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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To move out of rented house in catchment a month after DS starts school?

149 replies

Strawbsy · 08/08/2013 20:29

Hello,

My title sounds terrible and I expect I'm in for a flaming.

We moved into a rented house last month in the catchment of a very popular school that we wanted DS to go to. The council called today and offered him a place for September. We're couldn't be happier that a place came up so quickly.

BUT, we also just found a perfect flat to buy. It's large with a garden but a project that needs lots of work. This makes it within our price range and a bedroom more than we thought we could afford. The flat is further away from the school and almost definitely wouldn't have secured us a place for DS.

The councils do investigate families renting close by to get a place at a good school and I know that for this school they do a home visit to check you live where you say you live. I am worried DS school place will be withdrawn if the council see we moved out a few weeks or a month after he started school. What would you do? I am obviously working on the assumption that we offer on the great flat and it all works out.

OP posts:

Mandy21 · 09/08/2013 09:17

Just wanted to say that we did this ? moved to an area about 35 miles away with the sole purpose of getting our children in the over-subscribed school. I don't think thats wrong at all, but the fact that you're thinking of moving out and moving outside of catchment so quickly would in my LEA be cause for concern and if your circumstances were investigated, I anticipate the place would be withdrawn.

Here, the LEA is on top of people trying to work the system and renting for the period when applications are made / offers made and then moving back to their previous house / area (outside of catchment). For anyone in rented accommodation, they have to submit a copy of their tenancy agreement (and only tenancies of 12 months or more would be classed as evidence of a "permanent" residence, otherwise it was the last known address) AND evidence of disposal of our previous property. You need to check the position with the criteria for "permanent" address very carefully ? the LEA will have a policy about this and moving out of the area subsequent to your child starting school.

We stayed in our rental property for 2 years, then bought very close by.

Goldenbear · 09/08/2013 09:17

It's forced social integration for a lot of these 'local' children so in that respect you're doing them a favour!

curlew · 09/08/2013 09:20

You actually say on this thread that you moved to be in the catchment! Now you're wondering how long before you can move outbid it again.....

Can't bear this "looking after Number One" attitude.

EmmelineGoulden · 09/08/2013 09:30

She moved to be in catchement, but she's looking and bidding in the local area, including houses in catchment. This particular house would be unlikelyt o get her kid a place at the school, but very few people living near over subscribed schools who move while they're kids are in primary school find a house that would be.

MiaowTheCat · 09/08/2013 09:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Goldenbear · 09/08/2013 09:43

Yes, I mean why don't we start a Mumsnet campaign,
'Keep Outstanding Schools for the Rich'?

curlew · 09/08/2013 09:45

Good idea. Poor people don't appreciate them anyway....

EmmelineGoulden · 09/08/2013 10:13

Curlew, Goldenbear where do you think the OP's DC should go to school? Or do you just think no one should be allowed to move once they've got children in school?

I agree the system sucks, but I don't think that's down to the activities of parents who care about where there kids go to school - it's (successive) Governments' policies that mean we have poor schools and the promotion of "choice" as a way to improve them.

curlew · 09/08/2013 10:15

She moved to be in the catchment. With no intention of staying there.

Emilythornesbff · 09/08/2013 10:19

Sorry I think YAbu.
But I don't think that will make any difference so you should do as you please.
Unless you are asking someone from the lea covering your dcs school the replies are unlikely to help you.

JakeBullet · 09/08/2013 10:22

I think the fact that a place came up so quickly ...after the allocations had been made means this school is not hugely oversubscribed.

Anyhow, the goalposts for OFSTED have changed folks......watch the faces of all the manipulators when they find out that their little darling is in a school which goes from Outstanding to "Satisfactory" or even worse "Needs improvement"! It is happening.....what will they do then?

I personally would have a smug smile.

MrsOakenshield · 09/08/2013 10:58

you don't know that - a very good school near me had a late bulge so a lot of places have been made available very late in the day.

JakeBullet · 09/08/2013 11:12

Yes that is true....many schools having to take in bulge classes so it is entirely possible the school were suddenly able to take another 30 children.

EmmelineGoulden · 09/08/2013 11:13

Curlew she has made offers on houses within the school's area. How is that "no intention".

ophelia275 · 09/08/2013 11:16

I don't get why it would be the LA's business if someone moved into a rented flat? Surely as long as they are paying the rent and have a contract then that is all that matters?

EmmelineGoulden · 09/08/2013 11:16

Wait list places aren't made available on the basis of how long you've been on the list, but on how you meet the entrance criteria. So being offered a place quickly likely has more to do with how close the OP's current place is than how oversubscribed the school is.

BrianTheMole · 09/08/2013 11:24

It sounds fine to me op, you're not planning to move back and commute the 35 miles to school, you're looking for a property in the local area, its a non issue. Plenty of people move to be near good schools, its hardly an issue if you are planning on staying.

JugglingFromHereToThere · 09/08/2013 11:24

Not sure I've got my head round all the facts relating to this, but my general feeling is maybe stay in the rented place til after Christmas or for an aproximately 6 month letting period.

Many people do things to maximise opportunities for their DC including with regard to schools.
As with life in general - as the American constitution says "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" - I don't think you can legislate against it, and as humans we're all opportunists - it's an essential trait and strength of the human race. Never more so than regarding our offspring

Cherriesarelovely · 09/08/2013 11:34

You want to move into this area because you like it and because you want your DC to go to this school which is great. I cannot understand people saying that this is unreasonable in itself. You are fully intending to live in that area anyway. I would do anything within my power to help Dd to go to a decent school. I checked very carefully which catchment area my house was in before buying it 8 years ago, even though she was only a baby. I would do the same again.

Cherriesarelovely · 09/08/2013 11:36

I would agree though that you might be skating on thin ice if you move as quickly as you have suggested. I would think you might need to stay put longer....or check for sure if the flat is in the catchment area. Surely after a certain amount of time the school can't withdraw a place. We have friends that have moved during their children's time in school and they still go there despite it being quite a journey.

TheDoctrineOfAllan · 09/08/2013 11:46

Curlew, I don't think that's true - she rented a house and then looked for a place to buy. As she got in off the waiting list she doesn't know if the new house would have qualified. And she couldn't have applied from there anyway. What should she have done?

TheDoctrineOfAllan · 09/08/2013 11:48

Cherries, the place is taken away for a fraudulent application, not simply because someone moves.

comingintomyown · 09/08/2013 12:13

OP as you have tenants in your flat who have a years contract why are you house hunting already or do you have an agreement of some kind with them ?

Overall I think you're being quite coy and "oh dear will we get into trouble then ?" when actually you have moved there to get a school place and now want to out of the area and know full well its unreasonable.

Anyway as has been said check with your LEA there will be clear cut rules.

Arisbottle · 09/08/2013 12:21

Why do you want your child to live 35 miles away from his school? How will he have friends back?

merrymouse · 09/08/2013 12:58

Catchment area and max distance to school to get place in a particular year are not the same thing.

Anyway, also agree with miaow. I think it's a non issue as I think the OP won't be moving anywhere soon.

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