How easy is to change primary school in London?

[dariodariodario]

Hello,
we are wondering if buying a house in a certain area of London. Our worry is that if in a few years, we're not so fond of the area anymore, and we need to change, how easy would it be to change primary school? I completely realise that this would be very bad for my child and it is a thing that I must avoid as much as possible. But I am just wondering if when we move house, it would be so hard to say enrol my child in a new good school close to the new house. By this, I mean that the old school is not reachable on an everyday basis animore. Would they accept her or would we be at the mercy of the council that maybe will assign her to a less desirable school with a poor rating, just because it has places? What are the rules? what have your experiences been?

Depends on whether or not the new school has a place available in that year group. If they do, your child gets in, if they don’t, you join a waiting list and your child has to go elsewhere.

Councils have guidelines for in year moves on their websites.

In South East London many primary schools are actually undersubcribed at the moment so there are places available if people move.
I don't know if other parts of London are having the same issues.
The only potential problem with that is in some places schools are cutting down from (for example) 3 form entry to 2 form, schools closing or combining with another.
I don't think you will really know what the situation could be in a few years time.

I forgot to ask more clearly... is it a very hard task in London to move school in year or is it a feasible thing?

@dariodariodario it's feasible or can be hard. It depends where you move to - what schools there are and whether they have spaces. That's basically it. You apply to the LA as a in-term move and if there's a place, there's a place. If not - then there's not.
There's no clear answer to be honest.
Sorry not much help really.

@dariodariodario although if you move to an area where people might switch their children to private at age 7 or 9 then places are more likely to become available.
Or an area that has a population where people move around a lot (for example people who work for international companies and move every few years).
Or an area where most residential places are rented so people frequently have to move due to their leases ending.
It really does depend what area you are living in.

It’s definitely feasible. You just might not be offered the school you absolutely want when you move, e.g. the closest one. You’d get another school with a space in the same borough and be put on the waiting list of the one you want and get a place when it’s available. But there is always a fair amount of movement in London schools as people move out of the city etc. or do as you are thinking and move to a different part of the city.

It's feasible. It all depends on the area / how many schools / where the spaces are etc.

Why would they move children to private at 7 or 9 @Needmorelego ? Why not from the start? Is there a particular reason for that age?

@dariodariodario to save money on not having to pay Pre-Prep fees I suppose.
I know a few families that used state schools for Reception and Infants and then moved at age 7 to private as some prep schools don't start until age 7.
(Some prep schools don't start until age 9 so same reason).

Anecdotally, schools here in North London are competing for pupils. Most schools have in - year vacancies, certainly in KS2.

Actually moving in primary school, especially the earlier years, is reasonably common and most DC settle well if you're worried about that side.
In terms of getting a place the actual applying is straightforward but one of three things will happen:

1. There's a place at the school you want and they'll expect you to start as quickly as possible
2. They will offer you space at another school in the same borough that has spaces
3. They'll expect you to stay at the current school until a places comes up at one of your choices. This is what happened when I moved as it was within the same borough, and took about 6 months. I think this'll happen if the journey time is less than 45 minutes (note: they may assume you have a car when calculating this)

My two kids are at a primary in se London and there’s loads of movement, new kids are joining each term (3 in my sons class, 2 in my daughters last term alone). A fair few kids left London during covid. So very feasible where I am anyway!

Post Covid and Brexit pupil roles are falling across London and most primary schools have in year vacancies. It shouldn't be hard to find a place in general though of course there will be exceptions.

Regarding why there is movement at 7 to private school, that is a very common entrance point for may schools. There are plenty of private prep schools that don't take children younger than 7 (i.e. year 3) and even those that do typically have an additional entry point via examination for year 3.

It’s easy. Just apply to the school you want the child to do go and assuming they have space it should be straightforward. Well that was my experience.

We're nw London (outer) and there's constant movement & places becoming available & kids moving between local schools. Even more so post covid than when dd1 was in primary.
Secondary has less movement & waiting lists can be 3-6 months - but fewer good schools than primary so more competition.

Children move schools at primary far more than you’d think in London.

We needed to move our two primary age children a year ago when we moved house. One Ks1 and one KS2. There were three schools that were decent and not too far away That we would be Ok with. First had big waiting lists. Second had smaller waiting lists, possible a place for one of my two would be available soon. Fortunately at the third there were one space in each of the two years to admit them. And since then in the younger’s class there have been three places then over. There is one other school we didn’t want and that had a number of spaces.

The birth rate has fallen, peak is about y6 or 7 from memory. So if your child is younger you will likely find easier.