Epsom Surrey

morg_monster

What's your budget? What about Cobham, Esher, Weybridge, Walton on Thames, Hersham. (in rough order of decreasing poshness/expensiveness, you'll have to guess which one we live in!!!!). Close to Heathrow and great for kids, not really rural but decent green space all around. Pretty good connections into Waterloo ~30-40 mins if you need that.
Fraid I don't know about schools as we aren't at that stage yet but I believe there are some OK state schools around this area. Lots of people educate privately around here I think so if that was your cup of tea there's loads. I drove past the Yehudi Menuhin school yesterday randomly (when picking up someone's old jamjars which I'd bought for £1 on ebay) (that may help you answer my question above!!)
Or Woking - there's a coach link to Heathrow there.

We also looked at the Ewells when we were looking, which are close to Epsom but much nicer, but eventually decided not to as it seemed a bit too quiet for us! We like being nearer to Kingston for the shopping :-)

00ec25

gorgeouslatinrose wrote: »

Bookham, which is a great place to bring up children and lots to do.

pray tell, what age group had you in mind for your reference to "lots to do" - in Bookham ????????????

fantastic place to live but you can't do anything there unlesss you are under 10 or over 60 , you go elsewhere for your entertainment aged 11 - 60

BeccaBell

mandm65 wrote: »

thanks mate, i know sutton is good for schools etc but i get the impression that we would not get village kind of feel in sutton and probably value for money would be better utilised elsewhere?
Anyone recommend area fgood schooling to explore in Surrey, tilting towards heathrow?
cheers

Banstead, Cheam or Belmont would put you in the good school areas but you get the village feel. You have good access to M25 putting you pretty much half way between gatwick and Heathrow and 20 miins from central London. All these reasons are why a 4 bed can set people back £500k. GOOD LUCK!

P.S. Epsom isnt all bad and has 2 really good high schools which people actively move into the area for!

mandm65

BeccaBell wrote: »

P.S. Epsom isnt all bad and has 2 really good high schools which people actively move into the area for!

Thats exactly what we were told by family friends, hence the reason for the post but after reading the first response and the referenced website we thought we did not do our homework!

We are open to suggestion/exploration, in order of priority the schools have to be first and then we can work rest around it.

00ec25

mandm65 wrote: »

We are open to suggestion/exploration, in order of priority the schools have to be first and then we can work rest around it.

research Surrey schools here

bear in mind that using the M25 to get to Heathrow at rush hour times from Leatherhead/Epsom is bad, its bumper to bumper every day going norther from J9
if you fly outside rush hours then it's less of a problem

Going to Gatwick from Epsom (or J9) is not a problem as it's always against the traffic flow at rush hour

Personally I'm a village person outside the M25, (see earlier post )

mandm65

thanks for the link, its proving handy. I appreciate the rush hour drive would be pain but if u have to fly certain times then u just have factor that in.
It guess living outside M25 is ted cheaper than inside M25?

adg1

Having lived in Epsom for 18 months myself and my parents having bought there, I'd almost go against what people are saying above.

Yes there is the Longmead Estate, where people would rob their own gran for a fiver. Yes there are council estates but they are well contained.

I never felt intimidated at night at all and certainly have never had a knife pulled on me. That was New Malden.

Avoid Longmead estate, Hook Road, Watersedge and The Wells and go for places like Tadworth, Walton on the Hill, Epsom Downs which are very nice.

You'll only get a feeling for a place by visiting. Visit at night, day, during school runs etc and educate yourself on the area.

I certainly had no problems in Epsom even though I lived on Hook road which runs into the Longmead Estate.

Oldernotwiser

When you say "good schools", what age group are you thinking about and are your children likely to be trying for Grammar school places?

mandm65

yes absolutely, that's why the emphasis on the schools. My older one starting the GCSE soon and yonger one year 4.