Moving cities and state schools (nightmare)

[Eminencegrizzly]

We are hoping to move from the south to a city in the north where DP is from so that we are closer to family etc. We were hoping to do this in the summer(ish) so DS can go into year 3 and DD can start in reception. They are currently at an excellent state school (DD in preschool) and i am loathe to move them to a worse school, but it seems near impossible to get them into any excellent state schools where we want to move. The LA wont tell us about any spaces until May, and it seems that all the good schools are oversubscribed anyway. Has anyone had to navigate this? We really want to move so is the only answer public school? And could we afford to send two kids to public school on a combined salary of 115k? Thanks in advance.

Do you mean a private school? Public schools in the UK are the poshest private schools like Eton and Winchester. You probably couldn't afford those on that salary. Round my way, private schools cost about 20k per year at secondary level.

At year 3 you can appeal more easily as class size restrictions do not apply. Maybe find a space for one and the other qualifies for higher priority as a sibling. If you do decide to go private it might be theoretically affordable but that rather depends on your other outgoings, lifestyle etc and fee structures. Bear in mind once you start you have to give a full term's notice or pay fees in lieu should you move later to a state school.

can't think why you would deliberately move to somewhere with worse schools! Can't you do what we do in London....painstakingly work out the catchment of the best ones and move only into them??

And no 115k won't touch the sides, I'm afraid. We earn over 200k between us and we still go into the red each month. I know, tiny violin, but it's true. Private school is much more expensive than it looks.