Moving house after offers have been given out

[Traynorbird]

DS is due to start secondary school in September and has been offered a place at his fourth choice (an over subscribed academy), the school is not really a good fit for him for a number of reasons. As we are quite mobile (renting) I'm considering moving, within borough to right outside his first choice school. This would not be the only reason for the move, but tbh, it would be the deciding factor. My question is, does anyone know if an address change at this point would be taken into account? Would we need to reject the place he has and re-apply as an in year admissions case (risky) or would we update our address for our current waiting list place for the preferred school?

(I realise that this is dreadful middle class elbowing in, but having been a teacher for a long time I have learned that the pushy middle class mums get the best stuff)

You'd go on the waiting list of the school until a place becomes available where I live. Address changes after December (a change of address from where you were on deadline day in October) don't count for allocation purposes.

I'm sure the experts will be along but I do think it would be utter madness to reject the place that he's been given so far!

Yeah, you're probs right about the idea of rejecting a place. When we moved here (from abroad) we did in year admissions for DS and a late primary application for DD, both of whom got in to the school we chose ready for September (we rented right near to the school, but also it was not over subscribed) That is kind of what is giving me the hope that this slightly batshit move would work.

You should not reject the place offered to be on the waiting list for any of your preference schools. You have a legal right to be on any waiting list you like. At the point where you get a better offer in writing is the point where you give up the current allocation and accept the new offer.

If you can rent near to your preferred school in a short period of time then you will at the very least improve your chances of being near the top of the waiting list but there would no guarantee as it all depends on the number of pupils rejecting the offer of you preferred school. That might be none or it might a good number of pupils, especially if there are good independent schools nearby. Parents have a nasty habit of keeping hold of the state school allocation until nearer the summer holidays and then confirming that they have an independent school place.

Do not reject the offered school otherwise you could be left with no school place at all.

You will be on the waiting list for your first choice school. When you know where you are moving to (signed tenancy agreement usually) you can approach the council and ask them to update your details to your new address. this will move you up the waiting list as you will be nearer your chosen school. It won't guarantee you an immediate place if the school is full up although you will be well placed if a space does come up.

If you do move on the preferred schools doorstep, and there still is no space, what is the distance to the allocated school?

Its still walking distance snowy, in fact, we'd be closer to where it is now (currently its in prefabs next door to the school we want). Eventually, (they've been saying this since 2016) it will be closer to our current house. This is London so the whole thing is pretty crazy.

I’d say reject the offer, move to the doorstep of desired school (do your research as to how they measure) and hold out for a place by being on the waiting list and checking once a week if there has been any movement. So many people hang on to offers they don’t want so there is a lot of movement over the summer when people do as you do or finally make up their minds. If you’re on the doorstep, and you can check if you’re number 1-3 on the waiting list, it is likely you’ll get in. Perhaps don’t reject offer til you know you’re in the top three on the waiting list.

I have done this for primary school and the key is to move as physically close as you can to the school, and keep your eye on the waiting list position...

Good luck!! X

Gin, the first part of that is terrible advise.

If no place arises from the waitlist (as by the time the OP moves the first and even 2nd round allocations will have been made) then the OP will be left with either home education or putting them in another school that has a place which could be miles away rather than in walking distance.

Ps Make sure you have a long tenancy agreement and don’t give them the incorrect impression that you’re going to move out of the area once you get a place: helicoptering in is frowned upon and in some cases will stop them offering a place.