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Original poster

House move during admissions

17 replies

Tal12 · 09/02/2023 07:03

Hi there. I was hoping for some advice please.

We should be exchanging in the next few weeks. I have applied for schools to where I live now (as at the 15/1 we didn’t have any offers on our house). We are buying a new build so this may not be built Til May- June, which means we can’t complete on our purchase until then.

I have been to see a school I love in the new area. Asked our county council if I could change my first preference as confident we will be in new address. They explained I can’t use new postcode Til completion which I understand and makes sense in case anything falls through.

Admissions lady at the school advised to put name down now as a late first choice change.

County council lady said under all circumstances I should avoid late application and I should wait Til after offer day and hopefully by then will at least have a date of completion and solicitor can write letter confirming this.
But surely if I do that, I’ll be an ever later late admission.

Do I decline the school I am offered in April? The CC lady also advised against this! But if we are moving I do not want a 40 min drive to school and 40 min back.

so, what you would do please?

thank you in advance!

OP posts:

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BadClown · 09/02/2023 07:07

How subscribed is the new school? If it’s always over subscribed then not worth the risk. If it’s always under then it might be?

SheilaFentiman · 09/02/2023 07:11

Don’t decline the school you are offered, holding an offer doesn’t stop you going on other waiting lists etc.

SheilaFentiman · 09/02/2023 07:12

IIRC, different counties have different “late” application procedures. Are your two choices in the same county?

Ducksurprise · 09/02/2023 07:13

If you decline the school you have to accept that if the other school is full you will have the choice of homeschooling or your child being sent to the nearest school with space. Depends then on what your nearest school with space is like.

Original poster

Tal12 · 09/02/2023 07:17

Yes both are in the same county. Ok that’s good to know that accepting won’t affect my chances of getting a new school.

oh how I wish we had this all sorted before the application deadline!

thanks for all your comments. The school we’d like in new area is usually oversubscribed!! But apparently it’s a low birth year so fingers crossed if we go on a waitlist it won’t be a long one!

OP posts:

SheilaFentiman · 09/02/2023 07:26

Ah, I see why the council lady may have said what she did - is your council the same as mine and has today as a deadline?

Once you have submitted your application you can make a change to your preferences (including the order of your preferences) at any time up to the closing date of 15 January 2023. If the closing date has passed, we may be able to make a change to your preferences if there is good reason for doing this, such as a change of address - supported by written details and evidence – but only if the details are received by 9 February 2023.
Any changes without good reason or that are requested after 9 February will not be taken into account until after 17 April 2023 when waiting lists are formed.

SheilaFentiman · 09/02/2023 07:30

If so, then I expect the issue is you don’t have the right sort of evidence to change the first choice preference at this stage (as you would if the move had completed, say)

SheilaFentiman · 09/02/2023 07:36

To pick another county, here is what Hampshire says about accepting address changes. Definitely look at exactly what your county says!

If you are moving to or within Hampshire, you will need to provide evidence of your new address. Please refer to the list below for the evidence required depending on your type of move.

Buying a new home
A solicitors letter confirming exchange of contracts

If you are purchasing a new build, in addition to the above, you must provide evidence that you will be living there before your child’s expected start date, for example, a letter from the developer confirming a build completion date. Documents evidencing the ownership or purchase of a plot of land will not be accepted.

SheilaFentiman · 09/02/2023 07:37

To pick another county, here is what Hampshire says about accepting address changes. Definitely look at exactly what your county says!

If you are moving to or within Hampshire, you will need to provide evidence of your new address. Please refer to the list below for the evidence required depending on your type of move.

Buying a new home
A solicitors letter confirming exchange of contracts

Original poster

Tal12 · 09/02/2023 09:49

Thank you @SheilaFentiman yes I think we must be in the same county!

I’ve emailed CC to see if they will accept a letter further along down the line once we have exchanged, but it’s looking like it will have to be after offer day anyway.

thank you for your reply ☺️

OP posts:

SheilaFentiman · 09/02/2023 13:24

Tal12 · 09/02/2023 09:49

Thank you @SheilaFentiman yes I think we must be in the same county!

I’ve emailed CC to see if they will accept a letter further along down the line once we have exchanged, but it’s looking like it will have to be after offer day anyway.

thank you for your reply ☺️

Good luck! Are you very close to the school you will want?

If the school has a distance criteria, you will be higher up the waitlist if you are closer, even if you join the waitlist after others.

Original poster

Tal12 · 09/02/2023 15:38

@SheilaFentiman thank you! Yes the new house will
very close. Fingers crossed it all works out, will stress about it in the meantime though 😂

OP posts:

prh47bridge · 09/02/2023 22:30

You will not be disadvantaged by waiting until after offers are made before changing your preferences. Waiting lists are ordered using the admission criteria. They are not allowed to use the date the application was received to decide where you are on the waiting list.

You should not reject the school offered. The LA is not under any obligation to find another offer for you.

Original poster

Tal12 · 10/02/2023 05:53

Thanks @prh47bridge it’s reassuring to know that, as I initially assumed it would be on a ‘first come first served’ with the late applications. The new house is very close to the school so fingers crossed if we do have to wait it won’t be too long !

OP posts:

SheilaFentiman · 10/02/2023 08:25

It may be worth going to visit other schools near your new area too, so you have some idea of back up choices (you can be on more than one waiting list)

Just checking - this is for Reception entry?

middleager · 10/02/2023 08:35

We once moved to a new area in February one year, for secondary. We had applied for secondary in the October from our old address, so the school choices were no longer relevant.

The admissions team would not accept my evidence that we had completed until moving day. I understand why there are strict rules around this, but It was ridiculous - they even asked me to call them from the new house to confirm it. I could have been ringing on my mobile from anywhere for all they knew!

On offers day, we were offered the original school from our application, which we accepted, as we did not want to be without a place (even though it was a drive to get there) and had to wait on the waiting list of the school near our new home for the place to become available. It waa a stressful time as the school was popular, but we did get a place in the end.

notpsychic · 06/11/2025 14:23

@Tal12 i know it’s been a while but I wondered how it all panned out for you?

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