lucy
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Help, i’ve got ‘the fear’. We’re thinking of moving to out of London for the kids high school, does anyone know what high schools in Chichester are really like? It sounds good to be in a city near the beach. Thanks in advance!
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Barry
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Hi Lucy do you have any connections with Chichester – family? Obviously a strong plus point if you have some connection to where you’re thinking of moving to. We didn’t have any connection to Chichester when we moved here! I came down a couple of times on business thought it looked ok – came down for a weekend & bought a house a couple of weeks after that – moved in 2 days before my wife gave birth! Impulsive yes, lots of planning no – luckily its turned out well. Our overriding motivation at the time was living in 1 bed flat, 1 child with another on the way – couldn’t afford much in London so yes housing was our main motivator – we still don’t seem to have any spare money though!
Schools – great choice of primary schools with only 1 you’d want to avoid – all others are good. High Schools – most sort after is Bishop Luffa mixed sex good results – either need to go to Church or live very close for 1 of 25 community places. Boys & Girls High Schools – both good schools – especially compared to many London ones – if you combine the results from both schools then the % look much better because as with mixed sex schools girls results are always better than boys – they just don’t show the results by sex. Also a planned mixed sex free school has just been giving the go-ahead so that should give you another choice by the time yours are old enough.
Commute – as i’ve said if you can work on the train then it would work – assuming you don’t have to go to far at the London end?
Must sees – West Wittering Beach – it stole our hearts that first weekend & it still steals them everytime we go down there – don’t think we could live too far from a beach now. South Downs – take a drive up towards Goodwood Racecourse & walk up The Trundle Hill – shows you a good panarama of the beauty around. Trip to Chichester Marina is always a favourite with the kids spotting the biggest boat & a chance for me to dream…. overall I’d recommend Chichester especially for people with young kids – we still miss much of what London has to offer as Chi is fairly tranquil (to put it mildly) but we neither had the money or the time when the kids were very young so didn’t miss the high life all that much – Brighton is a short hop on the train for when you need a bit of spice adding to life. Bit of a ramble – sorry – do let me know if you have more specific questions & we’ll do our best to answer them. Regards
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jane
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It’s a lovely area to live and bring up children, with both the sea and the Downs nearby. Our kids are now in their 20s, but all went to Chichester High schools. Bishop Luffa (mixed) is very popular; the boys’ and girls’ high schools have a rather more mixed reputation – probably like any state secondary school. 2 of my 3 girls did well at the Girls’ High; they were good at maths and science. My youngest, whose strengths are in the arts, found it did not suit her so well. She left at sixth form and went to a local college instead. My stepson left the Boys’ High at sixth form and went to Bishop Luffa to do his A levels. Hope this helps a bit!
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lucy
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Thanks, all really useful information. We’re doing some visiting in the next few weeks, wish us luck!
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b.aspinall
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This reply has come from a county contact who has asked me to post for her. she spoke to 3 friends about it and this is their responses. Thanks to Debs
Chichester high – academic but haven’t heard great things recently but that being said I don’t know children there!
Bishop luffa – church school. V big. Again mixed reports. Met a few kids there who are v nice. It’s big though. It would be on our list if not going private but you have to go to church & not sure how people feel about that
I like ditcham park near harting – v small though but fab grounds and only goes to 16 but for a private I think it’s reasonable.
Have been v impressed with the Havant college pupils I’ve met (bearing in mind I do recruitment so meet them all!)
My cousin goes to st johns in Portsmouth which is catholic (she’s not!) & loves it. Quite a few kids from west wittering go there.
I believe they are setting up a free school but not sure where in Chichester area – worth googling as reckon it will be good.
Churchers, petersfield or the tech college
Then there are the schools in portsmouth and alot of kids get train from Chichester there. Beadels – petersfield
There’s the Bourne near us – v local & big but has a good reputation.
Ps look at ofsted. As I’m just going on what people have told me!
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As far as I know, Bishop Luffa is supposed to be a great state school in Chichester but need to be quite churchy to get in. Chi High for girls and Ch High for Boys, both state, mixed reports. Believe girls has better rep than boys. As far as independents go, most people really rate PGS which is in Portsmouth but closest mixed independent day school to Chichester. Others Iocal independents include: Lavant House (girls only), Seaford College (mixed). Churcher’s college & Ditcham Park run school buses from Chi too.
3. I know that Portsmouth Grammer School is brilliant, or Bishop Luffa in Chichester, which is a church of England school and parents and children have to prove that they attend church. I don’t think much of Chichester High School is that great, classes large. The results from Bishop Luffa are very high and it is meant to be the best in Chichester, but lots of children commute by train to Portsmouth Grammer, it is not free but a lot better than Public Schools.
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