Outside of any primary catchment areas

[Devro]

I know it's pretty early but I'm starting to majorly stress out over my child's primary admission in Sept '18.
We live in a catchment 'black hole', meaning we are surrounded by schools but are not in any of their catchment areas, with the exception of 2 Catholic primaries, which are not an option.
I have a preference but wouldn't mind getting into any of the non-faith schools, but I think it's not gonna happen unless we move into a catchment area.
I really do not want to move, and so at the moment the only thing I can think of is to move temporarily.
I know how people feel about that, but I don't think we'll have another choice, given the ridiculousness of our situation.
I suppose otherwise we'd risk being placed in an undersubscribed school miles away, and close distance is the most important thing for us as I'm a single parent, work full time and can't afford a childminder for drop-offs and pick-ups.
My question is now: What kind of repercussions do people face who move into catchment then move back to previous address?

If you still own your previous house, many councils won't take your new address into your account so will assign a school using your old address anyway so you waste time and money.

I'm light years away from owning a house, we live in zone 2 in London.

But then how do you propose to move back to the previous address, it will be rented out anew? Same applies if you remain the tenant.

If you propose to rent a second property near a school you want then I can't see it working at all. Is your current home a council house? Otherwise surely you can actually move somewhere longer term.

Where would you realistically get offered if you stay where you are?

There is so much movement on school places in central London. We preferred two schools to the one we were definitely in catchment for and we were allocated our second choice first of all and then offered a waiting list place at our first choice a wwwk later (thought we'd have no chance, you normally need to live next door).

Several friends have been in catchment black holes and they have all ended up with schools they are really happy with (good ofsted, close by). So many people move out of London or go private, bulge classes help too and I think it makes the catchments much more fluid than people think and people chop and change right up until mid September.

I'd go and see as many schools as you can bear to that are close enough for drop off and put down your favourite and more realistic ones you wouldn't mind your DC going to. Of course it's not certain but I don't know anyone who has ended up with a school very far away or that they are really unhappy with. Unless you are set on one particular school I wouldn't move if you are otherwise happy.

What kind of repercussions do people face who move into catchment then move back to previous address?

Many councils are now wise to this around in-demand schools, and they monitor suspicious movements (via things like inspections and council tax bills). If they catch you committing fraud to gain a school place (which this would be) they can remove the place.

Are there actually catchments for the schools in question - ie defined maps showing admission - or is it simply that the schools are oversubscribed and the effective "catchment" is 0.2 miles (or whatever)? The LEA does need to find you a place, so if you don't succeed in gaining a place at any of the schools you apply for they will offer you a place at another school, which may be further away and sometimes (not always) can be undersubscribed or less desirable for a good reason, but sometimes is a good school in its own right.

I'm in Z2 of London and the "takes kids for 2 miles round" school has recently been rated Outstanding.

There is so much movement on school places in central London.

There can be. Sometimes there isn't though. We are in zone 1, outstanding school, no places became available between reception and Y2 in our DC's cohort. 2 places in Y3, 1 in Y4, 1 in Y5. So for the whole of the primary years, 4 new children (intake of 60) got in. I would not rely on it.

But why not properly move? How spectacular is your current rental that it is worth a potentially failing school miles and miles away?

If you move back to a previous address (whether rented or owned) it will be flagged up and you will be deemed to have defrauded the LEA to get your school place. Even if your child has already started the school they can and will take thier place away.

Some schools have little movement but some have lots. If you're near plenty of schools and fill your six choices I would be very confident of getting a place by September and probably long before that. The school office will be able to advise you on how much movement they usually expect, and also the last admitted distance by last September (rather than May which is the published distances).

I find it funny when people say it's 'fraud' to move into a catchment area to do what works best for you.
It's not fraud, it's making our life work.
As I've said before i'd be happy with any non-faith school that is close by, but will refuse any faith school (only ones we are in catchment area for) and anything that's more than 15 mins away by foot at otherwise it simply won't work.
It's not my fault that all the schools that are closest to us have tiny catchment areas that exclude us.

I was thinking to sublet out flat and rent a room next to one of the surrounding non-faith schools - they are all oversubscribed so I think we'd definitely end up with an offer much further away.

I don't care too much about Ofsted ratings as long as they are not terrible, but I won't let this crappy system mess with my already super-tight work-child routine which is, as it is, just about possible.

paxillin that's just one school that had no movement though. I agree there isn't movement in every school every year, (and yes, in some there is no movement ever), but unless you have your heart set on one particular school and as long as you have put down all six choices I think your chances are good (provided you don't mind buying uniform last minute.)

