Who has moved house in order to get into a good secondary catchment?

[WildWombat]

Can't afford to go private but DH and I really want to prioritise the children's education. Our current catchment is dreadful, so our only option is to move. But how do you really know you're going to a better one? Ofsted reports etc only tell you so much after all, and we want the kids to be happy as well as well supported educationally. How on earth can you make such a big life change for the whole family without being 100% sure you're definitely improving your situation? Has anyone done a move for this reason and had a successful outcome?

I live in Bucks and lots of people move here for the grammar schools. Some of our other schools are better than a good many comprehensives.

When looking at secondary schools, you need to look at catchment and other criteria for getting in, such as religion or primary school attended.

Old Ofsted reports are not great. A better guide is the comparison site run by the government. You can then see up to date data on how many high achievers are in the school, how well they do in exams and what progress they make. School web sites give info on what the school does well.”Leafy lane” comps often do well but plenty are great in London. Do check ethos though because some are very strict.

How far can you move?