Move house now vs move child later – primary school dilemma!

[KS2305]

Hi all, I’d really value some perspective from families who’ve been through something similar.

We have a daughter who will be starting school in 2027. We currently live in Addington area (Kent) and the local schools are very good, but long-term our hearts are set on Otford / Sevenoaks (area, schools, being closer to family etc).

Financially, it would be just about possible to buy in Otford/Sevenoaks soon, but it would be a very tight year while we still have two children in nursery and I’m income-capped due to childcare funding. Waiting a year or so would put us in a much stronger position.

So the two realistic options we’re weighing up are:
Option 1: Stay where we are, let our daughter start school locally, then move later (meaning she’d likely move schools after Reception or Year 1).
Option 2: Sell up, rent for a year in Otford/Sevenoaks, so she can start school there and stay put — then buy once finances are more comfortable. Renting would feel a bit painful (in terms of wasted money and disruptive), but doable.

I’d love to hear from parents who have had the same dilemma/choice to make.

• How disruptive was a school move really at that age?
• Did renting feel worth it in the end?
• Anything you wish you’d known at the time?

Thank you 😊

I would move now. I have a child in Yr 1. They have settled brilliantly to school life and made solid friends. I could never move them now. It would be so cruel and I would worry we wouldn’t be as lucky next time.

I would avoid moving schools at all costs.

Moving schools when dc are young really isn’t a big deal, loads of dc do it.

One issue with renting first, is you may end up falling in love with a house in a slightly different area to what you planned, meaning years of travelling further to school or moving them anyway.

How close in age are your children? Getting an in-year place for 1 child is far easier than for 2. A friend moved to near Tunbridge Wells. The local school was oversubscribed so they had to take another school for both. After 1 week their eldest got a place at the school they wanted but it took 6 months for their youngest, leaving them travelling to 2 schools for that time.

If probably is in your DC's best interests to rent first. Children do adapt well but it can still take a good while to adapt and stop asking about their old friends.

I would remember that with a mortgage, your interest is 'wasted' money. So when you compare it to rent, although rent will cost you more, it won't be the full amount it is costing you compared to a mortgage.

This is a good point. Reception and sometimes year 1 are often lots of whole class parties and parents getting to know each other. It can be harder to get to know people later, unless you are super outgoing.

Anyone wishes to share opinions on Otford primary school! I thinking to move my chikd in year 5. He is very accademic. Thanks

I moved when my kid was in Year One. We couldn't get a place at any of our closest schools, and he ended up going to a school a mile and a half away, which he's still at (and now our youngest is there too). It's a good school, but the commute is a pain and I'm still wistful about the school that's a ten minute walk away with all their friends living on our doorstep. (And the school that's a feeder for a great local secondary and means we wouldn't have to worry about secondary places). We had very little choice about what schools had places - we rang every school within a mile and half and it was essentially a choice between this one and a very religious, half empty primary school. Which felt very discouraging after all the care we took choosing his first school.
I'd say it probably took DS a year and a half to make a real friend in his new school, which was also sad as he had loads of friends in his first school. He's in Year Six now and very settled and happy (I mentioned that his current school wasn't our first choice recently and he was horrified. "But I like my school!") But although it all worked out in the end, I still wish we'd been able to move when he was in nursery.
It all depends a bit on where you're going to though - if we'd moved to the area we came from, all the local schools had places, so it wouldn't have been an issue at all.