Advice on areas and schools in Lichfield, Staffordshire please

jo101_2

Hi

My husband has just got a job in Lichfield Staffordshire and next week we are going up there to try and sort out a house to rent and a primary school for my son.

Can anyone please advise me on which areas are good/bad and likewise with the schools.

Many thanks

Jo

Savvy_Sue

While you wait for someone to come along with local knowledge, I'd just like to say that nothing beats going to look at a school, even if you've heard it's in a 'bad' area. My 3 spent their primary years in schools which caused a few eyebrows to rise among my friends, but they had undeservedly poor reputations, and on my visits I liked what I saw of the way the staff dealt with difficult children. It seems to take far longer for a school to recover from a poor reputation than it does to lose a good reputation, even when the reputation (good or bad) is no longer deserved.

I say this in case you find that all the 'good' schools are over-subscribed: do not despair. When we moved here we looked at one school where the head assumed I would go to appeal to get my boys in. Didn't like to tell her that her manner had got so far up my nostrils that there was no way I'd do that!

You can look at Ofsted reports online, and that may help, SATS results are a bit of a mixed blessing to my mind.

Of course the scary thing is that you do also need to look ahead to feeder schools and catchment areas for secondary schools, although as these can change from one year to another that's a bit of a black art! so don't lose TOO much sleep over that one! :rotfl:

stef240377

I live in Tamworth which is approximately 7 miles from the centre of Lichfield. The city itself is a quaint place, not over crowded but very small for shopping. Most people wanting to do clothes shopping and the likes do go further a field there are more shops in Tamworth for instance with a large very busy retail park housing alot of top name stores. As OH used to be a groundsman for all schools in South Staffs area he says in his honest opinion King Edwards is the better high school in Lichfield as for younger children he recommends St. Peters, St. Pauls again in Lichfield.

As for areas to avoid we cant really comment as not from that neck of the woods but i think you cant really judge an area so easily. If you are the sort of people to keep yourselves to yourselves it makes no odds what the area is like but if you are sociable and like to find out go to areas at different times of the day and look for signs of gang cultures around local shops looking for signs of graffitti and the likes.

The area i moved to in Tamworth had a reputation for being rough for a long time but the council do regular sweeps to remove troublesome tennats so a problem can dissappear quite easily and i think you will find no matter what town you live in every estate will have a problem street/area. LOOK at peoples gardens as another sign of how well the area is, well kept gardens nice looking houses etc will show pride for where someone lives most of it is common sense.

Upforabargain2008

Whoops, wrong thread!

jammin_2

How did you get on jo101?

I know Lichfield very well.