When it comes to the education and care of our children, relocating homes may be the best possible choice in order for your children to attain the best teaching possible in your selected area.
Especially across Gloucestershire, particularly in Gloucester, Cheltenham and within more rural areas, specialist Grammar schools can be located far away from the main cities and towns, meaning more travel in the mornings and after school hours, which could affect and crossover with your current working requirements. By having the tools to research schools near your new home before you move can help make the process easier for everyone.
This is one of the most important factors that you must consider when moving homes, as a child’s education is the stepping stones for the rest of their lives. School is much more than a place of academic learning for your children. Its where they practice social interaction, make friends and learn how to deal with people who are different from themselves, where they develop a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world, and where they discover and develop their talents.
There’s no substitute for visiting schools and meeting other parents for an honest appraisal, but if you’re considering a number of potential locations across Gloucestershire before making this all important life choice, how do you make choosing a suitable school a manageable task?
Work Out Your Priorities
There are many areas across Gloucestershire that we class as ‘catchment areas’, where highly rated schools (nursery, secondary and primary) are located within walking distance to highly popular housing estates and suburbs. In fact, 43 schools within the area where named as ‘Outstanding’ on their latest inspection rating, meaning we can provide catchment areas for these grammar schools.
By making these locations a priority for your house search, you can be one step ahead of finding a home that suits the needs of your family, and registering your child/children into a school that will ensure they are able to access the best education in the area.
We find that a lot of people move into the Gloucestershire area from Bristol, Cirencester, Swindon and even further afield to make the daily commute for their child easier each day, especially children attending these grammar schools that Gloucestershire is rife with. People are planning to move within the area ready for their child to potentially go to those schools and people move after their child already has a place, and this is perfectly normal.
Even the comprehensive schools are getting more and more competition for places and therefore location really is key when it comes to considering the school you are looking to send your child to.
Make your home move a manageable task
If you have a shortlist of a number of possible locations like we have listed above, this can feel like a daunting task to choose the right one for you! For each of your shortlist of locations, start with some quick school comparisons using publicly available data for those criteria you’ve decided are important for your child. Use those to weed out those schools that aren’t a good fit, as some schools may only be accessible for 4-11 year olds for example.
Especially for Primaries, choosing to buy your home just a couple of miles from your original location can dramatically change which schools your child will be able to attend, while not significantly increasing your commute or distance to family and friends. So it’s worth widening the net a little at this stage so you can compare all the neighbouring schools too. This is where you can into account travel locations such as bus and train routes, alongside other factors that could prove important later down the line (access to major road networks, city centres, superstores…etc).
Choose The Right Home For You!
Yes, choosing a school that is beneficial for your children is the most important factor, but you should also look out for a home that your family will be happy in. You don’t want to end up in a home that becomes overcrowded for your families demands, so you must ensure you choose a house with enough rooms, enough space and within a good location for other activities.
Here at Farr and Farr, we have a variety of different properties listed within these catchment areas, so you have many options to browse. Farr & Farr has been providing a highly efficient estate agency service since 1982 and has a reputation for quality and traditional values, giving you expert advice as to what home is perfect for you. Our experienced, knowledgeable and professional staff uphold our reputation for customer service at all times, whilst adding that personal touch to ensure your experience is as stress free as possible. Be sure to contact us today for more information on any of our properties.
