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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To rent in a good school catchment, knowing we'll buy next year out of the catchment?

109 replies

lill72 · 09/03/2014 09:36

We are renting at the moment, with our lease coming up in June. As I am pregnant, we'd like to get a bigger place.

We have to apply for reception in January, so I was thinking of moving into the catchment area of the best school I have seen by far. It is a more expensive area than where we are, but the school was so much better than any in this area.

Wherever we rent would be temporary, as we are looking at buying next year, folllowing an inheritance.

Thing is, we will most likely buy back in the area we are currently renting in, as we like it better anyway and it is not as expensive.

This would mean that our DD would not be super local to her school once we moved. We are not far - say 5-10 mins by car or 20 mins bus, but not a walk around the corner.

Am I doing the wrong thing? I never grew up living within a walk to the local school, so not sure how much importance I should place on this - ie ease of getting there, local friends etc.

I just feel like I should try and send DD to the best school and I can, and this seems a way to do it.

Appreciate your thoughts...

OP posts:

candycoatedwaterdrops · 09/03/2014 18:47

Jelly and Feminine I bet if you could easily afford private schooling, you'd be singing a different tune.

Goldenbear · 09/03/2014 18:50

Well it's not as clear cut as that- I.e some lie, some tell the truth and if everyone was honest everything would be fine. It IS the case that in some areas there aren't enough places available for local children to go to local schools. My son goes to an 'outstanding' infant school and it's oversubscribed. We moved 1.7 miles away to another flat that was the same size as the one we left in an expensive area- so not to a big house in a cheaper area. All of the 'local' schools were oversubscribed when we moved because they are all 'outstanding'. The nearest one (2 mins away) is RC and my DP is Jewish so although liberal we wanted to avoid a religious school, besides it is oversubscribed anyway! So it is not as simple as saying this can be resolved if people just stopped lying.

Glasshammer · 09/03/2014 19:23

Visit all the schools then decide where to rent

Sunnymeg · 09/03/2014 20:03

YANBU, for all you know, you might fall in love with the area once you have moved there and end up buying near the school anyway.

Sortyourmakeupout · 09/03/2014 20:13

A girl I know was planning to do same as you.

I gave the head a heads up and she didn't get in.

It's taking the puss to rent in the area just to get her a place in your desired school.

Sortyourmakeupout · 09/03/2014 20:13

Piss even

WooWooOwl · 09/03/2014 20:17

Sort, the OP is doing nothing wrong by choosing to rent somewhere close to the school. She will be living there at the time of her application, and if she were refused a place on the off chance that she then moves out of catchment when she meets all the criteria, then the admissions authority would be in breach of their own rules.

Sortyourmakeupout · 09/03/2014 20:20

If anyone is renting in a particular area just to be in catchment area then it's not on. I get the impression that op may not be sticking around.

I could be wrong.

But the girl I know had no intention of sticking around and that's why I spoke to the head.

Bowlersarm · 09/03/2014 20:21

Sort, of course it isn't. If you live in the area you fill the criteria, whether you are renting or mortgaged.

Sortyourmakeupout · 09/03/2014 20:22

It depends on their policy.

I'm not in uk so not sure if catchment comes before sibling etc.

Paintyfingers · 09/03/2014 20:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

shewhowines · 09/03/2014 20:26

You are doing nothing wrong. That will be your home. You may or may not stay, but you will likely be there for longer than the minimum 6 months rental period. What is wrong, is when people keep their main home and rent somewhere too, knowing that this is only to "bend the rules"

ihategeorgeosborne · 09/03/2014 20:29

Dd1 didn't get into our local village school, which is a 5 minute walk from our house, as it was massively over-subscribed. I was fuming, as siblings got priority over catchment and at the time, the school's PAN was 15. Of that 15, 13 were siblings and of that 13, 8 lived in other villages miles away. Anyway, I had a huge fight on my hands, which I eventually won. I had many meetings with my MP, local councillors, the director of children's services for the LEA. I was not going to accept it. Eventually we got dd in and they extended the PAN to 30 for subsequent years and have now enlarged the school. However, they have also changed their admissions policy and now, siblings only get priority if it's their closest school. Quite right too in my opinion. I believe that going to school in your local community is very important.

ginbin54 · 09/03/2014 20:40

Thought long and hard about this and feel you are actually BU. As others have said, you may be depriving a local child of a place whose family and extended family may have lived in the area all their lives. That is wrong IMO. However, I think you are missing the bigger picture here. It seems like a long way off but believe me it soon comes round and yes, primary education is incredibly important. But surely, in the long term, you should be looking at secondary schools and whether the primary school you wish dc to attend is a feeder school for a "good" school. Or will you move again at that point and deprive yet another child a place at his/her local school (and who has probably attended the feeder school).

Just a thought, as a parent of older children (22 & 18) no employer or university entry form has ever asked for sats results or achievements from primary school level.

HeyNonny · 09/03/2014 20:42

70 I would ask if you've been looking at our school, except that AFAIK it's a fairly common London school policy - at least three of our nearest schools have it.

I'm in two minds. It's not illegal, and families do move out of catchment for various reasons (round here, with a

MarshaBrady · 09/03/2014 20:46

One of the key benefits of a state school, in London at least, must be being local.

And yes others will have paid the premium so you might be one of the very few that live far enough away to have to drive. Not much fun.

EverythingCounts · 09/03/2014 20:55

YABU. It may be technically ok but it's not morally ok. You are playing the system and you know it, and it will mean that a child whose family have less money than you have coming your way, will lose their place to your child because of that.

Also I echo the posters who've asked if you've actually seen the school. I went to see the outstanding one near us and didn't like it. Am far happier with the school we got, which is fab and 5 mins away. I was told that schools with really good reviews are quite often coasting on their reputation/inspection of a few years ago - don't just assume it will inevitably be the best school available.

Goldenbear · 09/03/2014 21:11

Well I can't say I've been ostracised at all. Indeed, my DS had one of his friends around to play last Friday. He's popular, gets asked around to play and visa versa, so they know where we live. I've found this to be an advantage in as I'd hate for everyone to be on my door step. Equally, it has allowed us to sort the wheat from the chaff in terms of friendships- i.e we've ditched the couple of shallow, pretentious twats that do think their children's friendships should be narrowly defined by their post codes!

We pay a premium to live where we do now and paid a premium for our previous address- nearer to where DS goes to school. The advantage in my current property is that I don't have to stop and talk to every other person that my DS knows through school and i am therefore never expected to help out with last minute child care emergencies.

ProudAS · 09/03/2014 21:24

So what is morally OK? How long should a family live in catchment for it to be OK to apply to local good school and would people be so up in arms if school was in special measures?

The OP doesn't know where the family are going to be buying a house long term. They may be thinking of returning to current area but have no definite plans and may decide to stay near school.

Minnieisthedevilmouse · 09/03/2014 21:25

You're forgiven now go forth and conquer!

WooWooOwl · 09/03/2014 21:37

A child from a family with less money may not get a place, but then there might be families with more money who were able to buy close enough to the school to secure a place.

How is that any better, or worse?

All of these children are equally entitled to a place, why shouldn't a family who can scrape together enough to rent for a year in the right place not have the same chance at education as a child whose family has enough to buy?

ProudAS · 09/03/2014 21:45

Fact is - whatever criteria are used someone us going to be unhappy. The OP isn't breaking any rules.

Dancergirl · 09/03/2014 21:49

Because woowoo the OP has no intention of staying in the area after her dd has gained a place at a school. She says they like where they are now and it's cheaper.

greenfolder · 09/03/2014 21:51

Yadnbu. You would be quite mad to do otherwise.
We are planning to relocate in a couple of years with dd3 who will be year 5. We will be at the whim of in year application (or private) for primary-but you can bet your bottom dollar that we will rent initially in the catchment area of the secondary that is best fit for her. It would be madness to do anything else.

Edenviolet · 09/03/2014 21:52

Yanbu

It isn't as if you are renting but not actually living there and using the address just to get a place. It will be your home and therefore you are not doing anything wrong.

My dcs are out of catchment and it is sadly true that some parents (not all though luckily) do make comments about this as they are annoyed when their dcs don't get in and siblings out of catchment do.

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