To keep dc's at their current school after we move house?

[UsernameNotRecognised]

The dcs are now in years 2 and 3. And have attended their school since nursery. We rented in their schools catchment area for years and we are now buying a house out of catchment. (1 mile away, 5/10 min drive depending on traffic)

Aibu to keep them in their incredibly oversubscribed and outstanding school after moving into our new house, which has a not so great (very undersubscribed) school a 2 minute walk up the road, which I will drive past on the way to their current school after we move.
Aside from what will be our new local schools bad reputation. They have lots of friends at school and are doing well there. I don't think it would be fair to uproot them, especially at this stage.

[user1477282676]

Of course YANBU! It's only a mile. I applied for and got, after a wait, a place in an outstanding primary school 2 miles from home. We were not the only ones.

[oklumberjack]

YANBU. I have a Primary School virtually behind my house. It's one of the worst performing schools in our whole city. I applied for a school 2 miles away. Both my children went there. Youngest in now in Y5.

I know we didn't move afterwards, but considering they were both admitted a good while ago I think it's fine.

[UsernameNotRecognised]

That's what I was thinking but a few people have asked me if they were moving schools which made me wonder if that's what everyone thought we should do.
The last year I have spotted a few older children wearing what will be our new local schools uniform when picking up siblings from our current school. They have obviously moved into catchment later and have had to go to the only school with space which is the one at the end of my new road.
The dc's schools catchment is ridiculously small. And it gets worse every year. We rented a house behind the school so it was never a worry for us.

[user1477282676]

Don't give it a second thought. Next time someone asks you say "Of course not! I'd be mad!"

And change the subject.

[Farandole]

I think YABU and antisocial. I have lived in one of those ridiculously small catchments (maximum distance 108m from school!), and the reason it was so small was because of the huge number of families like yours, staying in catchment for a couple of years then moving out but hogging school places like Germans with sunloungers (or so the stereotype goes). It left people like me in a catchment void, with no local school places at all.

The decent thing to do would be to move your children to the new school. But I'm guessing thatynot the answer you are hoping for.

[ProudAS]

That's different Farandole the OP didn't rent in catchment just to get her first DC in then move. She may have had no plans to move out of catchment when her DC were admitted.

[FriedPisces]

Hmm, I'm on the fence with this one. Our school is oversubscribed as it's outstanding/has a good reputation and several people have moved a 5-10 minute drive away and kept their children there. Why would you want to make them start a new school, it's very unsettling. BUT our school has a waiting list of people in catchment who haven't been able to get in. Those children leaving to go to a school nearby would free up one or two spaces for the catchment children to get into. Tricky one.

[ProudAS]

Plus she won't be stopping children in reception from getting a place unless she has a younger DC she hasn't mentioned.

[GreenREM]

I walk past two schools to get to my older dc school. Takes about 10-15 minutes I also drive near enough past 4 nurseries to get to younger dcs nursery, about a 5/10 minute drive.
The school thing is pretty normal I think especially since one is a catholic school and (unless catholic) most parents choose a different school. I know someone who lives next door to the catholic school and walks to my dc school!

[Rainydayspending]

YANBU (however yabu to rely on ofsted ratings to judge the school. Your children are settled in. And hopefully the school suits them. That is enough).
But, they wont be walking in year 6. Think about other ways to get them travelling independently for secondary.

[Justalittlelemondrizzle]

The op has made clear that they lived in catchment for years and as her children are now it year 2 and 3 I don't think you can class her as one who has played the system as lots do. This is a case of a family moving whose children are half way through their current primary school.
Her children taking up spaces in y2 and y3 are not impacting on new reception starters and catchments.
Thr spaces are legally and rightfully theirs.

[Biffsboys]

YANBU - your dc are settled and happy there . Why would you uproot them .

[MatildaTheCat]

What is best for your children?

No brainer.

[shouldwestayorshouldwego]

I would leave them there. Just say that they are happy and you see no reason to move them at the moment. It's not as if you moved the day you got the acceptance letter. What would someone do if they had to keep moving due to rented accommodation, move the child around the town's schools once a year? It is hard moving a child so I would only do it if I needed to.

[RedHelenB]

As long as you walk to school still then I dont think YABU.

[shouldwestayorshouldwego]

It's only a mile, of course a year 6 child can walk a mile. It takes about 20 mins.

[Namesarehard]

If I was to move a mile away it wouldn't even cross my mind to remove my children from their school.

[lozzylizzy]

I am about 2-3 miles away now and have to go midday as well because of the youngest in preschool nursery. I wanted DS1 to move schools before DS2 and DD1 started school and preschool this school year. He got upset.

His school is lovely and the new school wouldve been a good one too but I know for a fact that kids around here were trying to appeal to get into the school and that its oversubscribed. My kids school where we used to live isn't so I have kept them there.

[UsernameNotRecognised]

No younger children so that isn't an issue. We do drive to school, walking would take about half an hour (according to google)
We're still in catchment for the same high school as we always were.

[Rowgtfc72]

We moved ten minutes drive away and left dd at her school. Shes yr 5 so only two yrs left. I have to do pick up on the bus and its a pain but i wouldnt dream of moving her away from friends shes had since nursery.

There is a school about 200m from my front door that would be lovely if she had wanted to move.

[dalmatianmad]

It wouldn't even enter my mind to move schools
we used to live across the road from dc's school, moved about 8 miles away and they stayed at the school, was a bit of a nightmare trying to juggle school run and work but I managed!
My dc went through enough with a divorce and moving house, they need the stability of staying at their school.....

[Sidge]

I wouldn't move schools for a mile!

We walk a mile to school; it doesn't take half an hour. About 15-20 minutes depending how late we are...