Moving areas and primary schools

[MyPantsAreGreen]

I just wanted to hear positive stories about moving areas and primary schools. We have 3 children.

We are planning to move in a few years when our youngest will be starting reception and other children will be starting year 4 and year 3. The tactic we were thinking would work is because we would be fresh applicants from our new address for our youngest we would get sibling priority for the older two.

We phoned the local authority for the area we are hoping to move to and there are no places in any years at any primary school! The person we spoke to painted a very bleak picture about our chances. Of course I appreciate things may change but with rising birth rates etc it is worrying.

I feel thoroughly miserable. Due to making a few bad decisions over the last ten years we have ended up in a tiny house in a not so nice area with children in a school where they are happy but where the vast majority of other parents don't appear to share our own aspirations for their children. I want to make a fresh start in the next few years, have more space, be closer to work and have the 'naice' area and home we deserve but it seems as if getting a school place will be an uphill struggle. The new area is very desirable in The Midlands and is currently being flooded with families moving out of a London. Please please share your success stories! What do you do with children who are waiting for a school place? I don't know if I could cope with ferrying 3 children to 3 schools and all the uncertainty....I feel like we have missed the boat an made yet another mistake.....

Bump anyone?

You may get more advice if you specify the area you are moving to.

But anyway, you say that you intend to move in a "few years" . An awful lot can, and will change in that time. The changes might be considerably to your advantage. Or they may not...

So really difficult for anyone to offer advice.

I would point out that your children are your children, and the aspirations of other parents for theirs is not so relevant, except to the extent that you are left isolated at the school gate...

In a few years your eldest will be in secondary ? Your reception child won't get sibling priority until the siblings are in a school. When exactly do you want to move?

Not sure you have got your facts right re the sibling priority. They can only give you that after your child has started at the school and only if places available for the older ones. You need to really really do your research on this. We moved for schools and did a lot of research

How did you choose the place you want to move to? Could you move anywhere else?

You might find good school places in a small village - especially if you happen to be Christian and don't mind a faith school.

If you post your parameters (budget, rent/own, job requirements), maybe someone here will know of somewhere.

I wouldn't blame yourself - life happens, you did your best - but I would brace yourself, it could take a few difficult transitional years to sort schools for all three children.