Does anyone know wha happens if you move house after appying for schools?

[used2bthin]

DD is four and due to start primary school next september. I have to apply in january and will find out where she gets in may.

I really want her to go to the school she attends playgroup at and they have said it is possible that she may get in as we are slightly out of catchment but only just. She is about to get an early years inclusion worker who I hope will back me up in saying it is in her interests to stay (she may have some one to one support with any luck by then). She has madical needs which means it would be so much less stressful to keep her there.

Anyway we are thinking of moving. Now, my ideal would be to move closer to the school but if we can't, and if we are further away, if she had got a place on the grounds that we live where we do now-could they change that if, by the time she starts in september, we have moved? Lots of ifs I know but bit worried about this.

am pretty sure that once she has an offer of a place, it won't be retracted if you move house. i wouldn't worry about it as you're only thinking of moving, it's not like you've sold etc.

Thanks lucykate thats what was hoping. The move is definate, just not where. I rent and we are moving with my boyfriend (I has just been me and DD so need somewhere we can all live now).

A shame I don't hear till may though because if she doesnt get into the school anyway I would consider moving further away (and therefore a cheaper area).

check with your LA as some handle it slightly different to others.

Usually they will not withdraw the offer if you move between getting the offer & starting school (although I'm sure someone posted about one LA who do this)

Once your DD has started school they cannot withdraw the offer (unless a fraudulent application)

What I would avoid doing if at all possible is moving between the closing date for applications & the offer date - that usually results in you being classed as a "late" application & what this means is that they process all the "on time" applications first & then the "late" ones, so at a popular school there will be no places left by the time it comes to the "late" applications.

Once you move the house you will need at some point to inform your LA and the school about the new address. The school will inform the LA (they always do) which will send you a letter to confirm that you are living at the new address. They do not withdraw the place unless there is some fraud to it. The LA has right to give this place to another child within the 1st term if there is fraud.
My experience. I had to move houses two months after receiving an offer.

Ok thankyou, I will apply before we move, unless I find a way between now and january to move closer to the school. I will ask when we get our inclusion teacher about the LA rules on it too. I will get the application in anyway before the close date- hoping it doesnt make a difference when I apply though as long as it is before the close date?

X posts octavia. So I can still send her there if we get a place even if we have moved from the sound of it.

The timescale is so difficult-close date for applications is 17th january, my tenancy ends here 18th feb so we will probably have moved by the time I hear which school she gets given. But if she didnt get in to that school would move somewhere else so I am sort of planning a move around a school she may or may not get into! But will go with it think as it woud be lovely to keep her where she is.

May be you could redirect your post. So, if you get an offer it will come to your old address. I also think if I really wanted my child to study at this school then I would have extended the renting contract by 6 more months. Your boyfriend can wait and your child should come first. In my case we could not stay at our old house for 6 more months but we still lived there when the offer had arrived. We only moved two months later afterwards. We told the reason to our school and a few weeks later we got a letter from the LA. But in our case it was the fault of the landlord that we had to move out. Think about it. If this is a really good school then you should stay at your present place or move into the catchment area.

I am considering extending the tenancy but we are not actually in catchment area anyway so it may not help, and an extra six months is a long time for something which isn't a definate.

Believe me am thinking about it, all the time. I don't know if it is a better school than others for her needs but I like it and she is already at the playgroup so the transition may be easier.

I think you still have time to find out about the reputation of the schools in the areas where you would like to rent something. I know it is much easier when you own a house in the catchment area. You feel more secure.

In our area you have to be resident, at the address that qualified for the place, on your child's first day in Reception. If you move further away between apllying and starting school then you may lose your place.

Yes I think the schools in the cheaper area are fine (unlike the one in my actual catchment area now). love the school she s at but its true I havent looked at many other options. I am repared to work around the school but may not be able to be in the actual village which means she still may not get in whether we are here or have moved. And I can't get permanent work yet so its not going to be an option to buy for a while.

I probably need to wait for the early years inclusion teacher as she/he may give me more of an idea of how much support DDis likely to need.

Once they have made an offer it can't be taken away in general. I know we heard about an LA which withdraws offers if you move before your child starts at school but I am dubious as to whether that policy would stand up to scrutiny if someone chose to refer them to the LGO.

The LA should say something in their admissions booklet about what happens if you move after submitting your application. It may depend on when you move. The risk is that you will end up being treated as a late application, in which case your chances of getting a place will be significantly reduced.

I would strongly advise against moving and not telling the LA. You may still get the offer if you have redirected your mail, but the offer would have been obtained fraudulently. You could therefore lose the place even after your daughter starts at school.

So I agree with Betsy that your best plan is to either move before you apply or after you receive the offer.

If you contact your LA for advice on this, make sure you get it in writing. It is not unknown for LAs to give out poor advice on the phone which then damages your chances of getting into the school you want. At least if you've got it in writing you can prove what they said.

You are offered a place based on the address you are living at at the time of any offer, usually following February. If you move after the offer letter, it makes no difference if it's nearer or out of area. Once you've accepted and she's in, she's in for good ... iyswim

prh47's advice is correct. I live in Nottm city and you have to be resident in the catchment on the day the child starts at the school. If you move after you have been offered the place, then here you would be offered a place at your new catchment school.

Contact your own LA and find out what their position is.

Thanks everyone I will keep hoping we can move nearer to the school-that would be my ideal. Will apply from here in the meantime though.

I can't wait to get things sorted and know whats going on!

I'm really surprised that people are advising the OP that it will be OK to move after an offer has been made. Certainly in the London boroughs I have lived in, you have to stay in place until your child's bum is on the classroom seat - about six months after the offer has been made, generally, when applying for a reception place.

Oh dear I think I need to find out the rules here. It isn't a particularly sought after school so may not be as hard (we are in the south east not London though). Or just make sure we only move nearer to the catchment area or into it. Only thing is if we don't get in from living where we do now, then move to try and get in she will be treated as a late application. Argh.

I'm sure that prh47 will know far better than me, but generally children with genuine special medical needs are given priority over other categories so your address may be irrelevant if you can convince the LA (or whoever handles applications) that your daughter's health dictates her attending that school. Hope I've got that right - as I said, I'm sure there are those better qualified than me to advise.

Thanks yes I am hoping our inclusion teacher will help me although of course she/ he only would if they agree with me that it would be in DD's interests to stay there. I would certainly help my health and welfare if Iknew she would be somewhere I am happy with! It does make such a difference having staff who are interested and happy to help DD.

Yes, lalalonglegs, you are right regarding special medical needs. Most schools and LAs give priority to children with such needs. However, it isn't enough to show that your child has a special need. You have to show that the preferred school will be better at meeting your child's needs than other schools.

Regarding moving afer an offer has been made, most LAs will not withdraw the offer just because you move. I know there are some LAs that do but, given what it says about this in the Admissions Code, there are serious doubts as to whether or not they have the right to do so. We really need someone to test this by taking a case to the Local Government Ombudsman.

get school place sorted, move, set up postal re-direct, keep old phone number if at all possible. THEN tell school office about move after it has all happened.

Thanks prh47bridge. That is the bit I am not sure of but it depends whether they take into account things like not having to repeat all the training, DD having a gradual transition etc. Mind you if it came to it and there was a special school that could meet her needs better I would also be happy with that so I will see what they suggest once we get our inclusion teacher.

My other worry though is that if we move to the cheaper area which is still nearby to the school but more out of catchment to where am now because even though its the same distance it falls under a different council-we ay lose our inclusion teacher and have to start again with all the sen stuff. But that is perhaps a different worry and probably a reason to try and find a way however financially difficult, to stay in the area.