Relocation to Peterborough - Help!!!

[mumdmc]

Hi Mums

I'm in desperate need of help!!

We live in Surrey and my husband has just accepted a new job in Peterborough. We have to make some super-important decisions in over short space of time. As I've never been there...can anyone give me advice on great areas to live (and ones to avoid) and advice on great schools. My DS is turning 5 in June and we need a Year 1 school place from September but have to sell our house and get a new address in order to achieve that...no pressure then!!!

I work from home part time and really want to settle my son in quickly and make some friends, hopefully over the summer holidays.

If anyone can help I'd be super-grateful...and with any luck I'll be able to repay your help with a coffee or a glass of wine sometime!!

[tiggergirl]

it not that bad there the good points are in summer you can jump a short train and be at beach in portmouth or isle of wight. i would ring round and inquire about what schools have a place for a child that age then visit and go from there .classes tend to be more smaller sometimes and people are friendlier that way more then london i grew up in lsle of wight a =nd best friend from peterborough

[mumdmc]

Thanks for replying - we're on the case with schools but only have ofsted reports to go by at the moment, which may not be the best way to find the school we like the best. London can be a hard place to make friends but I'm really up for making new ones - I work from home so will have to get networking!

[OliviaMumsnet]

Hello
Sorry to interrupt but wonder whether tigger may be confusing Peterborough and Petersfield?
Lived in Peterborough as a child but didn't go to school there so can't help but bumping in case someone can
Best
MN Towers

[SuSylvester]

god its a strange place imo

[mumdmc]

Hey Herbietea...thank you so much.

We need 4 beds + study and we've got a max budget of about 400,000 - am trying to keep well below that as I'll be looking for work too (work from home - design).

Rutland is lovely, we know it as we have some old friends who live in Greetham and got married in Rutland.

Much as I'd like to think that rural would suit us, we only have one DS and he needs to be near other kids. We'd like to be close to a sports centre too...so maybe nearer Peterborough will give us what we need.

What's Market Deeping like? DH thinks it will be too small but on paper it looks like it would suit us fine? Do schools run holiday clubs?

I have no idea what will happen in the holidays for childcare...oh if I think about it all at the same time it mashes my head!!

[mumdmc]

Will check out Stamford as well - thanks

[Clary]

I was brought up near P/boro and my mum still lives that way (south Lincs not Cambs).

Market Deeping is pretty small, depends what you want from a place.

Stamford is lovely, beautiful town with good community spirit.

Spalding (where I am from) is less lovely frankly, but property v v cheap (my mum is selling her 5-bed village non-estate bungalow for £225k) so might be worth a look. More of a proper place feel than M Deeping which is really just a big village.

I wouldn't want to live in Pboro itself, personally, as have always found it rather soulless. Sorry to anyone who lives there and loves it!

[Clary]

oooh look £345k buys you lovely terrac house overlookign river in Spalderoo!

[mumdmc]

Wow, that house would have been perfect.

Stamford is sounding great...my husband has mentioned it before. DS loves sport so football would be perfect - I'll look into it some more.

I have no idea how long it'll take to sell ours tho - we get 3 months rent free with the relocation package so that may tide us over.

I never thought I'd have a use Google streetview!

[Clary]

boo that link don't work let's again

[mumdmc]

Thanks for the info on Market Deeping - so DH was right - that's off the list.

Which are the best schools in Stamford?

[amyelle]

Hi, don´t live in Peterborough itself, especially the orton´s, horrible place, lived there during my childhood. Bad schools are Bushfield and Orton Longuville, violent and bad teachers.

Stamford or some of the little villages are your best bet, quiet and lovely. Or Oundle and go to Prince William. Excellent school and lovely people. Sorry not to give better news but I hated the place and was very glad to move away.

[DidEinsteinsMum]

I would recommend looking just the other side of the A1. Places like sawtry and oundle and others like that are really close to Peterbough. they still have the country feel and the schools have a fab rep. Plus they have the social side for the kids and some have the leisure center etc. Have a look. but where ever you end up take a trip to oundle farmers market and the very delish hog roast stall. Ostrich burgers are lovely too.

[Jooles999]

Agree with DidEinsteinsMum that areas near Oundle and Sawtry are a good bet. We are in Great Gidding which is a small village a short distance from Sawtry. We have a great little village primary school (only 68 pupils in the school!), and we can get to Sawtry quickly for shopping and the sports centre. It works for us as my partner works from home, so we were able to have the peace and quiet when we want it and we got more house for our money than if we had looked elsewhere in the county.

[carlajean]

wansford is nice, and would second Kindle and Stamford

[flowery]

I think the OP has probably already moved, given that this was three years ago...