Sorry but you need to get over yourself. Your routine isn't your LA's problem. They will offer you a school from term after age 5, convenience doesn't come into it. And if you and caught defrauding the system or refuse schools, faith or otherwise, are you honestly ready to home educate?

Its simply not allowed - the criteria is your "permanent" address, so if you apply from a temporary address with the intention of getting a place that you ordinarily would not have been offered, that is fraud (as far as school admissions are concerned). If the Council finds out, they are entitled to withdraw the place (and in all probability they will find out as parents will talk, someone will know someone who didn't get a place and will report you) and then you could end up with a school absolutely miles away because it might be a couple of weeks into the term and all the schools are full with long waiting lists etc etc.

You don't have a right to a school place of your choosing - noone does, you have a right to a school place.

But as others have said, if you are renting, can you find a new property closer to a school you want at the end of your current tenancy, so that you move for real?

Thanks for all the answers, the reason for why I don't want to permanently move is that our rent is much lower than it would be at other comparable flats in the area - we've lived in our current property for 7 years and our landlord has been v kind in regard to putting up the rent.

devro, it's not my or anyone else's definition of fraud, it's most LEAs'. It's not a value judgment, we're mentioning it because it can screw up your plans.

Tbh, I'm ready to move and take a job abroad before I'm forced to quit my job due to a ridiculous school offer miles away, if that answers your question.

I really wasn't looking for input from moralists, just for actually helpful info.

Moving back to the original address is definitely a fraudulent school application. If they find out, they will withdraw a place, and not just in the first few months, either.

Fraudulent isn't a judgement call! It is what the councils define as fraudulent.

I think people are trying to help.

They're answering your question - the school place that you got by moving temporarily is likely to be withdrawn if the LA find out that you're just living at a temporary address, and then you'd be offered whatever school still has a place at the point they find out. If you didn't want that, you'd have to go on waiting lists for the schools that you did want, and simply sit it out until one became available (however long that might be).

Ok, thanks @paxillin, that's the info I was after.
I suppose I'll apply and hope for a wait list place somewhere reasonable then, and if that doesn't work out I guess we'll move to Berlin. Thanks everyone.

We had this. You are in a great position. I chose my 3 choices based on nearest school. We were given a school in our ,"area" but over the 3 miles away where you can get a taxi to take you to the school.

I was told that it was a waste of time appealing my DD would be going to that school. I then said OK but as we are over z3 miles away from school I will need a taxi. Within the hour my first choice school offered me a place

For goodness sake why are you getting so shirty with people who are answering your question???

These are just some of things your LA may wish to see as evidence of your residence, particularly if they suspect you have Apple ed fraudulently from a temporary or false address.

1. Tenancy agreement that runs for 6/9/12 months after child is due to start
2. Council tax bill
3. Evidence of utilities.
4. Evidence of GP registration
5. Evidence of where child benefit is paid.
6. Evidence of end of previous tenancy.

If you don't want to move, apply from where you are. You will probably end up pleasantly surprised. If not, then you can think about moving abroad

I wasn't getting 'shirty' with people who provided helpful answers, but I simply don't need to be told by a stranger to 'get over myself' for not wanting to send my daughter to a faith school or to quit my job in order to make school runs.

I appreciate all the answers and will see what we end up with, but basically am starting to look for jobs in Berlin now as I think the chances are really slim - I live in Lambeth, which is a complete nightmare school-wise, people who live 2 mins away from their local school get turned away because there hasn't been any meaningful investment in updating the school infrastructure in this borough in decades.

Ok, so your difficulty is not so much going to be that you don't have any local schools, but that you do have two schools that she may get into, both of which you'd refuse. That will cause you a problem, unless those two schools will also be oversubscribed?

If you have 6 choices on your CAF, and all 6 choices are within 2 miles, but you know that she won't get a place at any of them, then you're guaranteed transport to the allocated school. However, be aware that it can be in the form of a bus pass/ tube pass, etc., not taxi travel, and it doesn't cover the cost of the parent as escort.

However, if you don't put one of your local schools on your CAF, and there is a place available, sand you turn it down because you don't like the faith aspect, the LA can either refuse to offer another school, or offer another school but refuse to offer transport because there is a nearer suitable alternative.