Secondary schools etc round York

[TessW]

Hi everyone,

We're hoping to move to the York area later this year, and I wondered if anyone has any recommendations for the best places to live and which ones to avoid? I have four children aged 6, 11, 14 and 16, so education is very high on the agenda. Also with teenagers it would be great if there was something for them to do nearby, or on a good bus/train route into the city itself.

Any advice VERY gratefully received. It seems like a mammoth task at the moment. I was a student in York in the 80s but don't know many areas except Heslington.

Thanks so much.

My DB used to teach at Huntington school which think is thought to be a very good school

Thanks for the info - ofsted looks good but it's always good to hear first hand

Huntington certainly think they are fab - fulford is another very good state comp, hard to get into tho. If you are paying then st pete's is mixed, or the mount for girls.

Fulford and Huntington are fairly near city centre - cycling distance - and both on bus routes. Huntington has shopping centre (Monks Cross)and swimming pool.

I've only visited Huntington school but was impressed with the Head. He seems to have a different vision for the school. It used to have a reputation as an "exam factory" at the expense of pastoral care.

Huntington primary also has a good reputation - my DCs go to a slightly less popular school in the area so can't comment

York has some excellent secondary schools. Check out the BBC schools league table - they are all on there. To be honest, you would need to visit them to find the best one for your circumstances. You don't mention faith schools, but my niece and nephew went to All Saints (Catholic) and thrived there. In terms of where to live, anywhere close to the City centre should be fine; you will know which places to avoid by asking your letting or estate agent and by visiting. But Fulford is very nice.

I did my PGCE at York. Fulford and Huntington both very good schools and as Brown Owl says, near town centre.

I agree that York's secondary schools are excellent and even those considered less good (York High, Burnholme, Canon Lee) are far from awful and would probably be sought after in other places. As well as All Saints there are 2 C of E schools, Manor and Archbishop Holgate's, which both have good reputations, and Manor, York High and Joseph Rowntree are all new, with super facilities. York's public transport is good and nowhere's far from the city centre, and it's flat so good for cycling as well.

There's certainly no need to consider private schools in order to 'escape' the state system, but if that's what appeals to you, there's also Bootham School, which is a co-ed Quaker School with quite a liberal atmosphere and right in the centre of the city.

The Mount is an all girls Quaker school (which means it's very quiet, studious and the girls have very developed social consciences - huge amount of charity/eco work for instance). It has fabulous results, small classes and produces lovely girls. It also has its own Primary called Tregelles. It's about 1/3 boarding and day girls can flexi board as often as they like. (Disclaimer - I have worked there. I loved it and genuinely found the girls there to be the nicest and most responsible girls of any school I've worked at.)

Bootham and The Mount are fabulous schools but you would have to be rich.... they are at the pricier end of private.
Fulford, Holgates and Huntington all good.

Ds1 goes to Millthorpe.

we are happy with the school, ds loves it.

I don't know Bootham's prices but The Mount is actually pretty competitively priced. Another school I worked at (albeit a much more famous one) charged almost £30,000 per year - The Mount is more like £18,000 I think.

(I am aware that's still a lot of money by the way - one of the reasons I work in the private sector is so I can get reduced school fees...I always feel embarrassed admitting that. It's not the only reason of course but it did affect my decision to work in the private sector. When I started teaching the fees for one pupil for one year at the school I worked at were more than my annual salary.)

well Pocklington School is 11k, so 18would be rather a lot for round here, though yes, I'm sure it doesn't compare with Eton etc!

Fulford and Huntington school certainly have good reputations.

Where to live and where to avoid? Fulford is lovely - right by the river. Bishopthorpe Road area and South Bank - trendy.

Huntington - old Huntington is lovely - rest is estatey.

To avoid: parts of Acomb, Tang Hall, Westfield and Chapelfields and the Groves (student land)

However - York really has no rough areas compared to other cities. It is very well served by bus routes.