If I move out of the school catchment area will my daughter get chucked out of school?!

[egypt]

Hi

Quick question - just that really. I think I'm right in thinking that we cannot be made to move schools, but is that correct?

We are moving back to the UK and have been given a place at a great school on the basis that we rent in the area we have told them we will. We'll then buy a house but it may be out of catchment. Can they tell us to moce schools?

[LaurieFairyCake]

no

[egypt]

move obv (sp)

[egypt]

good

sigh of relief

[LetsEscape]

Not if child is reception upwards, if they have a place for nursery a reception place isn't guaranteed for anyone.

[piscesmoon]

No -but you might not get a younger child in.

[faraday]

You won't be- though in my opinion, there should be 'cut off' points: ie a DC in say reception whose parents move should have to vacate their place IF there is a waiting list at the end of Y2, or Y6, and perhaps Y9?- whichever is the next 'point' along.

It would stop that iniquitous practice of 'renting in' especially fraudulently (the six month rented one bedroom flat IN catchment you leave vacant whilst YOU live in 5 bedroomed luxury elsewhere- in a house you couldn't or would choose not to afford IN catchment).

I am always 'amused' by London folk, in particular, who buy 'big' in a given, less desirable area, then once the DCs reach school age, lament loud and long, their song of entitlement, demanding that space be made available to their DCs in the more desirable, possibly more expensive borough's schools next door.

There is also the issue of (tax payer subsidised) private school places: the idea that if a fee paying parent suddenly gets into financial difficulty, it should be UNTHINKABLE that the private school advantage be withdrawn from their DC!- and perhaps passed to an 'outsider' who would never had gotten a full fee place in the first place. That sense of entitlement, again.

OK, in the state sector, I KNOW it's 'selection by catchment'- but if indeed we have that system, let's enforce it. It keeps the school community 'local' and allows a person who buys in the area to also be getting a local school place, not be kept out by someone who lives MILES away.

You pays yer money, etc.

[GetOrfMoiLand]

They will not make you move. We moved last year from Cheltenham to Gloucester (dd was in year 8 then) and we were under no obligation to move.

I have tried to get her a place in a school in Gloucester, however the schools which are any good have a waiting list of >40 for her year group, and the ones which do have spaces are terrible schools. They Cheltenham school she attends at the moment is very good so I have absolutely no intention of moving her, even if it is 14 miles away.

[egypt]

Well, this is our situation - I'm not cheating the system

We live in Singapore, relocating back to the UK. We want to rent in the local village, get dd in the local school there and then buy in or around the village. The village has no place available in school, so they have given her a place in another village's school, which is still very good, and we are happy with. This is based on the address we gave in the original village, so she is out of catchment anyway - by the county's choice not ours. Our house we buy may be in the original village, around it, or somewhere nearer the placed school. Who knows?! There are a scattering of villages and you've got to buy where comes available and is suitable.

I just need to know, for her sake, they wouldn't make her move if we were out of catchment. It's a primary anyway, so goes up to year 11. She is in Year 1.

Thanks for your help.

[egypt]

sorry goes up to year 7/age 11, la la la

[faraday]

No, I haven't suggested you're cheating the system at all! There are many who ARE but that's because they can!

[ShellingPeas]

From my experience, no you won't be required to move your DD if you are offered a placed based on the details you supply at the time of application, (unless these are proved fraudulent in some way - not saying that this is the case BTW!).

In our case we had a house we were renovating in a village with a heavily oversubscribed school (school A). Because we didn't actually live in the village at the time of application we didn't get a place, but got one at another village school (school B) 4 miles away. We were renting out of catchment for this school too. DS started at School B, we then moved to renovated house and were offered a place at School A off the waiting list. We decided to stay at school B anyway, because it suited us very nicely, and school B has never queried this. Are you hopelessly confused now?

IMO you should be fine, once you have a firm offer from the school and definitely once your DD has taken up the place.