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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

talk to me about moving schools

15 replies

crw1234 · 10/02/2011 14:51

Hi we are going to relocate about 200 miles, DS1 is in Reception - my DH starts his new job end April - I feel quite stongly that DS1 should finish school year where we are and start new school in September - am I wrong -
any experiences either way
also when I apply for new school - LA says need a tenancy agreement - do you actually need to be living in there or just be going to live there - I will ring to confirm - also my parents are where we want to live - could we use their address - ww could stay for a short while and would then live in the village so it wouldn't be fraud I think
any other experiences/hints thanks

OP posts:

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IndigoBell · 10/02/2011 15:21

Would not wait till Sep to start at new school. That will mean the whole summer holidays will be ruined by worrying about the new school.

Your child is in reception. He can move any day, it won't hurt him at all.

My DD started a new school 6 weeks before the end of the year and it worked out well....

WhatsWrongWithYou · 10/02/2011 15:22

I agree just do it. I've moved mine after Easter and also My half term. Much better just to get it done if you can.

Hopefully someone useful will be along to advise re addresses etc.

AnnMarlow · 10/02/2011 15:36

We moved at the beginning of June last year when DS was in year 1 and was better changing school then than September would have been.

TheCottage · 10/02/2011 15:45

I am moving my two boys from reception and year 2 in a few weeks. I am more worried than them and I bet they'll be fine and settle in quickly. Go for it I say.

mummytime · 10/02/2011 15:54

I'd move for the summer term too. The end of term is full of fun things, and would be a nice start to a new school. Better to get the move over quickly.
If you actually are living at your parents then you could apply legitimately from there.

Runoutofideas · 10/02/2011 16:28

I'd move as soon as you can too - then your ds will hopefully have made some friends to meet up with in the summer holidays.

BadRoly · 10/02/2011 16:33

We moved from Oxfordshire to Cornwall last April. we visited the school when we came househunting. Nothing was done officially until we actually moved though. We were meant to move in the Easter holidays but the move was delayed.

My big 3 (then Yr4, Yr2 and nursery) finished at their old school anyway at the end of the term. They then had a week off and started at the new school one week into the summer term. We had to complete a school leavers form at the old school the day they left. We spoke to the new school but they said not to worry until we turned up on the first day. (the children had visited previously and met their new teachers).

The biggest problem we had was finding a school in the town that had spaces for all 3 children!

torie1980 · 10/02/2011 16:37

I am moving my ds next week, so he wont be worried over the feb holidays about moving to a new school, you know your child best and i think that you will come to the right choice

WelliBob · 10/02/2011 16:43

I'd do it as early as possible if I was you.

Y1 is such a big change with so much more expected of them. You don't want your DS to have to cope with that at the same time as settling into class and getting to know the other kids.
Starting him in the summer term of Reception will give him the change to adapt to his new environment and make friends quickly in a play based class (which he wont have in Y1)

It also means he'll return in Sept to familiar faces.

Oh and the easy going wind down ethos that you find towards the end of the summer term will really help ease him in.

prh47bridge · 10/02/2011 17:40

You cannot apply using your parents address. You may think that is not fraudulent but I'm afraid the LA would not agree. However, you can apply using your current address. If the school you want your son to go to has a place available the LA MUST give it to you. They cannot insist that you move into the area first. Of course, if there isn't a place at your preferred school the LA will need to know where you are going to live so that they can allocate an appropriate place.

WelliBob · 10/02/2011 17:43

prh47bridge, can the OP not use her parents address if she moves in with her parents? I thought she was talking about moving in with them for a while until they sort out a rental. Surely that wouldn't be fraud, would it?

Original poster

crw1234 · 10/02/2011 19:25

Thanks for advice re timing - you have changed my mind - I think will look at after half term of summer term - that will work better with things going on for me as well - (prob being made redudanct/job seeking etc)
re address - I will have to ring the LA and ask what their rules actually mean

OP posts:

everlong · 10/02/2011 19:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

admission · 10/02/2011 20:41

PRH is right that the LA may not be happy about moving in with mum, how unhappy depends to some extent on how many times the LA have got stung with people using that excuse and then as soon as they have got their place in the prized school they move to a district from where they would never have been allowed to go to the prized school.
OP you need to talk very carefully to the LA and establish what their rules are and be honest with them. Say you are moving in with mother but tell them you expect to be moving locally in the next 3 months as soon as you find the right house. Ask them to confirm in by email, because sometimes things change!
Also make sure that the LA admission team realise that this is a reception child looking for a "casual" place not a child starting in reception in September because that is what the admissions office focus will be at present.

PoppetUK · 10/02/2011 20:52

We moved in with my mum when we moved back from Australia. To be honest I don't think the LA minded. They were going to have to place them in any case. The lady was very helpful. We moved out of the area some weeks later as we couldn't find a rental in the same catchment and to be honest we were the 3rd closest school to my mum's house in any case. Have 2 children of school age out of school was a bigger deal to them than which school school I think.

We arrived in September. It took over 3 weeks to place them so they started in October. We are just reaching that point where I recognise the parents of the children my two play with and that is making it a happy experience.

Best of luck but don't worry.

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