Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

To move son's school or not??

35 replies

lovelymuddy · 23/10/2021 19:47

Hi, it's my first post☺️would so appreciate your opinions!

My son has just finished his first half term in reception. It's a wonderful school and he is loving it. We have been renting for a while and are a 15 min walk from his current school.

We are finally in process of buying a house not too far away. The new house is a 3 minute walk to another great school with a great reputation. I called this school out of interest how long the waiting list would be for him. They said, whilst they are usually heavily oversubscribed, they had just had one pupil leave so there's a space for my son if we want it. We'd have to take it very shortly after this half term hol. We probs won't be living in the new house until January.

If he stayed at his current school it would be a 30 min walk from new house. If he moved to the new school it would be a 3 minute walk from the new house! He has little sister too so she's with us for the walk in a stroller. No car access.

It breaks my heart to think of moving him after he's just settled and loving his wonderful school. But the thought of doing that 30 min walk 4 times a day for the next 9 years seems so crazy when he could move to the one super close and we'd be sorted.

What would you do? ❤️

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Cattitudes · 23/10/2021 19:51

I would move, at that age they settle quickly and you might want to return to work when your dd goes to school so an easy drop off is important. Also consider whether your dd will actually get into the original school, you may now live too far away.

Original poster

lovelymuddy · 23/10/2021 19:53

Thanks for your reply, that's a really great point about returning to work that I hadn't considered.

OP posts:

Fireflygal · 23/10/2021 19:53

Have you exchanged? Just cautious in case the move didn't happen.

However it's fine to move him. He will settle really easily. Logistics for school is a big factor in making life easy.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Families General education General parenting Primary education

Comedycook · 23/10/2021 19:54

I'd move schools...we moved house when ds was just finishing reception...he moved to our new nearest school at the beginning of year one. Definitely a wise move for us. Especially if you have a younger DC who will be going to the same school too.

NapoleonOzmolysis · 23/10/2021 19:54

What if the sale falls through?
I'd wait until you've exchanged.

CocaColaTruck1 · 23/10/2021 19:55

I'd move but would be worried if sale was to fall through

Original poster

lovelymuddy · 23/10/2021 19:55

Thanks for your reply, no we haven't exchanged yet. Survey and mortgage done, just waiting on searches etc, no chain, I know it's a risk isn't it when we haven't exchanged yet.
I think if we lost this house we would buy in the same area as it's in our budget. Can't be sure though.

OP posts:

Comedycook · 23/10/2021 19:56

We couldn't apply to move school until we'd completed our sale

Original poster

lovelymuddy · 23/10/2021 19:57

I think if we didn't take this place now, we would be on waiting list a long time because the new school said all of reception would move up etc...
although can't be sure about that, I guess places could come up in the future?

OP posts:

Original poster

lovelymuddy · 23/10/2021 19:58

@Comedycook yes that definitely makes sense. We are lucky, both the school and district happy to offer place without having moved in yet.

OP posts:

parttimemary · 23/10/2021 20:02

I probably wouldn't if you haven't exchanged yet. Personally I'm too risk averse!

We were actually in a very similar situation and chose not to change schools. But for us it was an easier decision because the new school wasn't as good (in our opinion) as the current one, it was just closer. If it had been an excellent school it would have been a harder decision.

Original poster

lovelymuddy · 23/10/2021 20:05

@parttimemary Thank you, so how long is your walk now to the school you stayed at, and has it been ok?

The new school on paper is very good, award winning outstanding type of thing. But the current one is very nurturing and family-feel, which we love and suits my son a lot.

OP posts:

Cantstopthewaves · 23/10/2021 20:11

Move him. It's ideal!

T0rt0ise · 23/10/2021 20:32

I wouldn't move until you've exchanged. I know 4 people/couples moving and only one has actually gone through.

Original poster

lovelymuddy · 23/10/2021 21:43

@T0rt0ise oh no really, that's definitely something to bear in mind, what happened with the ones that fell through?

OP posts:

JellyBellies · 23/10/2021 21:52

I believe the rules have changed and you need a TV license to watch catch up content on BBC iplayer, 4 on demand, etx

JellyBellies · 23/10/2021 21:52

Sorry, wrong thread!

T0rt0ise · 24/10/2021 08:48

@lovelymuddy various things - one seller died in between completion and exchange so they now have to wait for probate, one the chain collapsed, one the seller just withdrew and one .because of the cladding issues in London.

Original poster

lovelymuddy · 24/10/2021 10:17

@T0rt0ise oh no!!

OP posts:

LittleBearPad · 24/10/2021 10:24

Have you visited the other school? Seen the classes and teachers.

I think you need to do this before making a decision. You also really need to exchange as our crappy house buying process can go wrong at any point up to then.

LittleBearPad · 24/10/2021 10:25

Also seems a bit odd that if this school has such a great reputation they won’t have a reception waiting list.

Children do move easily at that age however

Original poster

lovelymuddy · 24/10/2021 12:26

@LittleBearPad yeah it's a good point, I think what happened is anyone who didn't get a place there went elsewhere....
Now they had someone in reception move house so I happened to call a couple of days after that.

So the school said once we accept the place then we can go in to visit, but not before?? Do you think that's strange?

OP posts:

LittleBearPad · 24/10/2021 12:29

I think that’s rather odd and it would put me off. We had the opportunity to move DD as waiting lists shifted when she was a few weeks into her primary. I asked to look round and they said absolutely - it’s important.

Do you know anyone in the area who may know more about the school and what it’s actually like.

Even with a reception child leaving after term starts there’s usually still a waiting list in play for ages.

Original poster

lovelymuddy · 24/10/2021 12:43

@LittleBearPad hmm ok yeah, I'm definitely going to ask if we can look round first then. When I said to her "we never looked round it before" and she said "well nobody did."

Yes definitely everyone says it's a wonderful school, nothing negative at all, it has a great reputation locally. But you're right it's important to look in and get my own instinct on it.

So did you decide to move yours in the end?

Yes I guess there normally would be a waiting list but...yeah I just assumed people all chose to leave the waiting list once their kiddos started elsewhere.

I'd love to just hold off until we exchange and then ask to put him back on the waiting list...but then it may be a long time waiting and I would've regretted not taking the space (assuming we exchange).

OP posts:

LittleBearPad · 24/10/2021 12:46

No we didn’t move her but distances were equal in our case.

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread