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Original poster

Moving area 7 miles away. Change or stay at current school?

35 replies

User291997 · 22/03/2024 12:59

Just looking for opinions really. My DD is 4 and has attended primary school since September. She loves it there, has made friends and has settled in well. I’ve been offered a council property and it’s 7 miles away from her current school. I do drive and work part time. The primary school near the new house has an inadequate rating with Ofsted and I do worry about moving her and how she would cope with the change. What would you do?

OP posts:
Dressrentallll · 22/03/2024 12:59

Definitely keep her at the current school if the commute is something you’re able to do.

Birch101 · 22/03/2024 13:01

I would stay in current school.

Ogam · 22/03/2024 13:02

Stay in current school for sure. 7 miles isn’t too bad

buzzlightyearsaway · 22/03/2024 13:04

Stay

Bushmillsbabe · 22/03/2024 14:03

Definitely stay in current school - if you can! A few very oversubscribed schools can ask you to prove you are still in catchment each year- to stop people renting close to a desirable school just long enough to get child in, and then move.

But I would definitely stay if you can

ExtraOnions · 22/03/2024 14:04

I drive DD 7 miles to college .. morning & afternoon. I quite like it, music on, bit of a chill out

InterestedinEfteling · 22/03/2024 14:05

I'd stay but also research other closer decent schools just in case especially as she is so young so could move without too much disruption. 7 miles in rush hour is a lot. Will the commuting to school fit in with your work hours? 7 miles is also a really long way later on when she wants playdates etc.

cryinglaughing · 22/03/2024 14:08

Bushmillsbabe · 22/03/2024 14:03

Definitely stay in current school - if you can! A few very oversubscribed schools can ask you to prove you are still in catchment each year- to stop people renting close to a desirable school just long enough to get child in, and then move.

But I would definitely stay if you can

Is this correct?
I was told once you had been awarded a legitimate place, they couldn't make you leave if you moved out of area.

I kept both my dd's at schools 35 miles away as they were yr5 and yr10. The younger one then went to a school closer to our new area.

hby9628 · 22/03/2024 14:09

The only reason I would move is for your DD to develop more local friendship groups however if the local school is classed as inadequate I would hold off moving. It might be good to make the transition if she's more likely to be going to a secondary school close to where you are so she potentially has some established friendships

HowDoYouSolveAProblemLikeMyRear · 22/03/2024 14:10

It's worth reading the Ofsted report to find out the reason(s) for the inadequate rating, and then finding out what has changed since.

Reading the report, meeting the head and going around the school will only take a few hours in all. And it's possible a new head has turned it around and you love what you see and hear positive feedback from other parents.

Or if it's anything but reassuring, it might make the 28 miles of driving feel a bit more worthwhile some day when you're feeling rotten and wish you didn't have to.

RandomMess · 22/03/2024 14:11

How long will that 7 miles take including parking etc. Will it impact on your commute?

What are the alternatives closer to the new joys but on the way to work.

Will that primary feed into a secondary school your DD will likely attend from the new house?

You don't have to move her now but in the future it may be the better option.

Mumof2teens79 · 22/03/2024 14:14

Stay
You can move her at any point in the future but you won't be able to move her back if you don't like it.

WarningOfGails · 22/03/2024 14:15

Bushmillsbabe · 22/03/2024 14:03

Definitely stay in current school - if you can! A few very oversubscribed schools can ask you to prove you are still in catchment each year- to stop people renting close to a desirable school just long enough to get child in, and then move.

But I would definitely stay if you can

This isn’t correct.

EC22 · 22/03/2024 14:16

are there no other more local schools?

waterrat · 22/03/2024 14:27

7 miles is an insane journey to primary school. The best thing about primary is being near it so you are friends with your neighbours/ can organise playdates etc

Schools with poor ofsted often have a huge input of support after the report - have you been and lookd round? It could be massively on the up.

I can see why you might initially keep her there ie. til end of summer but you will want to have her at school in her own community for so many reasons.

PatriciaHolm · 22/03/2024 14:51

Bushmillsbabe · 22/03/2024 14:03

Definitely stay in current school - if you can! A few very oversubscribed schools can ask you to prove you are still in catchment each year- to stop people renting close to a desirable school just long enough to get child in, and then move.

But I would definitely stay if you can

No, they can't. Once a place has been given, it can only be withdrawn on very limited grounds. Moving home once at the school is not one of them.

A place can withdrawn if a parent gives an address of convenience, (so a property that is not in the LAs opinion the child's permanent address) but that is not the case here.

Bramshott · 22/03/2024 14:55

Is it 7 miles across town or 7 miles in the countryside? How long will it take you to drive? The good news is that you don't have to rush into anything as it will be possible to keep her at her existing school for now whilst you check out the other option(s).

Original poster
User291997 · 22/03/2024 14:57

Bramshott · 22/03/2024 14:55

Is it 7 miles across town or 7 miles in the countryside? How long will it take you to drive? The good news is that you don't have to rush into anything as it will be possible to keep her at her existing school for now whilst you check out the other option(s).

Thanks for your replies everyone

its 7 miles through country side and wouldn’t effect my working hours or anything like that. It’s fairly rural so not lots of choice really

OP posts:
catmomma67 · 22/03/2024 15:00

if you are going to be living in this new area for a great length of time... i'd sway schools... your child is 4, they wont notice the change that much.. and they will make friends and grow up with people living around them.

if you continue to take them to a school 7 miles away, who do they then play with out of school

Hoplolly · 22/03/2024 15:01

Stay. My teens are 12 miles away from their secondary school, it's fine really. It's through countryside, hardly any traffic. Keep her there and if you don't think it's working out you can make the change, but you can never go back if you pull her out now.

PuttingDownRoots · 22/03/2024 15:05

Keep an eye on improvements in the local school, and move if and when it improves.

Tohaveandtohold · 22/03/2024 15:10

Keep her there for now. We did the same with DD1 when we moved when she was in year 1 because the local school was inadequate and was going to get closed down and the other good options mean we have to drive her anyway so kept her in the school 3.5 miles away. The local school is now good and the nursery attached is outstanding so DD2 is going there now, she’s in reception so we’re having to do 2 school runs for a year before DD1 goes to secondary school in sept but it was the best thing we did. She has thrived in the school, made lots of friends and have 3 people that’ll be going to the same secondary school as her in sept and one is her good friend so even though she never made friends locally, she has established friendship in the school.

martinisforeveryone · 22/03/2024 15:12

Keep her where she's happy and thriving. As she gets older her socialising will involve after school clubs maybe and school friend parties at weekends. If there are neighbours with children who could become friends, you can also factor them in.

I never lived near to any of my schools and for various reason our children also attended schools around the same distance away as you mention. It wasn't ever a problem as I drive and could manage the various journeys.

I'd only move her if that became a problem to you.

Floralnomad · 22/03/2024 15:13

Leave her where she is 7 miles is nothing

TheNoodlesIncident · 22/03/2024 15:27

It's definitely worth going to visit the school in your new area, as there could well have been improvements made on the back of the OFSTED report. And often OFSTED marks schools down for reasons that don't actually affect the way the pupils are taught anyway. I wouldn't rule out a school in these circumstances without investigating for myself whether it would be a decent school or not.

There are loads of advantages of going to a school close by, and she hasn't been at her current school for that long. Why not check it out first before making a decision? Then at least if the local school doesn't suit, you'll know you've made your choice with the best information you had.