Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Renting in catchment area and owning outside it

112 replies

CauliflowerBalti · 20/07/2018 22:59

We are moving to the catchment area of my son’s current primary school in order for him to continue his education with his peers at the secondary school within that area.

We were hoping to move there in 5 years’ time when I will have a lump of money to put into a mortgage, but the secondary school is getting more and more oversubscribed. The time apparently is now.

His application needs to be in by the end of October, so it’s all happening rather fast. I have no intention of committing fraud. We are moving to live there for beyond his education years. But renting for at least a year, if not more.

I do not want to sell the home we live in now. My husband and I had a big disagreement about moving at the start of the year. He wanted to, I didn’t. We stayed, and did some lovely renovations. This is a lovely house. I don’t want to leave it yet - but I will.

I want to rent it out for a decade or so, then gift it to my son. That’s my plan.

Does anyone have any idea how I can prove to the LA that I’m not cheating my way in? It’s so important to my son that he stays with his peers. He’s a very anxious soul. We need to move. But we’ve left it late. I may not have found a tenant for here by 31 October. I may still be paying council tax in two places. It worries me. I rang the LA to ask, and was totally honest, and she was very lovely and said I just needed to prove that my rented house is my permanent and only home. I will easily be able to do that - it will be. But what if I end up under the nose of someone less tolerant?

Has anyone experienced this?

OP posts:
egdehsdrawkcab · 21/07/2018 10:40

Must be my borough then. I fought them hard but they used the sold address over the rental I'd been in for months!

HaaaHaaaa · 21/07/2018 09:49

Ohhhh, my BIL did a similar sort of thing and it was in Derbyshire.

He ‘moved in’ with his mother and they used her address to get a place. Once they got a place they went back. Other people knew they had done it and somebody (probably someone who didn’t get a place because of his twattishness) told admissions and they sent them a letter asking for various pieces of evidence that they had moved. Utilities bills, council tax etc. They couldn’t so,the place was withdrawn and admissions helped them to find a space at another school.

Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar · 21/07/2018 09:40

Our borough require council tax statements for the previous two years. The address on these is your address for admission purposes.

Imchlibob · 21/07/2018 09:39

If you've already had 3 people interested in renting the old house then get on and get that sorted now so that everything is settled long before October. If any of the potential tenants are interested in a longer rental term, choose them and get the contract made out for a five year term (you can write in a "break" clause that can be triggered at a specified point in case they turn out to be nightmare tenants. Some authorities won't accept your new address if you have tenants on ordinary 6-month contracts but will accept it if the contracts are extended over multiple years

ourkidmolly · 21/07/2018 09:32

Sorry @egdehsdrawkcab but that is incorrect. They will use whatever address you provide along with the supporting documentation unless they specifically prohibit owning a house elsewhere and using an alternative address. Very few schools do but it does happen.

Original poster
CauliflowerBalti · 21/07/2018 09:31

TeenTimesTwo - there’s nothing stopping me doing all those things. That’s the point. How do I prove I won’t? Because I won’t. I already have three people interested in renting my house and I haven’t moved out/marketed it yet.

You say ‘moving into catchment for schools’ like it’s a bad thing. Isn’t that what lots of parents do? Just because I’m sliding in at the last minute doesn’t mean I’m any more oppprtunistic (if you put a negative slant on it) or concerned about my child’s education. His whole social life is in that catchment. The clubs he does, his friends, my mum friends. We’re not callously shopping around for exam results. I’m trying to give him the stability he needs to do well. Yes, I should have done it sooner. But I couldn’t afford to sooner. It’s bad enough that we have to pay for our kids’
Education via house prices as it is. You can’t make me feel worse than I do.

OP posts:
Original poster
CauliflowerBalti · 21/07/2018 09:26

The school admissions code is woolly. I rang and asked the LA and the woman I spoke to didn’t see any problems.

I’m still angsty. I know I should have moved sooner. For the first 6 years of his education I was a single mother and couldn’t afford to move anywhere. The reason he’s educated in the catchment he is has little to do with the schools - they’re good, but so are my locals - and everything to do with the mental health problems my son has caused by his dad and I separating. I didn’t want him to lose his childminder AND his Dad. She only does wraparound at her local schools, so that’s where he went. I’ve had to apply each school change (infants and juniors) and always got in, so just naively assumed that would be the case at secondary school. Didn’t think there was a rush to move. Was waiting to build a bigger deposit.

Now that’s all changed. I feel stupid but at least I realised now, pre application. I have to try.

OP posts:
egdehsdrawkcab · 21/07/2018 08:45

They will use the address you own. I did this (with House we own for sale/under offer), and they still used that address. I don't think it'll work, sorry OP.

ourkidmolly · 21/07/2018 08:42

Unless the school admissions code specifically forbids this, you are absolutely fine and acting within the law. I know so many people who've gone this. Such is life now.

TeenTimesTwo · 21/07/2018 08:22

To be honest. If you wanted to move you should have moved.
You own a house, presumably quite nearby.
You are planning to keep the house and then rent in catchment for admissions purposes.
If they allow it, what is to stop you 'changing your mind', 'not being able to find renters', 'any other random reason' after you get the place?
Nothing.

Even if it is within the letter of the rules, it is not within the spirit.

Original poster
CauliflowerBalti · 20/07/2018 23:30

derbyshire.gov.uk/education/schools/school-places/secondary-admissions/parents-guide/how-to-apply/rules/admissions-criteria/admissions-criteria-for-secondary-schools.aspx

It’s not very specific. On the face of it I shouldn’t worry - they can turn up and inspect, I mostly work from home so I’ll be in, I can take them to the owned house even if not rented so they can see it’s empty. It should all be ok. Yes?!

OP posts:
AveEldon · 20/07/2018 23:19

You need to read your LA Admissions brochure/info carefully

In some areas - proof of your new rental address and proof that you have rented out your old house might be enough

Where I live it is not sufficient and unless you sell your old house they will use your old address for admissions purposes

Swipe left for the next trending thread