Chelmsford girls - advice needed on transport

[gaap]

My DD has got an offer for CCHS. We live in Cambridge and there is also an offer from high performing Indie locally with bursary. So really confused with these 2 options and struggling to decide.

1) Relocating to Chelmsford and accepting CCHS place is our first preference. But then my DH has to commute to Cambridge everyday for work. We also have to get a school place for my DS, age 8 at a good state primary school in Chelmsford.

2) Accepting indie place will put us under tremendous pressure financially even with bursary. But there is no hassle of relocating and can stay close to friends.

3) There is also an option to move midway between Cambridge and Chelmsford. But Iam not sure about transport links to CCHS. It would be very helpful to know if there are girls attending CCHS from Bishops Stortford, Great Dunmow area.

Any suggestions regarding school choice and place will be greatly appreciated.

[aang]

Re option 1, there are plenty of good primary schools in Chelmsford and if you relocate, the options for your DS are wider as there are plenty of GS such as KEGS,CRGS, Southend and Westcliff and there are some decent local state comprehensives. Chelmsford is a lovely place to live, but then I may be biased commuting to Cambridge by car will take about an hour (A120 and M11) and you are going mostly against the traffic - unfortunately I am not aware of any decent train or bus option.

Re option 3, check with CSSE on local buses. I believe that ChCHS has most extracurricular activities during lunchtimes so participating in other activities will not be as much a logistics puzzle.

I think it boils down to which school your DD prefers and the amount of financial risk/family sacrifices that you wish to take now and for the next 10 or so years.

[moved]

Regarding option 3 KEGS is introducing a 12 mile catchment area, full details to be released on 5th April. 
The commute to Cambridge is an hour and a quarter if you live on the North side of Chelmsford.
We moved so that DC could walk to school, rejected the place at a top Kent indie for the bursary reason. Glad we did as we both earn more so the bursary would have decreased. But grammars are not independent schools. They have large class sizes in comparison and there is much less individual attention.
Chelmsford does not have an independent school on a par with Perse, so DS would need to make KEGS.
Personally, we have been very pleased with CCHS but I don't really enjoy my drive to Southend each day for work. So your husband would need to consider carefully. He would be going against the traffic at the start of his journey.
Cambridge and Chelmsford are very different towns, make sure you like it here. DD and I treat ourselves by going shopping in Cambridge.

[gaap]

Thanks aang and moved for providing very valid points. It has now become a matter of either taking financial risk or accept different set up in an unknown area. My DD is also torn between in choosing CCHS and indie. She likes both schools and struggling to give her first preference.

If we decide to move to Chelmsford we are considering areas like Springfield, Broomfield and Chelmer village(noted down from the forum ). Among these areas which one would be better suited for easy access to CCHS and with good state primary school? Apart from these locations are there any areas to avoid in Chelmsford?

Panic kick starts when I now think of DS. He is bit lazy and dont know if he will work hard like his sister to get into KEGS. Very nerve wracking moments at this stage!

[Clarabelle]

Another forum member who was also considering the move to Chelmsford from London area recently said that the local schools contacted didn't have places so perhaps worth a call? Also think about the catchment comp school if ds doesn't get gs place.

Also consider the fuel costs - 2.5 hr daily commute

Good luck whatever you decide.

[gaap]

Thanks Clarabelle. I rang Essex council yesterday regarding primary school places and was told that they will let me know the vacancies only after I make the application. So one more aspect worth considering before relocating!