Advice on moving and applying for secondary schools.

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Apologies if this has been asked many times here before.

We currently live in the catchment of the secondary we would like the DCs to go too. We will be applying for DS this year for a 2021 start.

We also are hoping to move house possibly the spring before he would start In secondary school. Not far at all - (less than a mile from where we are) but that is likely to take us out of the catchment.

Does anyone know how this would work? Is your address that is considered for a place the one that you put down on application day? Or is it once it’s closed? Or even as far as them being offered?

Trying to work out what timeline we need to work to.

Tia

If you move before applications close the LA will definitely use your new address. What happens if you move after applications close is up to the LA. Some have a later deadline for address changes and will use your new address if you move before that. There is also a risk that they will treat you as a late applicant. If you move after applications close you should ask the LA to use your new address for correspondence but continue to use your existing address for admissions purposes. Make sure you get their response in writing (if necessary, send them an email confirming what they have said) so that you have evidence if they do something different.

If you move after offers have been made you are definitely safe. They cannot withdraw an offer just because you have moved.

Thank you so much, this is incredibly useful.

Suspect will we get our house on the market just prior to the offers so therefore still here in our current address for a few months after that

You also need to check if your move will affect applications for younger dcs.
Some schools (but not all) have different categories for in-catchment and out of catchment siblings where out of catchment siblings are a lower priority than other children living in the catchment area.

Thank you. Good point.

If it’s less than a mile, why not wait till your son has a secure place/has started at the desired school?

we’d would like to move prior to that ideally - some specific reasons linked to the house itself such as parking. When you’ve been living with it for 12 years you are keen to move at the earliest point that’s possible