you referring to?

Harborne is usually in the Five Ways catchment, whereas Edgbaston falls in the Handsworth one. I’m not sure there are any schools worth moving for that are nearer Five Ways. The Kings Norton schools are highly regarded and in catchment but probably not much nearer than Harborne - and they’re single sex (but mixed at sixth form).

@ekate I'm afraid I don't know the area well enough to recommend a good school - I just hoped there would be one in the KEFW catchment area...

As before, I defer to @crazycrofter for local knowledge. I suspect some of my friends that claim to live in Harborne actually live just into the Edgbaston ward, hence their being disappointed to find that KEFW is not their catchment grammar.

You can check which electoral ward you currently live within:
https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/wardlookup

If you do currently live in catchment for KE Five Ways and you are happy living in Harborne, and would prefer a mixed school and your DS is doing well at school, I would be tempted to stay where you are. The required score for for an in-catchment place at KEFW is not so daunting if your DS is bright and has some appropriate preparation, and you are within reach of some good private schools if the 11 plus doesn't work out.

That's not to put you off Lichfield or Sutton Coldfield though. Both are good alternatives.

Hi we are currently living in Sutton Coldfield in catchment for the best schools however we are moving to Lichfield as the house prices in sutton are getting ridiculous. Our secondary would be king Edward’s but I’ve heard some bad things in terms of drugs. Can someone if they have great experiences there put my mind at ease by saying something nice about it 😆

Thanks for raising this, Infonet23! Further, I've studied Locrating maps, and noticed that Friary is a currently better performing alternative in Lichfield. Any personal experience with KE or Friary?

P.S. We are now also looking into Sutton Coldfield, because the comprehensive schools are better performing, the excellent grammar (if DS is able to get in) and also a bit closer to work in terms of commute.
I did not see a major difference in house prices to Lichfield - are you referring to a specific area, e.g. Four Oaks for Arthur Terry?

I'm with the others that say only move if you actually want to, not to save on your child's commute
Plus think of your child's options at sixth form and older, would they prefer to be located where you are now as a late teen or Litchfield.

Also you have all been very lucky with no commute, whilst it will seem like a shock now lots of kids have long commutes, even from primary