Considering moving to be in a better catchment area for schools ....

[BaggyEyed]

are we mad to do it? have you done it? was the upheaval worth it?

currently waiting to appeal over being offered ds's 3rd choice of 2ndary school, due to not living in catchment area for any decent schools. Ds has been in tears for 2 months.
If I had had the money to do it, I so would have....

Yes, we did that and my daughter didn't get in. To be fair, we had had enough of where we were living but schools were a major factor in our decision to move so it was gutting. We were left without any school at all for several months.

It is worth doing if you are certain that your child will get a place in a school you really love but if the school they are currently at/will attend is just a bit meh, and you like everything else about your home, I'd stay put.

It can be a risky strategy, unless you move straight on top of the school. But I would do it if I had the need and the money

we did it, i knew which school i wanted and checked the exact distance from the school before i even looked at a house!. dd did get in , but we do live almost next door to the school.

Are you mad to do it? No
Have I done it? Yes
Is it worth it? 100 times, yes.

I think it depends on what the admissions policies are for the schools in question - we couldn't get into our 1st choice school as the appeal process was amended to favour the children in a housing development over and above proximity to the school...

Saying that, the media seem to be painting a very gloomy picture of the lack of good state school places for most children ....

Why do people imagine that you have to live next door to a school to get in?

Round here, word is that the "impossible to get into even if you live in the catchment area" secondary school is taking children out of catchment next year. (not really).

Have no experience wrt OP post tho.

We did it and are sooooooooo happy that we did - amazing school and DS so happy. But just be 100% sure that you'll get in even if the catchment area is particularly small that year. The year we applied the catchment area was only 300 metres and we got in by the skin of our teeth!

They bus children in from under privilledged areas to our local grammar so catchment has nothing really to do with it for us.
We are considering moving to a cheaper house t be mortgage free and spending what I would have on interest on private education.

We did it took on a biggish mortgage and a house that was ok but was worth it to get ds into the school.he has had a great time there and education.We renovated the house then sold it and moved to a nicer house.

We know five couples who have moved to be in catchements for good primary schools and NONE of them have got in!

Just be really careful because you could end up spending a fortune to be left stranded. Many lost out to people who just rented for a year and once their kids were in the schools, moved back to their house, safe in the knowledge that any siblings would now be at the top of the queue.

Yes we did it for dd1's secondary school and it was most definitely worth it. The choice of school had we stayed put was of the 'not over my dead body' variety. But we did our homework and knew what the distance had to be within. We don't have catchments officially but it amounts to the same thing doesn't it.

Yep, am moving at half term- about 1.5 miles! BUT we rent, or more to the point, have decided to rent 'in' to ensure DS1's place, application due in Oct 09. Trouble is, we have to stay 'in' to makes sure DS2 gets in too, and identical houses, one in, one out, (according to the agents), attract a £60,000 premium if they're 'in'....

We are assured of getting DS1 in, however. I will report back with whether it was worth it in a couple of years time! Our catchmented secondary is no slouch on a national scale but we have the option of going for better so have gone for it.

Check directly with the school. My father was rung the other week by a family considering a house in a specific road, and my father said to guarantee admittance they'd need to be 1/4 mile closer to the school. They have since bought about 2 streets away.