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Original poster

Need your opinions - 48 hours to decide!!!

16 replies

onthemoveyetagain · 11/02/2011 16:52

I would really appreciate your opinions. Don't seem to decide on this one Confused.

We really want to move to a particular area but have looking for a house to rent for five months!! Nothing comes up around this place! The problem I have is my dd is due to start school in September in reception and the school there is excellent. The others are ok. I really want her to go there but the cut off is on 4th March. If we miss that date we will have to go on the waiting list and hope she gets a place in the near distant future. I would probably home educate until that time but not at all ideal. We would then wait until a house comes up that we like in the area to rent - no desperate urgency.

However, there is a house very near the school we could rent for 6 months. But it is very expensive (we could do it) but we just don't like it at all. It is a real family house and nothing has been done for at least 10 years. Cats have made their mark everywhere and it smells fusty. Sorry, don't mean to sound awful. We keep trying to like it and are considering moving there for 6 months which would pretty much guarantee getting a school place. But I just don't know if it worth dragging us all over to a house that we just don't like just to get a school place.

I have to decide by Monday!!!!

Help - opinions needed. Should we stay put and wait for a house we like and possibly have to wait for ages for a school place to come up or should we go for a house we don't like but would get the place??

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Original poster
onthemoveyetagain · 11/02/2011 16:53

Sorry about errors - nursing baby and toddler in my arms too Grin

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Mandy21 · 11/02/2011 17:26

Just one point which might impact on your decision - check with the LEA / school admission policy that a 6 month tenancy is good enough to denote your "permanent address". I don't know where you are, but we are in Trafford in the NW and here, you have to have a 12 month tenancy at least (or have exchanged contracts to use a new address). If they take your address at face value, then all well and good, but in the case of an over subscribed school (always the case here) if you're asked to prove your address, your permanent address is deemed to be your last address if you only have a 6 month tenancy.

If I was desperate to get in the school, and it is the only house to come up that is a possibility, subject to what I've said before, yes, I would live there. You can get rid of the smell, and you don't have to love the house if you know you're only going to be there for 6 months.

AnnMarlow · 11/02/2011 17:29

When would you start renting it? I know some schools where there would be a problem if you moved before the child started at school (and if you need to apply by 4th March, 6 months later would be right at the beginning of September). Although if a suitable house did come up before September that would help of course.

prh47bridge · 11/02/2011 17:40

I don't know what the policies are for your LA as you don't say where you are but for many it is too late to move already. If you move you may be treated as a late application which will give you very little chance of getting in to any popular school.

You also need to consider that the LA may regard moving to a house close to a school for six months in order to get a place and then moving away again as fraudulent, which means they could take your daughter's place away even after she has started at school. So you may be dragging yourselves to a house that you don't like for no reason at all.

Original poster
onthemoveyetagain · 11/02/2011 17:44

Thanks for your very helpful comments. Yes, I have checked that we are in time if we move by the end of this month. I have explained the situation to them. And we wouldn't be moving away - we would be staying in the area very close to the school - but hopefully in a house that feels right.

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Original poster
onthemoveyetagain · 11/02/2011 19:18

Any other views would be really appreciated...

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WeeBitWobbly · 11/02/2011 19:35

is the cost of moving an issue?

GORGEOUSX · 11/02/2011 19:58

Onthemove IMO it IS worth the upheaval and living in house that smells of cats' piss (joke!) for 6 months, in order to get your DC a place at the school you want.

If you don't go for it, you may never get to the top of the waiting list - as far as I'm aware, there are more children seeking a primary school place than ever. And I think you'll regret it.

On the other hand, I think you'll ever regret 6 months of hassle.

Also, have you tried to negotiate down on the rent? These prices are very rarely set in stone.

GORGEOUSX · 11/02/2011 19:59

that's supposed to read NEVER regret 6 months hassle!

misskeith · 11/02/2011 20:04

I would do it. We missed our chance to move into the right catchment and boy do I regret it now.

Original poster
onthemoveyetagain · 12/02/2011 14:00

Thanks for your thoughts. Think we have decided not to go for the really expensive house simply because we don't want to be stranded in there and having to pay a fortune for it. We might put an offer in on another house which is even worse but affordable and would be short term til we find a nice house in the area. If that falls through then we have no place for September Sad

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GORGEOUSX · 12/02/2011 14:16

Wish you loads of luck. Come back and let us know what happens. Smile

mummytime · 12/02/2011 14:20

Sorry to disagree with most of the advice here. But there is no such thing as a perfect school. Are you really moving to an area where there is only one primary schol you would even consider? If so I would move somewhere else entirely if at all possible, for two reasons:

First: there is no such thing as a perfect school. Maybe the head will change, maybe a number of teachers will change, or maybe it is just the wrong school for you and your daughter? I personally came extremely close to moving one child because of issues with a teacher, and I know of several friends who have had to move children. You really can't know everything in advance.

Second if this is the only reasonable school in the area, what are you going to do at secondary age, when your hot house flower is thrown in with all those who have been sent to the schools you would never choose? Let me tell you it is enough of a shock when there may be only one or two schools that you would not choose.

A happy child needs a happy home, and a sub-standard (over priced) one isn't going to provide that. Would you really be happy living in the house should be your first thought. I do mean a reasonable standard, as we could live in a bigger etc. house if we choose not to live in decent school catchments; so I'm not expecting you to hold out or a palace.

Original poster
onthemoveyetagain · 12/02/2011 15:31

mummytime - some very valid points. Thank you. There are a cluster of good schools around - it's just that we really liked this one when we looked. Nice atmosphere - but you are quite right about this being susceptible to change. And as for senior schools, that is our whole reason for moving there - two excellent senior schools with great reputations. But again, that is now. They might go down hill in a few years. Your post has struck a chord though - so thank you.

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Silverstreet · 12/02/2011 16:54

I am assuming you have applied for a place already and LEA has told you that you need to be living close by in time for 4 March when offers are made in order to be sure of a place. If this is the case could you talk to the school and ask them how many applicants they had for 1st preferences and in total? Schools should know this by now and this might well help you decide how marginal your application is.

Original poster
onthemoveyetagain · 12/02/2011 18:24

Silverstreet - have done this and they have told me the school is over-subscribed. Thanks for posting.

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