To move our family from a beautiful detached 4 bed to 3 bed semi for a better school catchment?

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Family of 5 here. We live in a large detached house, with a big garden. Rural. The only issue is that schools are not good in our area. We’re in a 3 tier system; the primary is outstanding, but the middle is very poor (and has been for a long time) and the high school is average.

Our original plan was to go private but we simply can’t do that now. We’ve got 3DC and our local very good indie has just announced a 10% fee increase. With the CofL what it is now, it’s out of reach.

I’ve been looking at an area 40 mins away from us with an outstanding secondary school and a good primary. House prices are much higher and realistically we’d be looking at a 3 bed semi (going to look at one tomorrow to get a feel).

Has anyone done this and would I be crazy to even consider it? Our DDs would have to share a bedroom (they are 5 years apart). However, we may be able to go a bit bigger in 5-7 years.

The area we’d be moving into is an area of outstanding beauty; there would be lots of outdoor space for kids, but our own garden would be much, much smaller.

Well it’s all Location Location Location, that’s why areas with outstanding schools attract higher house prices. If you can’t do private then it’s what you’ve got to do. What’s your other option? Rent in the nice area for a year and then move back?

Schools can change dramatically in the space of even two years

How old are your DC currently and how long until the first starts high school?

I personally think you’d be crazy to downsize when they’re likely to need more space the older they get. You have a room for each at the moment, that’s so lucky.

Schools can change very quickly. What's outstanding now could be inadequate very quickly. Why don't you look at tutoring to supplement?

I suppose it depends on your children really- could they thrive in any environment? I'd certainly hate sharing a bedroom and five years is a big age gap!

Look for a 3 bed property that has room to expand (loft conversion)for when your DC need their own rooms.

We considered this and whilst we were doing so the school went from outstanding to inadequate. Luckily we can afford private as we only have one child so that is what we’ve decided to do. The key question is if the grading/quality of the schools changed would you still be happy with the move.

It depends why the middle school is so bad but if the high school is average then I’d strongly consider staying put and doing tutors and extra curriculars (presuming there’s money for these since private was vaguely considered).

I used to rent a large 3 storey 5 bed house after returning from an overseas move. Has 2 DC then and now have 3. But because we wanted to buy and couldn't find a 'ready made' house with the size of garden we wanted, we downsized to a 3 bed detached which needs work. It's been very hard, we're all on top of eachother, don't have enough storage, older two have to share a small room and don't seem to get as much sleep as they used to. We will be extending in time but I may have made different decisions if I'd known what it would be like having 5 people in a smaller house. Long story short, I wouldn't move in your shoes unless I could afford a decent size house. It's not just bedrooms either, as 3 beds will usually have less bathrooms too and you need more not less as kids grow up. If your local primary is good, there is still time for the other schools to improve and perhaps you can save for longer if you think you'd want to move eventually. Also do you know the middle and secondary schools aren't good, or just going on OFSTED? They may not have been inspected for years and a new Head and staff can make big improvements in a relatively short time. Far better to focus on the right fit/feel of a school than OFSTED in my opinion.

I wouldn't move and I wouldn't judge a school by its OFSTED report
Visit the schools and get a feel for them. My kids went to fairly average schools and did OK, now they are flying in their adult life. They loved going to school with their friends around

Hmm initially I thought no, from the title. And still I’d be reluctant to do 3 bed with 3 kids. We have that at the mo and are putting everything into an extension to get a 4th bedroom.

I grew up in a 3 tier area and if yours is anything like that, it’s not great for teens - parents have to drive kids everywhere for years and you can’t gather anywhere other than one friend’s home etc. Less rural is far better for kids IME.

They loved going to school with their friends around

Rurally though your friends ARENT around. Our school catchment was enormous and therefore friends lived between 10 and 30 min drive away for example.

If not further!

Have you been to visit both schools to understand why they are deemed this rating of Ofsted? Go with an open mind, my child attends a school which if you read the ofsted report you would run away from but actually whilst having some problems it's a great school and daughter is on target to get good grades, any subject she is a bit low on we have provided some top up tuition. Schools change very quickly to.

I wouldn't move for a school unless it was specialised.

I wouldn’t move from a beautiful 4 bedroom house in your situation. The average school could go up and the outstanding school could go down. I wouldn’t choose a school by their rating anyway . Have a look online at their last inspection report. Give your children lots of opportunities eg sport , music and extra tutoring .

