Primary admissions - moving for catchment

[busymummy10]

We are considering moving to the catchment of a local school. Although we live under a mile from the school currently, we would be looking to rent closer to the school. Only problem is they only have flats around the area and we do not have enough time to buy a house.

We would actually be living in the rented flat whilst making the applications for the schools. However, how long are we tied to the property before we can look for a house(which would be local but not as close as the flat is to the school). What I mean is, if my DD got a place in this school based on the flat address, if we later moved, would it jeopardise her place at the school? Also, how long would we have to stay in the flat before we could actually move without it jeopardising my DD's place?

Any advice would me much appreciated. We have to submit the applications by jan 15th for a place in sept 2014.

Hi there,

It sounds like you're basically moving into the area very temporarily to take a place and then move out as soon as you can get away with it. By doing this you would be taking a place away from a child who legitimately lives closer to the school than you will when you move out again. Which isn't fair.

I assume you are in London, which means catchment areas are ridiculously tight. Without meaning to sound harsh, it's really out of order as you'll be screwing another family who have more of a right to that place (by living closer) than you do. I know how frustrating London catchment areas are - we live much less than a mile from several outstanding schools, but with little chance of getting in - I would be furious if someone had done what you are planning and taken a place from my child.

Rental properties close to good schools sometimes 'ping' in LEA records and so you can probably expect to be investigated.

What is the notice period for breaking your current lease? Can you definitely move, and dispose completely of your current address, in the next 8 weeks (some of which is Christmas when everything shuts down)?

Search old threads about catchment renting - there are lots of them and lots of strong views so beware!

Local authorities check whether applicants own properties locally that they are not living and check when people have moved. It is not difficult to see who is catchment renting and places can be withdrawn if your LA rules are broken. Legend has it that some rental properties are on black or watch lists as they are used annually, so you might automatically be flagged for investigation at certain addresses.

Our LA is generally a bit disorganised and to settle a bet with my OH, I sent in a Freedom of Information request to my LA about how many places they had withdrawn last year in relation to address irregularities for our local secondary. I was surprised to find that it was 14 so even sleepy LAs take this very seriously.

My OH has a colleague who catchment rented and regretted it. His family hadn't really appreciated that the other families at the school would take a dim view. They were ostracised from the local school community and at primary school (compared to secondary when parents are less present) that is quite a big deal.

If you are planning to move house for primary, then you should make sure that you have a secondary place accounted for too. Moving twice would be incredibly expensive!

The thing is, if you're in London, it's not really a catchment - and you don't guarantee a place by moving closer. It's luck as to whether there are people ahead of you in terms of siblings etc etc. if you're that close already, I wouldn't bother. What are your other options?

I do feel for you - we're in a similar position and have to apply in January. We're close to a good school (0.6miles) but last year the distance was 0.3!!!

If the LEA decides your application was fraudulent (and for these purposes, that includes using a temporary address for admissions purposes) the place can be removed at any time, including after the DC has started.

So to be on the safe side, you'd probably be best off expecting to remain until at least end of reception year, and ideally beyond that. For parents who think you've tried to cheat may report you for investigation. And they are also the people who are likely to notice.

People move for catchment areas all the time. We are looking to move into the flat in a couple of weeks and have given notice on our current tenancy. Fortunately, we do not own property and are not tied down.....which is where I think the frustration of some people is quite apparent.

I would not be taking away a place from a child if we are living closer. If we are genuinely living there, I do not see the problem.

What I wanted to know is that if we wanted to move again, how soon can we do this......we are looking to buy a house as in the long run a flat will be too small (that could be whenever, in a year or 2 when it is within our means) That is our business and without sounding rude, people do move for various reasons, such as an expanding family, cost issues etc.

We moved - genuinely moved - into a tiny rented house near to a good school when applying for an in-year place for DS and a [late applicant] Reception place for DD.

HOWEVER, our 'owned' home was 35 miles away, in a different county, and although not sold at that point, could easily be identified as having been on the market for [grrrr in retrospect] ages.

We were also clearly in the process of genuinely moving to the area - transferring doctors, etc etc etc.

We didn't encounter problems, though of course we had to supply reams of additional paperwork in connection with the applications - rental contral, council tax bills, evidence that iur house was for sale, etc etc.

