Moving house just before school admission and A-levels

[HappyBinosaur]

I have seen an amazing job that I’d love to apply for but it would involve moving house, probably around December.

DC1 and DC2 could stay at the same schools and get a bus but DC1 would have his a-level mocks just as we were moving and his a-levels a few months later.

DC3 would be in a weird position in that when we apply for secondary school we’d be at one address but when allocated a place we’d have moved. I’m not sure how that would work. Which postcode would I use?

Older DC goes to an independent school but DC3 doesn’t want to go there.
However, the state school he currently wants to go to with his friends would probably be too far from where we would be moving. The state school local to where we’d be moving is very good (although not as good as the current local one) but DC3 won’t know anyone there.

It feels like a terrible idea but also it’s a great job and I am feeling torn!

How can your job be so far from your home that you have to move house, but not so far that your children can stay at the same school?

But no, moving house just before your son takes his A's would be a really good way of fucking him up so I wouldn't do it. You'll just have to suck up a long commute or not take the job.

You can only apply for the school from your old address. If you want to apply from new address you have to wait to move them basically join the back of the admissions queue.

@CalistoNoSolo
The accommodation comes with the job. It’s not ridiculously far away from their school and there is a school bus.
It’s a selective school so the pupils bus in from all over the place, it just so happens we live very close now. His friends are scattered in various places.
It’s more the moving house that I am worried about for him because of the upheaval. The distance from his school isn’t an issue.
The school issue for DC3 is more of a worry.

Moving house in A level year should be fine - moving school obviously not but you're not suggesting that.

Moving prior to year 7 - you'd have to check your local authority when they would allow an address change and still be counted as on time. Most give you a few weeks after application deadline. Some a bit longer. Otherwise your address would remain the old one which might be too far from your chosen school, and a subsequent change of address would effectively be counted as a late application.

For context, I wouldn’t move my youngest Dc from their primary school in the middle of year 6 but it would be a 20-25 commute twice each day for 6 months.

@titchy that is helpful thank you

@titchy potentially we could move into the property before I start the job which would help the school admission process.

Just to say, I am not moving to play the system for a better school as the state secondary is better where we are now I think.

My gut says it’s a bad idea but the work/life balance would be so much better

moving house between application date and offer date is a really terrible thing to do, avoid it. get your move done before the application deadline and apply from the new address. if you aren't in the new address by the application deadline you will either be assessed from the old address (so won't get a place as too far away) or will be assessed as a late application (so won't get a place in the first round as late applications get assessed after on-time application places allocated). if you are very very lucky you might get a second-round place when they reallocate the places that are turned down.

its months away till the deadline though. get the move done and dusted swiftly. your existing house must be permanently disposed of (not retained to let out, or just "on the market" but not yet sold) for it not to muck up your application.