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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

If I move house just after school applications close...

37 replies

Waxxy · 10/12/2022 23:42

Will my son still be eligible for a place in the school we've chosen? I've submitted my school choices for this year. Our favourite is a consistently under subscribed school so very likely to get a place. Landlord has increased my rent to an unaffordable price, which would mean I would need to move out end of January. Applications technically close January 15th. If I can't find a new home near the school, which we love and am happy to travel to (won't be moving too far away), will he still be offered that place?

OP posts:

prh47bridge · 11/12/2022 17:30

MRex · 11/12/2022 13:44

@PatriciaHolm - OP hasn't moved yet and will be moving during allocations. Failure to advise of address change can lead to a local authority counting it as fraudulent or stating the place was offered in error, because a different school would have been offered.

As I have said, if OP moves before offer day and doesn't notify the LA (assuming the LA require parents to notify in this situation), the place may be withdrawn. However, if she moves after national offer day, the place offered cannot be withdrawn.

MRex · 11/12/2022 17:46

prh47bridge · 11/12/2022 17:30

Show quote history

She still needs to notify the address. If there's a spot check, they would assume it's fraudulent and most boroughs require proof of address change. They may also adjust waiting list spots based on the new address, that's why it still matters.

prh47bridge · 11/12/2022 21:19

MRex · 11/12/2022 17:46

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Did anyone say otherwise?

nutbrownhare15 · 11/12/2022 21:36

Call the council to ask what would happen if you needed to move: 1. Before allocation day 2. After allocation day. Don't give your name and address and say it's speculative for now.

prh47bridge · 12/12/2022 07:32

No need to ask about what happens after allocation day. As has been said several times on this thread, the LA cannot take away an offer just because you move after the offer is made.

Triffid1 · 12/12/2022 07:36

Check your LA rules. From memory, ours states, repeatedly, in big bold letters, that the relevant address is the address on day of application. Everything else is irrelevant. In tour case, that would work in your favour. In the case of a child at ds' school, it worked against her as she had to apply at her old address. All the new address did is move.her up the waiting list.... after she moved.

Boomboom22 · 12/12/2022 07:40

There are a variety of deadlines. I moved in Feb and changed address but that was before they allocated the schools, was fine.
If you are moving in Jan you should be fine to change address or even the list if you have moved far. You need to check your local council as all are different.

Minimalme · 12/12/2022 08:07

Since you are moving for economic reasons, I would just put a Mail forwarding on to your new address and wait until dc has started at the school.

Life is so shit atm for renters that you should do what's best for you and sod the rules.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 12/12/2022 08:11

Honestly speak to your local admissions office. I rang them about a query I had and they were so helpful, I even managed to ask a couple of extra "cheeky" questions to gauge info I couldn't get elsewhere.

They'll be best placed to advise.

LiveIngSun · 12/12/2022 08:18

PatriciaHolm · 11/12/2022 13:08

ignore what the previous poster says, you can have the place withdrawn if you don't advise of a new address.

The admissions code is very clear on this. A place cannot legally be withdrawn simply because you move. Only if the Admissions authority decide your change of address means your application was fraudulent or intentionally misleading could the place be withdrawn. Any admission authority trying to do otherwise would lose an appeal. That doesn't mean they don't try, but it's against the code.

The relevant paragraphs -

2.13 An admission authority must not withdraw an offer unless it has been offered in error, a parent has not responded within a reasonable period of time, or it is established that the offer was obtained through a fraudulent or intentionally misleading application. Where the parent has not responded to the offer, the admission authority must give the parent a further opportunity to respond and explain that the offer may be withdrawn if they do not. Where an offer is withdrawn on the basis of misleading information, the application must be considered afresh, and a right of appeal offered if an offer is refused.
23

2.14 A school must not withdraw a place once a child has started at the school, except where that place was fraudulently obtained. In deciding whether to withdraw the place, the length of time that the child has been at the school must be taken into account. For example, it might be considered appropriate to withdraw the place if the child has been at the school for less than one term.

This is a good post

LiveIngSun · 12/12/2022 08:19

It would NOT be fraudulent, and even if they tried this the appeal would be successful on evidence.

prh47bridge · 12/12/2022 08:26

Minimalme · 12/12/2022 08:07

Since you are moving for economic reasons, I would just put a Mail forwarding on to your new address and wait until dc has started at the school.

Life is so shit atm for renters that you should do what's best for you and sod the rules.

I would strongly advise against doing this. This would look fraudulent and, depending on the LA's rules, may actually be fraudulent, which means the place could be withdrawn even after the child has started at the school. In that situation, you wouldn't get the place you would have got if you had been honest. You would be offered the nearest school with a place available, which may be a long way from home and would almost certainly be an unpopular school.

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