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Original poster

What happens if you move house before starting new school

21 replies

Wanttomovehouse · 17/04/2011 08:44

i have lived in my house a very long time and my older DCs went to our local oversubscribed secondary school. My youngest has been offered a place and we have accepted it. What happens if we move house between now and September. We have not yet exchanged contracts but our new house is about half a mile further away and is now nearer to a less popular school. Can they take DC's place away? Do I have to tell them before he starts in September? When DC starts do I have to provide evidence of address?

We are in Surrey btw.

OP posts:

CrispyCakeHead · 17/04/2011 08:49

Not sure how it would work that way, but we moved house after filling in our common preference form, but had put our chosen school as the one closest to the new house, rather than the one close to the house we were in at the time (not a good school at all). When we moved we informed the LEA of our new address and sent them a copy of the solicitors letter as proof. The offer hadn't been made though.

If you have a look on your LEA website there may be some information, but I would be surprised if they could take away an offer that had already been made?

Original poster

Wanttomovehouse · 17/04/2011 09:20

Thanks crispycakehead. I can't find anything about this on the Lea website. Does anyone have any experience of this?

OP posts:

diabolo · 17/04/2011 09:22

I'm in Suffolk, I dont know if all LEA's are the same, but here, it's where you live when you make the application that matters.

Original poster

Wanttomovehouse · 17/04/2011 09:31

Thanks diablo. That was what I was hoping to hear. I am not trying to cheat the system and as far as I know the school that will now be nearer is also oversubscribed. DH thinks I am being neurotic but DC very happy with their place and will go with all of their best friends.

OP posts:

Original poster

Wanttomovehouse · 17/04/2011 16:13

Has anybody had any experience of moving house after a place at secondary has been offered and accepted ?

OP posts:

prh47bridge · 17/04/2011 19:46

They are not allowed to withdraw the offer just because you have moved house. Once you have accepted the offer the place is yours and can only be taken away if your application was fraudulent or intentionally misleading, e.g. if you gave a false address. Assuming you haven't done that you are safe. You can move 200 miles away and commute every day if you want!

If the LA try to take the place away refer them to paragraph 1.50 of the Admissions Code.

SixtyFootDoll · 17/04/2011 19:52

We moved between the time ds was given a place and starting school at we moved in the june- and were out of catchment then. I didn't say anything until he started and then sent a lettrr in notifying school of the move. Nothing was said about it.

SixtyFootDoll · 17/04/2011 19:52

Original poster

Wanttomovehouse · 17/04/2011 21:56

Thank you so much for your replies. We have definitely not acted fraudulently, simply trying to move house, but do not want to jeopardise DC school place. Last night lying in bed in the middle of the night worrying about it I was ready to pull the plug on moving house.

Prh47 - I have looked at the admissions code and paragraph 1.50 referred to something else. Am I looking at the wrong thing?

Moving and not telling anyone is the obvious thing to do but I am a little bit of a stickler for following rules and would be really scared of doing the wrong thing, especially as I live in a "competitive" area and have a place at a popular school and couldn't be sure that someone wouldn't report me.

OP posts:

prh47bridge · 17/04/2011 23:57

Paragraph 1.50 of the Admissions Code states "Once an offer of a school place has been made it is only reasonable for an admission authority to withdraw that offer in very limited circumstances." It then goes on to set out some of the circumstances in which an offer can be withdrawn. If the paragraph you found said something different I can only assume you were looking at the wrong document - the Admission Appeals Code perhaps. This paragraph doesn't specifically refer to what happens if you move but it has been well established that this is not one of the "very limited circumstances" in which an offer can be withdrawn.

OneMoreMum · 18/04/2011 13:33

Just a word of warning, in our LEA last year they definitely did remove the offer of a place to someone that moved before September, it was in our local paper and the LEA defended themselves by saying it was entirely justified under the rules. What's more because all the local schools were full they ended up with a place at a not very good school miles away from either their new or old home. Once you start in September they can't take the place away.
If it was me I'd just have my mail forwarded by the post office and notify the school of your new address once they actually start just to be safe..

prh47bridge · 18/04/2011 13:45

Unless the LA could argue that the parents had given a false address on their application that was a clear breach of the Admissions Code. Assuming the parents had been honest I would have advised them to appeal and, if that failed, refer the matter to the Local Government Ombudsman.

If the LA in this case thought the parents lied about the address (which is the only reason I can think of for them saying they were justified) they could have taken the place away once the child had started school.

Can you post a link to the story?

Gumps · 18/04/2011 15:06

Prh47bridge I have been slightly stalking you as you seem to be the admissions expert.
I have a question to ask. A friend of mine (ahem...) has rented for a year to get her child into primary school. She was desperate and glad she did as 250 kids in borough currently without school places. She has been living in the property for 5 months and renting out her house.
Luckily she got a place at the school and is now pregnant with no 3. She would very much like to move back to her lovely old house but will sell and move if necessary. This would cost her lots of money and mean buying a smaller house. She wants to speak to the school and do it all above board. She had a meeting with the head teacher before renting to see if it was a problem and the school didn't have an issue with it.
What would you advise?
Please don't think too harshly of my friend. She is really a lovely person and just wanted to do what she thought best for her child.

Flaxengate · 18/04/2011 17:33

I believe that Milton Keynes do take places away from people who have been allocated a place at an oversubscribed secondary and then move before the school year starts in September:

www.miltonkeynes.gov.uk/schools/documents/M10108_Secondary_Admission%282%29.pdf

prh47bridge · 18/04/2011 17:48

Gumps - The risk she faces is that the LA may conclude that her initial move amounted to an intentionally misleading application and that her house has been her main residence all along. There is no easy way of knowing whether or not they would do this. Ringing and asking may not be the best move!

If your friend stays put until Christmas she will be fine. They definitely can't take the place away after that.

Flaxengate - I see what you mean. That seems to be a breach of the Admissions Code. Someone should refer Milton Keynes to the Schools Adjudicator for a definitive ruling.

Original poster

Wanttomovehouse · 18/04/2011 17:50

Hello all. I bit the bullet this morning and rang our LEA. No absolutely will not take my DC's place away. The only thing that mattered was residency at time of application. Wished me good luck for a move.

OP posts:

Dozer · 18/04/2011 18:06

Good luck, bet you're relieved!

Gumps · 18/04/2011 21:20

Thank you prh47bridge

OneMoreMum · 19/04/2011 13:00

Well spotted Flaxengate it was indeed Milton Keynes! Glad this doesn't apply to you Wanttomove, good luck with the move

OneMoreMum · 19/04/2011 13:04

Quote from the MK admissions document:

If you have been allocated a place at an
oversubscribed school and move out of the
defined area before 1 September 2011 this may
mean your child is no longer eligible for the place
and it may be withdrawn.

I wonder if the people appealed and won (I have a feeling they had twins to add insult to injury), but in any case it has still appeared in the 2011 rules.

prh47bridge · 20/04/2011 00:08

Yes, that's the bit I saw which I think is in breach of the Admissions Code.

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