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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

Would you move house to get into a good school?

17 replies

estobi1 · 03/11/2006 14:25

We bought a house a year ago on the understanding that there were very good local schools. Having read the ofsted report on the school which would automatically allocate a place, I am not very happy to send my dd there. We have a while to think about this as she is still quite small and obviously we understand that we can apply to other schools. Needless to say, most of the good schools are pretty oversubscribed, in some cases 5 applicants for every place! My dh has suggested that we move but I love my home and can't face the upheaval. Equally my dd's education is so important. Can anyone offer advice or share their own experiences? Thank you

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LIZS · 03/11/2006 14:32

Try not to jump to conclusions. Ofsted reports/League tables are not the be all and end all - have you visited the school or do you know any families with kids already there. Also the reports may not be recent and things can change especially if the Head moves on. Do any neighbours' children attend the other schools, it may not be so hard to get into an alternative as you fear and even moving closer is no guarantee of a place if they are popular.

berrycherry · 03/11/2006 14:36

agree with pervious post - you have to look much further than ofsted reports.

Have you visited the school? talk to other parents who have children there (any at a preschool your dc attends?)

NomDePlume · 03/11/2006 14:37

I agree with liz re league tables and ofsted.

FWIW, we don't live within the catchment area of DD's primary school and there was no problem with getting a place.

However, obviously living in the catchment area of your desired school gives you a better chance of getting a place for your DD but it doesn't guarantee you a place.

Blu · 03/11/2006 14:42

What puts you off in the ofsted report? I think you need to visit and talk to people whose children are in the school.
There's a lot to be said for living in the community close to the school - having got DS into a school that he and we are very happy with, DP and I are now moving house to be within walking distance of it!

Milliways · 03/11/2006 15:46

We did! The catchment secondary was getting 27%, then 17% 5 GCSE's grade A-C. (That school actually closed down the year she went up but merged school wasn't much better). She went to a school that was getting about 58% passes, last year got 76% she is predicted all A's for her exams next May.

We decided that a higher mortgage with a bigger garden than old house that we all benefit from was better & cheaper than Private fees.

Original poster

estobi1 · 03/11/2006 16:16

Well that's our reasoning too. We can't manage private school fees and as we both had the benefit of a good education we can see how much it has moved our lives on. The ofsted reports say that the results are satisfactory whereas it has been underperforming. I understand that a good head can transform a schoool which it may well do. You are right in saying ofsted are not everything. I will visit the schools - we all just want the best for our little ones and some of the other schools seem so much better.

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GeorginaA · 03/11/2006 16:26

We will be - we're just not sure when or where (i.e. move across a road to get the other catchment or move out of area completely). Currently our secondary catchment is 20% A-C and a dire reputation to match. Over my dead body scenario.

guyfawkesHEIFERgy · 03/11/2006 17:08

We are planning to next year, but were always planning to move away at somepoint in our lives. Now is the right time for us, so have decided to ensure we move to an area where we will have a much better chance of finding a good school for DD...

We are lucky that DH will be able to find a job in most towns (although Cornwall is out of the question)..

We are looking at the Wirral as it ticks all our boxes AND seems to have good schooling..

I never thought that it would be that important to me as I am not academic but realise just how important it will be to DD as the schools were I grew up just seem so bad these days....

Hideehi · 04/11/2006 10:07

The Wirral schools are excellent at primary level, however it very competitive to get into the grammar schools and if they fail the 11+ the alternatives aren't great.

guyfawkesHEIFERgy · 04/11/2006 16:22

Hi Hideehi.... the alternatives seem better (league table results) than our local schools do... there are 8 non grammer (or private) schools that score better than my local (we live 4 doors away) school.

And our thinking, is that we can always move again if we really need to.... (hoping not)..

do you live on the wirral then? if so what part?

Smithagain · 04/11/2006 17:38

Just a quickie, cos DD1 is singing in my ear ...!

No, I wouldn't move house unless the schools were truly awful where I was living. Can't afford it, frankly and I don't think there are any guarantees wherever you are.

Our local school has a rather dubious Ofsted report and all the ones that are just a bit further away have glowing reports. We went to visit them all, thought long and hard, and ended up sending her to the local school.

She's now in Reception and so far, I am delighted with everything they are doing at school. Being local is lovely, because we are walking to school with all the neighbourhood kids and she is making great friends. And the teaching seems great, despite Ofsted's comments.

Obviously, we are only half way through our first term, so all might change. But I now regard Ofted with a lot more scepticism than I did a year ago.

If you go to the school and it seems like somwhere that your DD could fit in, go for it. If you can't see her there, that might be a different matter, but don't rush into spending thousands on the basis of an Inspector's opinion.

Hideehi · 04/11/2006 18:38

I'm in Heswall, so we have West Kirby or the not so popular Wirral Grammar to choose from or Neston which supposed to be good but i'm not so sure.
The Wirral is a nice place to be a child it's the teenage years i'm not so sure about, it's a bit dull until they can drive.

guyfawkesHEIFERgy · 04/11/2006 19:53

Hideehi, Heswell is one of the areas we are looking at, along with Oxton, Prenton and Hoylake...

Re Teenage years, we are hoping that DD will get into some sport or group when she is older....

My DHs nephew lives (15) spends all his spare time at the hockey/tennis/cricket club which would suit us just find...

Wirral seemes to have lots of different stuff on offer... Although do realise DD may not have the same interests as us, but really hoping she will have an interest in something and not just hanging around street corners...

hulababy · 04/11/2006 20:10

We did. Moved last year to be in catchment of a good (on paper) state school. Went to visit it and it just didn't feel right. Ended up still sending DD private rather than that school. Luckily we also love the house/area we moved to and wil be staying here a good while.

mysonsmummy · 05/11/2006 01:42

a school is only as good as its teachers! ds goes to a really highly regarded school. so much so that alot of the kids in the catchment area didnt get in this year as people move into the area for the school. however, he is in reception and his teacher is obviously having problems. he had a different supply teacher for 3 or more afternoons a week as she is away ast 'meetings'. also the TA is a temp leaving in january so he will have a new one. we have not had a timetable, termly planner - i dont even know what topics they are looking at so i can back it up at home. keep asking what phonic letter they are doing so i can do the same. but nothing! parents evening will be very intersting next week. sorry for rant!

holidaysoon · 05/11/2006 22:14

Would move without hesitation if I could afford it. (Most 'good' school catchments are v.expensive round here-London) However would echo others that Ofsted needs interpreting with a pinch of salt and it's important to go and look round etc.

jampots · 05/11/2006 22:17

luckily we didnt have to move to get dd into the best school in our LEA (although we were out of catchment) as it was a low birth year and I simply applied. Likewise I then moved ds to a feeder school. However we are about to market out house as Im not prepared to run the risk of not getting him into the same school.

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