state schools in london. did you rent in the catchment or know people who did?

[cheapandchic]

I have realised that where my home is positioned I most likely have no chance at getting into any of the schools that I want. I do not want to send my child to the school nearest me.

is it worth letting my house and moving closer? has anyone done this? how far in advanced to you have to do it? can you move out once that are in?

[littleducks]

Sort of.

We needed to move areas, so got a house in a good position, near 3 good schools. Our application was late (council needed us to be physically moved in and paying council tax) and so dd did 1 term of reception at a further out school till she got a place from the waiting list.

I just accepted a place for ds at the same school, we have lived there nearly 2 years now. We will probably move (contract up for renewal soon) before he starts school on September, this may or may not be in catchment area depending what is on rental market at the time.

His place will not be taken away, regardless of where we move to.

[BeingFluffy]

I have known people doing that for certain primaries in my area. In fact one is so notorious for it that they ask for the property deeds or rental agreement when the child applies.

I admit I did consider it when my elder child applied to secondary school - in the end my conscience got the better of me, as I knew I would be depriving someone more in need than us and in the end I let fate decide and in the end fate came up with a good option!

If you are going to do it - do so at least a year before the application deadline and hang on there for at least a couple of terms after your child has started the school. Bear in mind that catchment areas suddenly shrink and that if you have more than one child - some schools don't have sibling policies.

I don't mean to be rude but if you can afford the expense of moving and renting, why don't you go private and save yourself the hassle?

[Blu]

I know two famililes (not my close friends) who have done it at secondary level and I don't know how they manage it with their children, whether they involve them in the deception, tell them not to tell friends they are moving back to their old house, maybe they actually lie to thier children, I don't know.

[cheapandchic]

We do not have the money for private. I would rent our house and use that rent to pay for the new one. We would move properly.

I was just wondering how long we might have to stay...

I am so stressed about this. I have visited 4 schools now, but it is all pointless... as actually because of my location I have no choice at all. Why have 6 choices on the application when I can only get into one school that is horrible!

[KandyBarr]

I know a few people who've done this - it's a hassle, expensive, stressful but most concede it's worth it. And whether or not it's right from a moral point of view, it is within the rules. If you decide to go ahead, you'll meet plenty of other parents who have done the same.

Fluffy - the reason tends to be because, even after the hassle and expense of moving temporarily, it's cheaper than forking out for private schools for several DCs over the course of seven years for primary and six for secondary. Good preps in my part of London cost around £10k a year. So two children for prep alone = £140k. You can see the attraction.

[prh47bridge]

The problem you face with this is that if you subsequently move back into your old home the authorities are entitled to decide that you used an incorrect address and withdraw your child's place. They can do that even if your child is already attending the school. Believe me, it does happen.

Most LA's are on the lookout for people temporarily renting in order to get a place at a popular school. And there is always the risk that someone will report you to the LA, particularly if they think they missed out on a place because of your actions.

Contrary to KandyBarr's comment, it is NOT within the rules. Of course, some people get away with it but there are no guarantees.

[PanelChair]

Prh47bridge is right.

It's not the fact of renting that's the issue. After all, plenty of people live in rented property. Nor is moving home the issue. Plenty of people move home. It's the renting for a short time with no other purpose but to get into an oversubscribed school. LEAs are not stupid and are getting increasingly wise to the "I had a massive row with my husband and moved with my three children into my friend's one bed room flat, right next door to my favourite school, a fortnight before applications were due, but now a month after the start of term we've miraculously been reconciled and are living 3 miles from the school" sort of fabrication.

[PanelChair]

SchoolsNightmare - Yes, I think you are right. Where LEAs have set out rules on what counts as a permanent address, it may be possible to comply with the letter of those rules and so get away with it, however cynical or fraudulent the reasons for the house move were. But, as I said, LEAs seem to be less gullible these days about 'convenient' moves of house and seem more willing to check them out and, in the most blatant cases of fraud, to take places away.

[BeattieBow]

I know people who have done this - have rented out their house and moved in (in some cases with another family) to a teeny flat in the catchment of a school. I already know of one family that rented a flat but never lived in it to get into a primary. Their child is now in y6 and the other parents stil haven't really forgiven them! (including the parent of another child who didn't get into the school until y4 and who still blames this other family for that). you know its not very moral don't you? also people do tell on you, and the schools do find out.

I moved into London and was able to think about where I would be renting in relation to schools, and was fortunate in this case that it all happened at the right time. But I still feel a bit guilty about it even though it's all legit. I mean to stay in the area though long term and am not intending to move out of the local area (even though I may be beyond the teeny tiny catchment).

Also, the other point to remember is that the school could always change its policy in the future as regards siblings, so you may not be assured a place for any siblings.