If you sell your house, an move into a rented property near your chosen school, you MIGHT be OK - it would obviously depend on whether the flat was genuinely big enough for you, and whether the LA is one of those that investigates 'potentially fraudulent' applications with vigour.

In some LAs, address at the time of school entry is checked against address at time of application, and any address moved from in the months before application, and if all but the rental address are outside catchment for the school, then the child's place is revoked (especially in the egregious cases whether the family is moving back into the property that they have owned all along).

So I would say that in many LAs, you are already too late to move without falling under scrutiny, and if you do move it should be after sale of your current house. You should look to stay in the flat for up to a year AFTER your child starts school unless moving to a new house still within the catchment area.

Apologies, X-posted. You should aim to move to a flat that is genuinely big enough for you as a family, and should stay there for 2 years.

You're planning to move to secure a place then move away again once you've got it. So you're playing the system.

You basically have to break all ties with your previous property in our London borough. So as long as you can demonstrate that then should be ok. I've no idea how long they expect you to live there.

I'd plan to live in the rented flat for at least a year after starting school.

Be prepared for lots of questions and additional informations.

Friends are living in a rented house since 3 years, their daughter is in Year 1 and her brother will start Reception next year. They had to provide additional information about their situation the despite the sibling status and the length of the rental so far.

The more a borough is oversubscribed the more the LEA is checking. Other friends had trouble as their DD suddenly jumped on top of the waiting list thanks to her older brother getting a space at Year 3, where there're less restrains about class sizes. Lots of talks back and front about where they live and why the sister should get a higher priority.

Don't understand me wrong, we moved just before admission period for DD but we looked for a long-term place including secondary but still had to provide legal documents about our sale and buy.

If you move within your child's Reception year, it should be to another property in catchment. We moved at the end of DD's Reception year, to a house nearer to the school than our rented one. This fact was logged by the school, who said that they responded to a query about it by the LA. And that was 6 years ago - much tougher now.

You are playing the system. If you do it too blatantly or crudely, expect to have to do a lot of additional paperwork and don't expect friendship in the playground.....

Agree with teacher that the most annoying cases are where people temporarily rent somewhere in catchment, rent out their current out-of- catchment place, and then move back after securing the school place .

As you don't have an out-of-catchment property to return to, your application shouldn't be scrutinised quite as closely. People do have to move house after all. But you need to move into a flat that's big enough for all of you and probably stay there for the first year of school at least.

I would say they'll be looking for you to have at least a 12 month contract. How closely they scrutinise your application depends on your LA but I wouldn't be completely surprised if moving this close to the admissions deadline raises a bit of a red flag. Particularly if these flats are often used to jump the queue and you don't have a good reason for moving.

It does sound as if you're playing the system. I totally understand why people would but yes, be prepared for people at school (other parents) to feel negatively about it if they get wind of it.

I'm in London, also applying for a place at an outstanding school...0.4 miles away but last year the distance was 0.3...we're all in the same boat and if more people moved nearer for a year then it would be incredibly unfair. It is unfair really when you think about it morally. It's kind if cheating but I get that we all want the best for our kids.

If you are already in rented property and intend to give up your current property and move closer to the school you are in a better position than if you owned a property. However, if the LA think you are renting purely in order to get a place at the school with no intention of remaining there long term they are entitled to push you to the bottom of the pile for your preferred school. If you move away you are still at risk of losing the place even after your child has started at school. If that happens you would be in a much worse position as most schools would then be full, so you would be left with a place at the nearest unpopular school.

Some LAs are hotter on this than others. If yours is on the ball, moving into a rented property this close to the deadline would ring alarm bells. Similarly taking a short let will also be a red flag and if the property you rent is one that has previously been used by parents trying to play the system that would be another red flag. Also it is becoming increasingly common for parents to report those they think are attempting to use short term lets to play the system in this way.

So you may get away with it but I wouldn't bank on it.

As you have already given up your existing lease and will be genuinely renting in catchment as your only home that is fine. I do think you should stay at least for the whole of your DC's reception year in the flat, however, if you don't want the LEA to investigate whether you took the school place fraudulently.

People do move, especially people in rented properties, and that's OK but if you're there very briefly they might say the rental in catchment is purely for the purposes of getting a school place and might seek to remove it.