UKH

Looking at moving somewhere near rocks where I can teach.

Im currently an NQT science teacher and i hate driving forty minutes to pull on plastic. Looking for reccomendations of where to live/teach/climb. 

Currently considering bristol or near the peaks (Leicester/sheffield). Would like recommendations for somewhere with good schools, a climbing gym (preferably within walking/cycling distance) and real rock drivable within 30-45 mins  

Thanks!

Having taught for 36 years, I would say finding the right place to teach is most important. Climbing not being on the doorstep is an inconvenience but teaching for 8 plus hours a day in a 'poor' school will be utterly soul destroying and will leave you so listless that going climbing will be the last thing on your mind.

Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool. Lots of job choice so you can choose the right school / job (the most important thing). Also you will be able to find somewhere to live that puts you in reasonable distance of work, climbing wall and outdoor.

Have you considered the SW?

Exeter is a thriving little city these days and gives you quick access to Dartmoor, inland limestone as well as great coastal climbing. 

Fort William

In an ideal world with no strings I would chose the north western seaboard of the peak.

Evenings on gritstone, days out in N Wales, Eastern Edges, Yorks and Lakes, weekends in Gower and Pembroke, witsun in Scotland, holidays in Cornwall.

Do climate change models really predict sea level change on that scale?

Yes, it's quite nice here in New Mills. Not far off equidistant to Manchester and Sheffield, and with the Roaches, Chew, Eastern Edges all <45 minutes away you'll never run out of climbing. Much easier access to Wales and the Lakes than Sheffield too. Lancs and West Yorks within an hour. The only place it really loses out on Sheffield to is access to North Yorks? 

Edit - I should have added that despite being born in Manchester, I think it's a hole and Sheffield's the much nicer city if it is city living you're after 

South Wales obviously,plenty of schools to hop between in Cardiff,Valleys etc if the going gets tough. Ogmore,Gower,Pembroke for trad and lots of sport on limestone and valleys sandstone.You could be clipping bolts at Witches point above the beach in the evening sun 40mins after leaving work almost any weekday( in spring/ summer)

Hi Emma,

Having taught for 20 years I would work on finding the right school- that will make the biggest difference, whether it enables you to leave at 3:30pm (though don't ask that at interview!) to easily be on a crag by 5pm or whether you are 30 mins from a crag and only able to leave after a 12 hour day at 7pm.... 

As you have identified, Bristol has a lot of schools both state and private, as does Manchester and Sheffield (north is less expensive to live). Also, worth considering if you want to get NGB qualifications, in which case going independent will be more likely to fund your progress.

Get some alerts going on the TES app or pm me for a less public discussion

cheers 

Jeremy 

Where the plains of Cheshire lap gently against the ramparts of paradise...

Hiya! What do you mean by NGB qualifications? Really concious of finding the right school. I adore my current school, if I could pick it up and move it I would! I just hate the area :P getting alerts on the tes app is a great shout!

Sheffield is great for the grit and a nice place. But don't call it "the Peaks" when you're up here!  ;9)

(Surprised I'm the first to point this out)

Haha sorry 🙈 I didn't know any better! That's what is southerners have always referred to it as! What do I call it when I'm up there? (Thanks for saving me some embarrassment)

I see your point! I love my school now but I hate the area I'm in! Hoping as I'm not fussy about where I move to (as long as there's rock) I'm hoping to find a nice school  

Currently I'm in Essex - 45 mins to a climbing gym and 2 and a half to 3 hours to real rock!

West Yorkshire, Calder Valley. Grit within 10 mins walk from my door. 5mins drive on way home from work. Wall 15 mins from work for a wet evening. Ride to work 40mins. Drive 35 mins. Oh and a lot of fell running and mountain biking on my doorstep.

Access to Peak, Lakes, N.Wales and Scotland very easy. 

I hope you don't teach English.

As mentioned above, finding the right school first is the most important thing. I’ve worked in city & town schools and hated them, but now live & teach in deepest Herefordshire (excellent access to the Beacons, Black Mountains & Pembrokeshire) and don’t plan on moving house or schools any time soon. 

