Houses and schools

[bowzen]

Hello,

Were looking at moving to a new area and have found a house we love. My boy is age 3 and local infant schools/junior schools look good. Trouble is, there are only 2 secondary schools- one is religious and has strict entry needing a priest to agree so unfortunately not an option, the other currently has a needs improvement ofsted and looks like the school has recently changed names and is now turned into an academy (not really sure what that means).

There is a lovely secondary school close by but the house we like is just out the catchment area and it is oversubscribed.

Would this stop you proceeding if the house? He is only 3 years old so aware things can change but also that life moves fast...

At 3,no. A lot can change in the next 6 years.

Ds's secondary needed improvement and ofsted visited often. They just got good in February. They have been needs improvement for years but constantly trying to improve and finally got good. This school is going to be oversubscribed next year.

Sorry but if this is a home you want to put down roots in then I would choose one in catchment for the more desirable secondary. If he is 3 secondary applications are in 6 or 7years! you will save yourself a whole lot of stress. How your child experiences school is really important for them...

I'd go for something in catchment for a good secondary. Moving can cost tens of thousands with stamp duty.

It would stop me buying, yes. Not only for my son’s education but also worrying about resale value.

@bowzen
The school has probably become an academy because it wasn’t good. Look at its history of Ofsted inspections. How many were Requires Improvement or Inadequate? This school isn’t now controlled by the Local Authority. It’s controlled by an Academy school provider (multi academy trust - MAT) . Some are excellent and will turn the school around, others flounder as the LA did. Difficult to know what will happen. If ofsted have followed up there might be a clue there.

It’s also difficult to know if the more desirable school will stay that way! House prices often reflect desirability of schools so can you afford catchment of the other school? If not, take a chance on this one.

It’s seven years until you apply for secondary school. Do you see the house as a long term house, or a five year plan one?

We bought our house 6 years ago which has traditionally been solidly in the "catchment area" (distance from) school X.

Massive upset this year as due to various factors our house and area is no longer comfortably in said catchment. DC is year 5 so we shall see next year!

So you never can plan for these changes.

Another local secondary school which everyone has avoided for years now has a new head and has been taken under the umbrella of an outstanding academy so it may well start to outshine others in the area.

Thank you all for your replies, a bit mixed!! @HangryFace it sounds a very similar! Are you under R&B area by any chance!?

No, north Birmingham

Is it a true fixed catchment (drawn on a map and only changing by public consultation) or a ‘catchment’ defined by the furthest distance admitted each year? The difference would affect what I would do.

Im not sure if there was one before but it looks like its drawn out on a map as the school is oversubscribed- looks like its just been done this year. The house is just over it! I guess the area may change over the next few years too!

You need to check. The birth rate is declining and your son was born in a low birth rate year so fewer school places will be needed by the time he is in year 7. Schools can’t afford to operate with empty places so many will need to reduce their PAN, which is the total number of children that they admit. There is a good chance that catchments could therefore change and it’s very difficult to know whether or not this would be in your favour. Somewhere on your local authority’s website there should be a document with the projections for school places. If you can find this it might help.

You might find new housing makes a difference to catchment areas too. It’s by no means certain that a declining birth rate means spaces everywhere

Also catchment with defined boundaries does not mean every child in the catchment is accepted. Often it can be “offers made within catchment up to distance of X”. So not all of catchment is offered. Only near enough that year. It varies year on year.