Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Do people REALLY move house to get into a good school?

281 replies

Ijustwanttoretire · 28/08/2019 09:23

Apparently 'The average house value in England is £247,000 but parents face taking on loans of up to £180,000 more to live near a top-rated school.' Really? Does your average family move house to get into a better senior school? £180000 would buy a decent house where I live, let alone paying that much extra to get into a good catchment area. So how many MNers have ACTUALLY done this?

OP posts:
Waxonwaxoff0 · 28/08/2019 21:00

Nah I wouldn't, but there are 2 secondary schools in my local area with "Good" Ofsted ratings so we're OK.

Tartan333 · 28/08/2019 22:45

yes very common here and we did it!

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 28/08/2019 23:10

Yes I know people who have

I would have if I had the finances to do this

Redwinestillfine · 28/08/2019 23:14

We did for primary school. I'd do it again if necessary. Education is important and the system sucks.

flyingspaghettimonster · 29/08/2019 00:33

We actually moved into a bad area for good schools. Bit different since not in the UK, but where we live the fancy subburbs all have schools rated 10/10... we can't afford a house in any of the catchment areas for those schools. Whereas the city has some public schools that are based on ability, a bit like grammar schools. So we moved to the city to be within its district. Got stick the forst year with a 1/10 horrific school for my kids, but then they were able to test out and move to the selective ones. Would be nice to live in a safer area, but on a limited budget the schooling was more important to us.

terriblyshaken · 29/08/2019 07:30

Yes we did. We could only afford the cheapest house in the catchment area. The best thing ever. While other parents were stressing about the secondary schools I was totally fine knowing we will get into where we want. It was worth it.

LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 29/08/2019 07:48

We just couldn’t afford to - either millions of council properties, so we ended up going private (but that’s a hanging offence to some)🙄

LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 29/08/2019 07:48

Either millions for a property or a council property. Duh.

berlinbabylon · 29/08/2019 07:59

Not RTFT but yes, my parents moved down the road so we'd be in catchment for the local grammar school. I got in, I don't think I'd have been very popular if I hadn't after all that upheaval and expense!

User344772734481882445 · 29/08/2019 08:07

We moved to get my DCs into what we thought was one of the best state primary schools in the country! Turns out it wasn't that great! The head teacher is just VERY good at spin, they have a big name behind them and the head is a narcissist and bully.

DCs moved to a different school and now very happy! And the school is great!

We haven't learnt our lesson though as still considering a move for secondary!!

gingerbiscuits · 29/08/2019 08:08

Yep! BIL & SIL rented a 2nd house in catchment area for 6mths to get into particular 2ndary school - HUGE cost!! Madness!!

RainbowJumpers · 29/08/2019 08:11

Yes we did. We moved about 4 years ago. We looked at houses that were in catchment for good schools and discounted any that were in catchment for the not as good school. Why wouldn’t you? Where my DC went to school was top priority.

aweedropofsancerre · 29/08/2019 08:12

Schools where I live have long long waiting lists due to being highly sought after and I have known parents whose DC didn’t get a place, simply rent a property closer to the school for a few months, They went to the top of the waiting list and got a place before school started and returned to their main home which was 200m further away. Schools have caught on to that now and are tougher but people play the system and sadly it’s mainly those that can afford to.

barrelohflaughs · 29/08/2019 08:15

I know of someone who owed a house in one village but wanted to get her son in to a better school in another so she rented a house in the “better” village but never moved in to it.

gingercat02 · 29/08/2019 08:19

We did, only moved a couple of miles, almost doubled our mortgage. The new house is bigger, bigger garden and lots of other advantages so we were happy to do it all round, but school was the driver

Fairtatas · 29/08/2019 08:22

We did. Wasn’t the only factor but definitely a huge deciding factor. So, so glad we did.

eeksville · 29/08/2019 08:22

People do it loads in SW London although I do know a few who were burnt eg paying over 1m to get into catchment but not getting a space.

You need to check the furthest offer, for our outstanding primary it was approx 280 metres.

JacquesHammer · 29/08/2019 08:41

I’d be interested to know how many people move solely for schools, and how many people are moving anyway but schools are part of the decision process.

I would imagine the stats are never going to be clear.

LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 29/08/2019 08:44

Friends of our definitely did this. I saw their planning on a huge piece of paper in their living room. All planned with military precision!

onefootinthegrave · 29/08/2019 09:01

For PP saying it’s an unfair class thing, that the rich can move instead of diversifying or uplifting the shitty schools, staying and helping improve that particular community, it doesn't work like that for individuals. I’m not putting my children out there as an experiment to work their way through a failing school, because otherwise I’m making it worse by leaving. I understand how these things work over time, how whole areas fall into decline and/or become gentrified, but none of it is mine or my kids’ fault and I’m not bearing the brunt of this fucking shambles of an education system that we’re all now at the mercy of

I pay my fucking taxes, I think my kids have every right to go to a school that isn’t going to fail them. As I said before, one of my children has Sen. A shit school would be absolute the undoing of him, seriously. My eldest could probably get through any type of education and do well, he’s just that type of kid, but not my other two

I was the PP that said that. And I stand by it, and yes it does work for individuals, it works for the millions of individuals that don't have the choice, or who even if they do have a choice don't play this depressing game. I too have a child with SEN who went to the local school - if you really think that you aren't going to have any problems in a school that's in a better post code you're not living in the real world. Bullies are everywhere, so are shit teachers.

This whole thread is full of 'oh yes, if you really care about your childs education of course you'll do this' implying that those of us who don't/can't couldn't care less about our kids. You're all so wrong, and part of the reason why some schools are failing. But just so long as you're alright Jack, why care about anyone else's kids?

merrymouse · 29/08/2019 09:15

I too have a child with SEN who went to the local school - if you really think that you aren't going to have any problems in a school that's in a better post code you're not living in the real world. Bullies are everywhere, so are shit teachers.

SEN provision varies greatly from school to school and depends a lot on the head and the SENCO - a school that is great for most children may have inadequate provision or SEN. It's not about postcode, it's about finding the best school for your child.

Many parents of children with SEN are forced to home educate and many children with SEN are regularly excluded from school. All parents have a statutory duty to ensure that their child receives an education, but sometimes the local school does not enable that.

If your child is coping well, I am sure that you have found a school that suits your child. However, please don't pretend that that kind of provision is readily available for all.

onefootinthegrave · 29/08/2019 09:29

I'm not pretending anything of the sort - the exact opposite. The PP was saying one of her children has SEN and wouldn't manage in the local school, not because of inadequate SEN support, but because it wasn't a 'good' school. My point is, don't assume that a school in a better area will have better SEN support because it might not - which was yours too.

kesstrel · 29/08/2019 09:46

I think the idea that parents can "uplift" a failing school is pretty dubious. For one thing, different groups of parents will often have completely opposing views on what the school needs to do to improve. For another, school leaders and staff see themselves as the professionals, and tend not to welcome interference in how they manage things.

onefootinthegrave · 29/08/2019 10:02

No it isn't - parents about 10 year ago I think in NW London did exactly that. A whole bunch of middle class mums decided to all send their kids to the local school which was not seen as outstanding and it thrived. But even if you think it's dubious, it's still part of the problem to move away to 'better' areas. I think most people on here know this, but don't really want to admit it. Because then they'd have to admit that they're part of the problem, not the solution.

SnuggyBuggy · 29/08/2019 10:04

It probably can work but I think most parents would be reluctant for their own child to be a Guinea pig

Swipe left for the next trending thread