What happens if we move after a school applications close?

[Somethingsgotthagive]

We need to apply for a school place between September and Jan. We are planning to also buy a house in that same period, ideally in the same location so we won't be moving to a completely new area but likely to be near a different primary school to the one we have down the road now (and that we hope we can get in). So my question is, if we apply this autumn and then end up moving after having applied, what happens then? Do we need to declare the fact that we no longer live in that address, even though it is the same area? And does it mean we will no longer be granted a place in the current school but will be forced to switch to another one?

All houses within our budget seem to be near a school that hasn't go a great reputation whereas our current address would mean DC could get into a lovely primary. We are renting so keen to get on the ladder asap.

If you move before January deadline... then yes you have to declare.

Its a bit dodgier between Jan and April, as technically its the old address but you can update your application

After April... they can't remove the space.

@PuttingDownRoots thank you. So, depending on what happens with the rates etc, we plan to start looking towards the end of the summer but realistically by the time we find a place, offer accepted etc and then we move in, it can take many months so there is a risk we move outside of the application deadline.
If we moved between Jan and April are we obliged to update the original application?

If you want to change schools after you have moved , you have to apply for an in year transfer.

If you move out of catchment, but still live locally , you commute to the current school
.it is your responsibility to apply for a closer school if you wish , it is not automatically provide , you are not guaranteed a place nor are you required to leave your current school

• at least that was the case in my local authority.

@Mairzydotes well the thing is that I wouldn't want to apply for another school as our preference is our local primary (literally down the road from our current flat) but we are unlikely to be able to afford a house nearby so will have to move 15-20 min away from our current address and we don't like the schools in that area.

@Mairzydotes I suppose my question is, would I have to declare that I have moved so that they will try and assign me another place to free up a space in our current primary for someone more local?

All our application was done online , and the school offer sent via email, although we had the option to have it sent by post . We had to provide our council tax number as proof of address.

So if you moved prior to dc starting reception you would still get notified of your place. You could probably just give the school your current address when starting, as most communication is likely to be via email anyway.

Are you moving within the same local authority / County Council area?

@Mairzydotes thank you! yes, same council/LA

I take it you are looking at the 2025 intake for your dc? That gives you exactly a year until offers day? Is it realistic that you will have found a property to buy, completed and exchanged by then?

If you move after the January deadline there may be a short window to update the address and it be treated as "on time". After this it may be a late application dealt with after others are processed, but usually if someone is new moving into the area. Check the LA applications process.

@Mairzydotes but we are not starting yet, we are planning to start looking at the end of the summer so I think it's probably likely we will still be in the current place during applications but potentially moved between Jan and April

@LIZS not sure if it was clear for my post but I don't want to apply to a new school, I want the one close to us now, I am just not sure whether they'll "force" me to update my address and reapply, iyswim

As a teacher, I know places have been withdrawn from families who applied under an address that they no longer lived at by the allocation day. I wouldn’t risk it. Can you delay moving until after they start?

@Shinyandnew1 thank you. Was this the case even though they were still somehow local, just slightly out of catchment? Ideally I don't want to delay this further, we have been saving for a long long time to be able to get on the ladder and our rent is due to increase next year so now that we are getting there, I wouldn't want to postpone it further (plus we will currently benefit from the stamp duty cuts)

You need to look up the local policy. There will be a cut off date.

Where we live, the address used is where you are living on 15 January but if you are moving after that date and want to use your new address for the application, there is a grace period to provide proof up to 31 January.

some other kid that is in catcHment should get the place over someone that has moved out before starting, surely?

@Itsaloadofbollocksbut well yes I get that of course but wouldn't you want your DC to get into a good school rather than one that needs improvement (which would be the case if we moved slightly)? We wouldn't be living miles away, just 15 min walk from said school so still perfectly close enough

thats not how it works, so it doesn’t really matter what you would prefer.

DD did start at a needs improvement school because it was the catchment school. I felt the headteacher could make massive improvements so got behind him and joined the governing body and chaired the PTA and by the time she was in Year 2 it was categorised as a good school.

She’s now at a moderate comp where they prioritise wellbeing over everything else - just as well as they spotted her ADHD and have been hugely supportive. Inspection reports are basically not of any interest to me. It’s a very poor way of judging schools.

As long as you can prove your current address now is the only you live in, your on the council tax bill etc then that is your address at time of applying. If you love after your application it's fine, they won't take the place off you op

Haringey say otherwise.

I would interpret the Haringey rules as the cut off date being 2 February and they will use the address you were living at that time ie any changes of address after that date won’t be considered until after national offer day.

Otherwise anyone who moved between the cut off date and national offer day would effectively have no address for the purpose of school allocation. They can’t say that we won’t accept any new addresses after the cut off date until after national offer day but we won’t accept your old address either.

May I suggest you post on the primary education board and ask advice, OP? There are several experts on school appeals/admissions who are regular posters on that board.

@AnotherFamilyNightmare thank you, you are right, I will move the post!

Honestly you'd be better off holding out to move after the April allocations have been sent out then.

Before that you have to declare it and as mentioned above between Jan and April it can cause more problems.

If you move and don't declare it and they ask for 12 months of council tax statements etc you could end up not having your preferred school or your new closest one.

Our area they do a home visit before you start and check if you are at the address you applied from .. as that is how the calculation is done for most schools in our area (after lac/ehcp/sibling other determined criteria)

you will probably lose your place if your new address is further away...

They can and do remove places both at primary and secondary level...
Lots of people used to rent/buy close to good schools and then move... potentially blocking spaces for children that live closer..

However the boom years are declining so schools are less oversubscribed in many areas.. you would need to see if anyone in your new area got in previous years.. this year is nearly done so you should be able to find out... Some school near me had 350metre catchment so 15mins no chance..

Check the policies for the schools and your council

Hiya,
I am in this situation right now. My boy is 4, will be 5 in October and starts reception in September. He has been attending a nursery placement within a school since September last year full time. He loves it. The only issue is this school is a distance from our home. My husband and I applied for his schools (including the far away one) knowing we would be moving to the same area of that school in March. I informed the LA of our move which was after deadline day.
Fast forward to today, we’ve lived in our new home since last week of Feb, we are now only a five minute drive away from his nursery/school and he’s not been granted a place at the school.
This could have all been prevented had we moved sooner before deadline day (I know property ladders are unreliable) The LA decision has been made from our old address and not our new one. So now we’re having to appeal as we moved after the closing date and it was decided from our previous address. Headache and more stress after the headache and stress from the house move.
Once you move address and only after you move do you inform LA about your move of address as you have to prove it with a bill of some sort. I would personally not worry about informing the school about the change of address until your child starts.

It is a massive headache and I wish you every bit of luck on your property search and your school application. X