So it looks like I might have an offer for an apprenticeship in Oxford. When I applied I said Oxford or London, and it seems they have an earlier start for Oxford. Still waiting on details.
I want to start searching for options on where to move. We’ve been talking about leaving London for awhile, but we are still nervous. And a move this summer means looking for a new reception place for our son. My wife also has to be able to commute into High Street Kensington twice a week once the office reopens. I would need to commute twice a week to just north of Oxford twice a week.
Anyone have any suggestions or experience of the area? Currently looking at Didcot, Oxford, Aylesbury, Newbury and Bicester. The only place we’ve really spent time in is Wantage, but no rail station. I’m happy to drive to work but we need the train for High Street Kensington.
If you have any experience not suggestions, please drop a reply.
If it were me I’d look up the SAT results (has that changed btw?) of local primaries in each of the areas and try to find an area with lots of high performing primaries in order to find a good school area. Alternatively look at the feeder schools and their captchment for the best performing secondary schools. Although maybe try doing both. A bit of a statistical undertaking I know but it might give your little one a bit more of an advantage in life
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Is this a spin off thread of the ESL one? 
I can’t help with advice here but sounds like a good opportunity for ye all. The best of luck 
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Thanks.
The job is exciting as it’ll help me become a real software developer. They pay for Makers Academy and then I’m employed on a good salary a a permanent employee. I’ve been working within the WordPress ecosystem and I’m bored. But we’d assume the Oxford location was off the table, so had been operating under the impression of remaining in London. We even renewed out mortgage recently and will need to get lender approval to rent it out whilst we test the waters.
Makers had to clear up eligibility issues so we thought a May bootcamp start and Sept work start was off the table, but it looks like it’s back on. Just waiting for confirmation. I have been told that it’s remote work for now and starting in London is okay, but long-term I would have to move to Oxford to join this team. We’ll see.
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Free bump. Help out our friend
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Bump.
Saw the thread title and thought I might have something to offer having moved out of London, unfortunately I moved to a part of the country that is entirely useless to you lol
Thanks. We had looked at a variety of areas and really would’ve preferred Cambridgeshire as connects are better. But I got a job in Kidlington, just north of Oxford. Ended up settling on Bicester. Easy access to London, 25 minute drive to the office (when I have to go in), 15 mins to Oxford by train and still under 2 hours to Arsenal (around 1.5 hours at certain times, but doesn’t seem to be as quick at weekends at the moment - hell, it takes me 1hr 20m to get there from SE London). We found a small 3 bed property and will be moving July/August.
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That all sounds great, glad it’s all worked out 
Tell me about it. If I’m ever needed in the office again, the commute is only fifteen minutes longer for me from Southend into the City than it was from Plumstead. Except it’s now one direct train with a seat instead of multiple changes on trains crammed in like a sardine.
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The commute to Plumstead was awful for me. My first teaching job was at Plumstead Manor and I was living in Oval. Long journey with quite the hill to walk up after. I often got off at Woolwich and took the bus.
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Plumstead Manor is barely 5 mins from my old gaff, just the other side of the common 
I’d nearly always walk to Woolwich Arsenal or Plumstead Station in the morning, it was the journey home when I was faced with the walk up hill, and I’d say about 60% of the time I just got the bus lol
When my dad first moved there there was no DLR even, just the National Rail. The area, and SE LDN generally, is vastly better connected than it once was, and its still notoriously crap to get to and from haha
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