You might want to consider moving sooner or later anyway. Rural is quite isolating for teens.

Go and visit all the schools and get a feel for them. As a teacher I can tell you that ofsted gradings are not the whole picture and nor is reputation.

If you do decide to move look for properties with a garage you could over or a loft you could convert.

I wouldn’t. I think the children will resent you for it.

A 5yr age gap for room sharing is quite difficult , especially if they are used to their own space . School is important but it’s only a portion of your life and quality of life is more important . Children with interested parents can do well anywhere .

Teacher here, too, so whilst I definitely know that not everything is on the OFSTED, I do know the reputation of all the local schools close to me. The biggest issue is the middle school; significant issues and a historically poor reputation. Last two inspections have been RI. This school is simply not somewhere that I’d be happy sending my child at all. I have friends who sent their kids there, who, in their own words said that they have ‘lost’ two years of their education.

Our first school was supposed to be converted to a primary, but sadly this is not happening now.

Agree with what others are saying regarding the space, though. The children could resent it even if it was just a few years. We are considering moving quickly to try to secure a space and then saving hard to get a better place in a few years..

I wouldn’t move purely for school catchment, but if that is the main reason and there are other benefits then I would. We have just made a similar move - although we only have two children and are actually gaining space with the move - in that we have swapped areas for a better secondary catchment and overall lifestyle improvement as our children get older.

The area we are currently in (and it’s the same with the area we are moving to - same city) has very high house prices for the North; we can only really afford a 3/4 bed reasonable sized house whereas if we changed areas, we’d get probably double the space etc for our budget. For us though, it’s all about location!! I don’t have three kids though so losing a bedroom in your circumstances probably isn’t ideal!

Eldest will be in Yr 3 in Sept and therefore will only have two years left of the First School as middle school starts in Yr5. I feel like if we’re going to move, it needs to be really soon.

Totally agree that the schools can change, however in this case I think it’s more about the area, tbh. The middle school is in a deprived area where so many parents simply don’t care about education. (Before I get flamed for insensitivity, I know that it’s not always the case, I really do, but in this instance it totally is) I have visited the school.

The outstanding school in comparison is in a very affluent area, where parents are very invested in their kids’ education and has a Sixth Form, which our local high school doesn’t.

I don't think I would move. Before my dc (and the dc of various friends) started secondary I would have considered it, but I have since learnt the following:

• It doesn't matter how 'nice' the school is the same issues are everywhere - drugs, bullying, kids vaping in the loos, ridiculous social media usage, kids struggling with eating disorders and other mental health difficulties, underage drinking/sex etc - this is in various private schools, outstanding state schools and bang average state schools local to me.
• The majority of schools teach kids to pass exams (as opposed to getting them to think critically/creatively) - the degree of hot housing may vary, but that is essentially what you get wherever you go.
• Under performing schools and schools in less salubrious areas have more money than outstanding schools in desirable areas.

You say that you have only recently been priced out of independent school, so in your shoes I would stay in my beautiful home and use the school fees money to pay for lots of enriching activities outside of school, alongside tutoring if it is needed.

This was what my first thought was.

Most schools are struggling now and many outstanding schools haven't actually been rated for 10 years or so and are dining on old inspections.

All the schools near me are rated good. Every single one within a 6 mile radius.

I can tell you some are far better than others and results differ drastically.

I wouldn't hang everything on an outstanding rated school. Ime they are often lacking elsewhere if it's a recent inspection.

One of the good schools near me has just been downgraded from good to requires improvement! Bare that in mind, things can change! Is it a recent ofsted rating? Because outstanding schools are only now being re-assessed after many years and many are being downgraded. Really check out all the schools. It's perfectly reasonable to go to primary school near you and reassess the situation when your eldest needs to move up. That is ages away! Also high schoolers can get the bus to a better school.

For the majority of us, house purchases do involve compromise. Space, bedrooms, schools, commutes....

Your eldest (and middle) child will need a quiet space to do homework in the next couple of years. Doesn't need to be bedroom, but will need to be away from the youngest child's play area. A 3 bed with separate downstairs rooms (kitchen, dining, living) may accommodate this.

We chose a slightly smaller house for a better school catchment. DD1 is flying there, no regrets.

One alternative would be to stay put and share the 40 minute commute to the better school; either between you and DH (or pay a family member) or share with other family living locally.