House move and Secondary school allocation

[TheWoollybacksWife]

DS is in year 6. We have applied to 3 secondary schools. Choices 1 and 3 use a pretty much random method of allocation after taking into account LAC, siblings etc. Choice 2 is a faith school and we fall into their second category - not of the main faith but practicing members of a linked faith.

No siblings in any school.

We are looking to buy a house about 6 miles away from where we live currently.

Our present house is within walking distance of his first choice school (distance isn't a tiebreaker in their admissions policy)

Our new house will be much closer to school 2 where distance is a tiebreaker.

School 3 is the furthest away of the three.

Completion is expected to be late February/early March.

I'm so confused by how this affects the school allocation process.

Do we need to inform the LA if we complete before 1st March?

If we complete after 1st March is that better?

I'm sure I've got other questions but I just want to get my head around the basics.

What does your LA say about house moves, dates, and change of addresses?

Whatever happens you don't want to be treated as a 'late application' as these are considered after all on time ones.

I suspect that Feb or March won't make a blind bit of difference for initial allocations. But you may need your new, closer address to be used if you are waitlisted for school 2.

I'm sure one of the experts will be along in a while.

If you don't complete until end Feb, your new address will have no impact on schools allocations. Some authorities allow changes after applications close for good reasons, but not that late.

Your current address will be used for your allocation. If you want to go onto waiting lists for other schools once you move, then update the address as soon as you have completed.

Thank you both for your replies.

I was fairly confident about completing after 1st March being "safe" in terms of allocation but there was just a little bit of nagging doubt.

I do feel more reassured now - ideally I'd like completion to be in the second week of March

For our LA change of address has to be by end of first week of December for secondary applications. If you move after it is based on your first address unless they then consider someone has moved for reasons to purely secure a school place. Some grammars have criteria about moving to inside an inner zone from another location that is within a certain distance. 1 March is allocation day so in many LAs they need all the data well in advance. You need to check the booklet for your area about how a move might affect schools where distance is a criteria. Also check admissions for individual schools. If distance or a zone isn't a criteria then this is of course less relevant.

Thank you PettsWood. I've now checked the LA guidance and places are allocated using the address as of 31 October and the only issue would be if we were deemed to have moved purely for admission purposes.