Between catchments (London)

[ignominious]

We're in London and we've found a house we like but it's between two catchment areas, one of an outstanding school with intake of 30, and one a good school with 60.

In the last five years it has got into one or the other or both all years except one. If the worst did happen and we got into neither, how much movement is there between place allocation and the end of the first term? It's very unlikely anyone would leave the outstanding school as people kill to get into it, but I feel like the other is a possibility with 60 places?

Would you move to this house?

Can't answer your question, but if you didn't get into either school, what is plan C?

• are there other schools you would get into? How do they fit?
• could/would you go private?
• could/would you home educate?

There's a bad school slightly further away which is undersubscribed, we'd send her there until a place in one of the others came up. Or she'd stay there if none did.

Would you rather

• send her to the 'bad' school, or
• live in a different house (what's the alternative house?) and wonder what if?

Also, even if there is movement (you could ask them?), if you are on the edge of the last-admitted area, you might well not be top of the list for any places.

Why is the third school 'bad'? Would you be happy staying there longer term if necessary? Have you visited it?

On a scale of 1-10 how much do you love the house? Tiggy is right.

Thank you for your replies! The third school is bad for inner city reasons, transient population, lack of parental support etc. The 'good' school is not outright amazing but we'd be happy with it.

Yes I'd rather be in the catchment of one rather than two but I really like the location.

The outstanding school has a tiny tiny catchment, there's very little for sale there.

The good school is not near any tubes, which DH doesn't like.

I agree with you on being safer with an intake of 60. Though past 5 years all schools in the borough have had 50% of their intake as siblings, pretty much exactly, and that includes the outstanding one.

The house is nice but not perfect by any means. I'm worried I've turned down too many and we should just take this one because we both like it. I think we should just let MN choose us one.

All the schools near us have 50/60 percent siblings too - the good school sounds good