Moving for secondary schools - is it worth it?

There are several things to think about. I would move to avoid a comprehensive that yo-yos in and out of RI or worse. You really do know it won’t be Good for very long. If you compare Good schools that have been consistently Good, is it worth moving for one of these over another? Probably not.

You seem a bit way out regarding university entrance. Many universities below the top 6 don’t necessarily expect all DC entering to get AAA. Especially courses where they make offers to everyone. Some will be lower due to the social factors they consider as well. There are very popular courses at some universities but if you go to a RG university for MFL snd some sciences, they will be delighted to see you with a dropped grade! Also with 1/4 of A levels being A or above, of course DC get into these courses. There are a lot more As about!

Private schools don’t just educate for exams. A good private school will fully educate in a wider sense and provide more opportunity for activities. You don’t need these to apply to university but it gives you s chance to spread your wings at school and try something different. Great state schools hsve this too. Poor state schools are rigid and lacking in imagination. They give dc fewer opportunities to shine. Only you know what you value most!

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

Looking on there, how does your local option compare to the alternative you’re considering? Do you know about the schools much otherwise, things that’s stats don’t tell you?

If you feel that your children aren’t the type to excel wherever they go, I’d be much more inclined to move.

We were in the same position as you not that long ago OP.

Dh wanted to move. I didn't. We tried to move. It didn't work out. Despite dd1 being offered a place at a top grammar school.

Then Covid happened and like a pp said, Dh got made redundant. We now thank our lucky stars we didn't move afterall, as that would have meant taking on a larger mortgage and staying in debt for longer.

And all for what? So we could have the prestige and status of saying dd1 was at a grammar school? No thanks. She's now at our second closest local comp and doing very well too 👍

It depends on how bad the "bad"
School is and how "good" the good one is AND whether it is great fit for your DC...

I work in a 'good' school, 2019 we got progress 8 results (progress since KS2 SATS) in top 10% of UK. My dd 'outstanding' school got average progress.
I think it is important what you want for a school.
I've also worked in a tough council estate school. We had great pastoral care, it was small so every child was known by every teacher, there was a core of great teachers, but we had a high staff turnover, struggled to recruit for some posts, particularly maths. Some kids did really well, but too many didn't.

Maternal education is still the strongest indicator of children's education attainment, but good teachers matter too.

I have one child who would do well in any school. My other is struggling, let down by his current school, easily led and I absolutely would move him if I thought he would have more support elsewhere.

If you’ve got PhD then you should be a whizz at stats - the right school makes a massive difference on a statistical level. Like 1.5 or more grades at GCSE, eg 5’s vs 7‘s for a similar cohort.

On an individual level, though, a child from a very academic family like yours, is likely to do well despite their school rather than because of it. However, I’d still move for a better catchment so that my child has a better environment where expectations are much higher and a much higher number of children come from households where education is highly valued. It might make for a nicer experience in terms of friends and ethos.

It seems these days, going to a bog standard comp or school in a disadvantaged area and getting good results is a positive when applying to university. I suppose the problem is ensuring your child is able to get the good results if there is less of a positive learning culture at the school.

The things is, life happens, you don't always get what you plan. We moved and found a good school for our child, but then my husband got made redundant, and we had to move to a completely new area. Best laid plans...