Moving back to UK need advice on where to live for schools

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Minesatea
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Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2009 12:08 am

Re: Moving back to UK need advice on where to live for schoo

Post by Minesatea »

If your DD is interested in languages generally, then the Anglo European school in Ingatestone would be another option. It is a International Baccalaureate school with the study of at least one language mandatory for all pupils. They have chinese teachers along with offering a range of european languages. They also have an admissions category for children with a second language and/or have lived outside the UK for a significant time.
FlightyRachel
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Joined: Thu May 29, 2008 2:57 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Moving back to UK need advice on where to live for schoo

Post by FlightyRachel »

Sorry, don't know how I missed the previous post! I'm sure it wasn't there when I started! :lol: :lol:

Anyway:

You might want to look at Essex, and not just at the grammars. The Anglo European School, in Ingatestone, prioritises speakers of other languages on the entry criteria, and has strong links to China, I believe.

I don't know a huge amount about the school but a friend's son recently started there and he loves it. Living in the wider Chelmsford area would give you the chance to have a look at the Southend grammars, Chelmsford County High and the Colchester girls grammar, as well as Anglo European.
neveragainmum
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Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2014 11:30 pm

Re: Moving back to UK need advice on where to live for schoo

Post by neveragainmum »

Have a look around the Lincolnshire area, I considered it and may still do coming from London. Nice surrounding countryside near the coast etc.. Good amenities and shopping in some parts. The housing is very cheap, renting too in comparison to other areas around the country, and wide selection of great grammar schools to chose from easier to get into, non of which to my knowledge are superselectives that are found in and around London and other areas. I wouldnt know about languages offered in these schools though. Good luck!
MmeOgg
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Joined: Sun Oct 28, 2012 4:44 pm

Re: Moving back to UK need advice on where to live for schoo

Post by MmeOgg »

If you look in the Billericay area of Essex, you'll find that the grammars in Chelmsford and Southend are all commutable, plus the Anglo European in Ingatestone is close by. The local primary schools are good, there is a small independent school in the town, and Mayflower High School in the town is a well-regarded comprehensive in case the 11+ side of things doesn't work out. And Billericay is a 30min rail commute to London Liverpool Street.
MedievalBabe
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Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2013 9:56 pm

Re: Moving back to UK need advice on where to live for schoo

Post by MedievalBabe »

I agree with previous posters on the need to know where you want to live for your family life and work.

I have 2 Guides who were adopted from China and their family was determined that they needed to maintain knowledge of their heritage including the language, they go to a Chinese school at the weekend which has plenty of native speakers. This may be the way forward for yourselves if the secondary schools do not offer it to the standard required and I am pretty sure that it would be possible to find out about these extra schools once you decide on an area. The older daughter is also in a super selective GS which offers Manadarin to GCSE at least, but it is a very difficult school to get in to.
johntressine
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2014 8:12 am

Re: Moving back to UK need advice on where to live for schoo

Post by johntressine »

Thank you for all the replies so far.
In regard to work and commuting, I work from home, so location as in a specific part of the country is not a concern. It is not possible to visit areas as I do not live in UK and am not able to visit until we move in July, looking for advice so we can home in on specific location when we arrive Southern UK preferred, not looking to be too rural, but near the coast would be nice, we cannot afford private schools or to live in London, but as I say, good schools is the main priority.
magwich2
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Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2008 5:33 pm

Re: Moving back to UK need advice on where to live for schoo

Post by magwich2 »

It would be useful to obtain a map of Parliamentary constituencies and the majority of each main party at the last general election. There are obviously some anomalies but in general the higher the Tory majority, the better the schools and the more pleasant the area.
Its always worked well for us!
Amber
Posts: 8058
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: Moving back to UK need advice on where to live for schoo

Post by Amber »

I have to say it seems a bit strange to me that you would seek advice, upon which you will base a decision, on something so personal and life changing, from a bunch of strangers on a very small and very niche internet site. Please be aware that there is a heavy (numerical) south-east bias among posters on here so replies are likely to reflect that. Personally I would advise moving north - in my opinion the quality of life is likely on the whole to be better in parts of Yorkshire than anything the south can offer, for many reasons (not just Betty's) and it is where I would live given a free choice. However, that is just personal opinion, as is every other post on this thread. Can you really not get over here before moving?

As for Chinese classes, if your child is already bilingual, no after-school Chinese club is going to cater for her linguistic abilities - she is more likely to be asked to run one! She is likely to breeze through GCSE Mandarin with the help of a tutor and using a school as a registration centre. I guess you could look at areas where there are high concentrations of Taiwanese (they use Mandarin I think?) for some kind of club.
scary mum
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Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Re: Moving back to UK need advice on where to live for schoo

Post by scary mum »

Amber beat me to it, and echoed what I said in my previous post. My advice, for what it's worth, would be to choose an area with plenty of options - either a comprehensive area, or a super selective area with good comprehensives. You have no idea whether you child will pass the 11 plus, for a start (every year, bright children do not). Maybe people on here could comment on their own areas? IN some areas (Bucks, Kent), 20-30% of children will get a GS place. In superselective areas it might be 1%.
Buckinghamshire: fully grammar school/upper school county. People move to Bucks for the grammar schools and then discover to their horror that their child does not pass the test or they are not quite close enough to the school & the local upper school is not what they would want for their child (there are some good ones, but also some awful ones). No comprehensive schools at all, so the top 30% "creamed off".

Eta: have you looked at this section: http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/schools/regions" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
scary mum
Twinkle
Posts: 580
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 10:26 pm

Re: Moving back to UK need advice on where to live for schoo

Post by Twinkle »

A coastal town in East Kent? There are quite a number of grammar schools and there is less pressure for places than in West Kent and I don't think the schools are super selective. Folkestone , Dover , and Canterbury ( not by the sea but very nice city) and Ashford ( not on coast but on main rail line) all have grammar schools I believe. You will have to research carefully to ensure that you are within catchment for the schools though. Also make sure that there are good alternative options available in case your child doesn't pass 11+. I don't know whether Chinese is offered in any of the schools in the area but as other posters say, an out of school club might be more appropriate if available.
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