[KandyBarr]

prh is it really not possible to catchment-rent within the rules? How could you be penalised if you let your house, moved your family to home next to desired school in time for admissions criteria, and stayed living there, not returning to family home until DC well-established at the desired school?

I've never heard of a child being booted out of a school - either through my DCs schools or through stories in local or national papers (doubtless such organised parents would be straight on the blower to the Daily Mail).

I've known four families catchment-rent in London within LA criteria to get their DCs into heavily oversubscribed schools - might be questionable from a moral point of view, but how could their children be booted out if their parents complied with admission requirements?

[tantrumsandballoons]

Sorry but do you mean renting a place, not living in it and telling the school a month later that you have moved?
Really?
So you get into a school under false pretenses taking away a place from a child who actually lives in the catchment area?

Are you looking for someone to actually agree that's a good idea?

We moved into a different area when dd was 2.
We actually looked at schools, decided where we would like her to go, and moved in- to actually live there.
I think it's pretty awful to even consider this tbh

[breadandbutterfly]

I know a family that did this but am not sure if they sold their first place or rented it out. Don't think they felt guilty. Possibly nervous in case the eldest lost his place if he moved too early - I know they had to live in this fairly nasty inconvenient area for 2 years to prevent that. But all their 4 kids are now guaranteed a place at that school. Still, I know having to live on top of the school for 2 years (a pretty long time) - good school but the immediate area not very nice - was a pain for them.

What I'm not clear about though is if there are no good schools near you and you would move into another area, why are you holding onto your current house and renting it out, instead of selling it and buying in your preferred area near good schools? is the area much worse than your current area? Or are house prices much more? Still, why not sell if you're genuinely planning to move?

You'd have to move before making applications - but for popular schools it might be checked up on both that you have genuinely moved but also that you stay in that house for at least the first year of your dc's school life there - certainly cases of kids being chucked out in firat year if the renting is seen as not genuine; for some popular schools just owning a property elsewhere will be seen as ties to your old property so you would be excluded automatically.

[O2BNormal]

Tanturms I'm not sure how yo can be so moralistic about it. You might have done it earlier, but if you chose the area simply for the school you did exactly the same thing - you're just able to feel all smug about it

It's just wrong, the system's wrong, but the whole "I must get my child into this school" thing is basically you (everyone) saying my child and what I want for him is far more important than any other child. Nice.

[BeingFluffy]

Effectively buying a place at school by moving and renting is an option not open to those in social housing, or those just making ends meet (moving fees, deposits, letting agents etc). Whether it is morally worse than feigning a religious belief for years, tutoring your child from the age of 5 or nurturing the various aptitudes that schools select on, I can't really say. It just appears that the wealthier you are the more you can manipulate the system in your favour and that seems bloody unfair!

[Crouchendmumoftwo]

I don't think it's wrong at all. I know people who do it who are not wealthy at all and some are teachers. From my perspective we rented because our flat was too small and in a rough area with not great schools. We couldnt buy a house as we are self employed so we were forced to rent to move. We did it for more than a schools reason and we are now living in a big house in a lovely area and are into a fantastic school.
It is hard but it is our choice and it cost us approximately 10k to do it, sweat and tears doing up my flat to move, our rent doent cover the rent where we moved to, we have to fix all the problems in our old place and we can't do much in the rented place. The place we moved into was a disgusting dirty mess and we paid over £2k to make it decent of our own money. I work like mad trying to earn money and we are super stressed and have debts.
We chose to have children and we chose this route. Its hard but it is much nicer where we live, we wont ever move back. But it's not ideal. These are the choices we make and we are not helpless. Having a child is a choice and you cant blame everyone around you, you just have to get on with it. If we hadnt moved I would have been on waiting lists and that would have been ok, I know plenty of people who have done this and moved.

[BeattieBow]

crouchend that's why its immoral - most people simply can't afford it, and end up in those schools which the OP is presumably desperate to avoid.

fwiw having had 2 children go through primary school now, I really don't think that I would even contemplate this for primary school. It is immoral (imo) and dangerous, but I simply don't think that it is worth it for primary school. Your child will be fine and there is no problem with going on a waiting list if you still want to move. I can understand the desire/need more for secondary schools.

[crouchendmum1]

We did it because we wanted to move and renting is the only way and the school prompted us to do so. We moved to an area and hoped we would land near a good school we didnt pick it. People assume we moved because of the school which we didn't wholly. That money has put us in a lot of debt to move. People can move though and you just have to plan it and save for it work etc. Saying most people cant afford it, Im sure they could actually make it happen if they wanted to, we hardly earn anything we just had to do it. Im going to sound very Jeremy Kyle, but if you decide to have kids, these are the things you should take into consideration before having them ie not having money to make lifestyle choices. Kids cost money so dont have them in a area outside of a catchment of decent schools or if you do decide that you will make the best of them. Im sure it will all work out for you anyway.