In year admissions/moving house

[IsItSummerYet]

Currently trying to move house and schools and am so tired and stressed of the whole thing. Just wondered if anyone else has been or is going through this.

I have DC1 in year 1 and DC2 about to start in September. Schools we think may have a place and therefore apply for it keep changing so DC2's schools on his form are now no longer relevant.

My head hurts from trying to figure it all out and now the only house we've seen in the new area after over a year of looking has had an offer before we could sell ours. Despite being on the market since last summer.

I can't believe how unnecessarily complicated the whole system is and I can't stop thinking with hindsight we so should have sorted all of this at least before DC2 was at the age where we needed to apply.

I can't sleep and just need to rant so apologies!

There are lots of pieces to this puzzle. You need to separate them and carefully examine each one before putting them back together.

Firstly therein the biggest one really which is selling your current house. You can't move until it's sold which means you can choose new area or schools.

It's been on the market for a while. So time to review the agent. Are they making enough effort? Is it worth changing?
Also are there small things you can do to improve or make it more scalable? Fresh coat of paint? Have a gardener in to freshen up the garden?
Also review your pric. Is it realistic? Look at what else has sold nearby.

Once you've started to tackle that you can go and house hunt. Pick the areas near (within catchment) of the school you most want and do start looking. It's also worth making an offer even if you've not sold yet. It may still be accepted.

But do start with your current house.

If you like post a link to the listing here for constructive advice on how to improve its marketability and get it shifted quicker.

Thank you so much for your reply. The house hasn't been on the market very long at all so I need to give it a chance. I would post a pic but it will out me possibly. However we have redecorated etc etc so I don't think there is much more we can do.

You are right about separating out the bits but I just feel they are all linked and tbh it's the school bit that I feel most stressed about as feel we are potentially messing up things for the DC's. I would feel very sad if they ended up at different schools - not to mention the complication of actually getting them there and picking them up!

I think you are overcomplicating the situation somewhat. However, I understand your frustration.

We moved in the year we were applying for DD's reception school place and this was the order we did it in.

1. Applied for schools in our original area.
2. Received offer from our original preferences
3. Moved house (offers etc. in June, exchange July, completion August)
4. Applied for an in-year transfer; even though DD had not started school it was after the allocations had been made and therefore our LA classed it as an in-year transfer.

Assuming you are in England, the deadline for applying has passed. In your situation I would proceed similarly to how we did, rather than on the off-chance you move soon.

Most LAs only accept amendments until February and it is very unlikely you will have exchanged on a property before that date; bearing in mind you have still to sell your own property.

I do get that all of this may mean you do not end up with your DC in the school you would most prefer and you have to be prepared for that.

Good luck, moving is incredibly stressful without adding schools to the mix. I'd sooner pull my own teeth out hat have to tackle another move anytime soon!

own teeth out than have to... Bloody phone and its very random autocorrects!

Focus on selling your house. Park the rest until then. You can exchange weeks ahead of completion. At that time rent a property for 6 months.(any you can fit into) in area you like. Stuff excess stuff into storage if need be. Sort schools. Get one in (youngest is easiest) then appeal for older sling place. Just don't try to do it all in one go

Thank you. Yes fully aware I am over complicating as I just can't see the woods for the trees at the moment! All I keep thinking is why the f didn't we sort this out a year or two ago - which isn't helpful!
We also aren't moving a million miles away so there's no great reason for our move apart from me being happier (hopefully) in the new location.

Full sympathy from me!! We did it last year and it is a stressful thing to do.
I rang round loads of schools in the areas near DH's new work before we found one that was expanding and therefore could safely say they had space in both years.
Try looking at new build areas maybe that have had to increase school sizes and admission numbers. Get a quote to see what you would get for a part-exchange on a new-build if you want a quick sale on your current house.
My kids were 4&6 when we moved and although they miss old friends they have settled quickly, made new 'best-friends' and I'm glad we moved while they're young!

Isit we all have to live day to day by decisions made. Focus on here and now and don't waste energy on regretting not moving earlier. No doubt you had good reason !!

You're so right about not wasting energy blue thank you for your words.

I'm just worried that if I take the place my eldest DC has today actually been offered at a local school in the new area my younger DC may not get in. It wasn't on his list of preferences when we completed his form for this years reception intake.

It's just that gamble do we take it for my elder DC and hope that when we do a late application for my younger DC he also gets a place. Or do we reject it and wait until there is definite spaces for both of them.

I'm aware I'm starting to go round in circles and am sure have lost any of you that have been kind enough to comment already!

If you start older DC at new school now then you amend your application for reception, the younger child will be No1 on the list as soon as any places come up post April 16th. This is about as good as it will get I think - unless you are in an area of surplus school places. In our area there is a lot of shuffling about with reception places between April and July. Some go private, some swop preferences, some move away etc A handful of places end up going to children not in the original allocation (at our school this was about 12/90).

Thank you Blue you are right. I just need to put it all perspective. It is stressful but it is school we are talking about and not life and death!

Plan A assumed reception child will get simple sibling priority (although it could be as an out of catchment sibling if you not move and LA has this rule).

Plan B is to wait until you get reception child a place in a good school in Sept then appeal to get older child in. This will mean only moving schools in Oct and assumes you have moved by then and get in good school.

Plan C is wait until April 16th. Get a place somewhere for reception child that has a year 1 or 2 place too. If you have not moved you won't great a good choice if applying on distance criteria.

Plan D wait to move which could be 6mths off. See what's available then.

If you really like the school offered now, I think I'd be tempted to take it - but it depends on how good and how oversubscribed the schools are? And how likely you will sell and how far away you are on practical basis

It is only a school but for user had one school that we really loved on many levels (not really ofsted). A huge amount of our lives actually evolves round school - parties, parents nights out, sports teams, choir events and all sorts so it's a huge influence on happiness in some cases