I'm in Heald Green myself (for the time being, house is up for sale) lived in Gatley before that, Baguley (between Altrincham and Wythenshawe) prior to that, and Timperley (near Altrincham) before that.
Heald Green, Cheadle, Gatley and Altrincham were all pretty pleasant, Baguley less so (the people in the house opposite burnt it down the day we moved into our house there - coincidentally though). A pal of mine lives in Sale (between Altrincham and Manchester) and likes it there
I didn't have kids of school age until we moved to Heald Green, but our local primary (Etchells) is excellent - Ofsted report should be on the web somewhere. There's fee paying schools around too, I think, I'm fairly sure one of the posher people on our street sends her nippers to one).
My commute from Heald Green (via Cheadle village/Parrs Wood Lane/Wilmslow and Oxford Road) takes me 35 mins or so, but I'm stupidly unfit so you might cover the 8 miles quicker. Between Cheadle Village and Parrs Wood lane is fairly high traffic w/ no cycle path, the first bit of Parrs Wood lane's cycle path is nasty and potholey - after that it's ok, apart from various vehicles parked in it. From Wilmslow Road onwards you have either separate cycle path or shared cyclepath/bus lane all the way up Oxford Road.
Chorlton and Didsbury are, as other posters have said, trendier, but they're pricier too.
Are you going to be at the BBC on Oxford Road, and aren't they meant to be moving to Salford Quays at some point, btw?