I'm not! I'm also not massively conscious of my spelling/grammar when typing quick comments back on a forum post, my apologies! Still nice to see the SPAG police are in patrol on every forum.

I teach and live in North East Derbyshire just south of Sheffield. It's a nice area if you like climbing and other outdoor sports, I live literally a mile from the edge of the peak District national park so from home can be at the eastern edges in about 10 to 20 minutes. The climbing walls and bouldering centres Sheffield are about the same amount of time away. Chances are if you teach in Sheffield, or just over the border into Derbyshire, you'll find at least one or two other members of staff also climb. One of my best mates and main climbing partners was the geography teacher at the school I did my first placement at during PGCE, 5 years ago. The state schools in this area are a mixed bag, there are some that do very well and others that are struggling. I imagine we have the same kind of behaviour problems that other big comprehensives have.

Thank you! That's super helpful I'd love that! No climbers in my school at Essex so would be great to be able to climb with another teacher! 

Besides Sheffield and Manchester, towns and areas to consider for the Peak District are places like Chesterfield, Buxton, Macclesfield, Stockport and so on. As you go further up into West Yorkshire there's loads of climbing possibilities near Leeds Bradford Halifax and so on, but probably a better choice closer to Sheffield and the eastern parts of Manchester. A long time ago I lived for a short period of time in Manchester and from the centre it's not as easy to get climbing as it is from the centre of Sheffield. But as others have said from Manchester you're closer to both the lake district and North Wales, and even 45 minutes to an hour closer to Scotland then you are in Sheffield! 

If you have family connections in Essex or the South East, then places like Derby Nottingham and even Sheffield or Chesterfield would be better getting back down that way than Manchester though

People can go around in circles over whether 'the Peak' or 'the Peaks' is the right name for ever, I experimented on some people from far away who were in Sheffield with both, and they didn't know what I meant till I said 'The Peak District'. I've always called it that (living next to it since I was 3) and it saves people of either type thinking 'urgh' at the wrong name...more important than what I've always called it, but less important than the occasional person not knowing where you mean.  

Everybody is happy and everybody knows.....

I personally don't understand the obsession with the east of the country. Whilst the M1 corridor fro Leeds to Nottingham is handy for the Peaks (deliberate) it is a pain to access any mountainous area. 

If you fancy the North, look at the M6 corridor, Carlisle, Penrith, Kendal, Lancaster, Preston. All much handier for Scotland, Lakes and the more southerly for Wales. Fair access to the Dale and Peaks too. It does rain a bit though.. 

An alternative would be to live close to an airport and use your 12 weeks leave efficiently. How does this sound:

Xmas, Costa blanca

Feb Rjukan/el chorro

Easter Leonidio

Whit, scotland/kalymnos

Summer, wherever

October, Kalymnos

You will probably climb more. Enjoy the cheap flights while they last. 

Swampy and Greta will not like you. 

Sounds like there's not much point living within easy winter flying distance of Rjukan in the long term...

I'm in West Chesterfield and its great. Every Sunday afternoon I watch the exodus along Chatsworth rd of the weekenders back to the south then go and play, cos I can (Birchen, Gardom, Chatsworth, Froggatt, Curbar, Wildcat etc within 15mins). The beauty of Chesterfield from an out doors point of view is that you have all parts of the peak within an hour without having to get through or across Sheffield. The Lakes, N.Wales and the Wye Valley are equidistant. North Yorkshire and Lancashire are doable for a day out. The South West is easy to get at, and you are as near Scotland as Cornwall.  

I believe there's some teaching jobs going here in Guernsey. You'd struggle to find somewhere with more convenience. Good beaches, plenty of climbing & bouldering, indoor walls and decent quality of life. Yes, it's an expensive place to live, but its definitely worth consideration.

like so many before me......

Leeds

Sheffield

Would say more but dashing off to the works Christmas do …. not 'The Works' but works

I moved 18 months ago from Kent to Penrith for the exact same reasons as you. I'm also a teacher but primary. Best thing I ever did. Get on it!

After todays result, abroad seems like a good place