Applying for secondary school 300 miles away - is this allowed?

[GreenPotatoes]

We have to apply for secondary school in October 2021 for 2022 admissions. We know which secondary school we would like DS to go to but it’s 300 miles away.

The reason for this is we will be moving next year. We have been talking about moving out of the city and back to out roots for a while. DHs mother unfortunately passed away and he has been left the house. So we think it’s a good opportunity to fulfil our ambition.

DS has one year left at primary school and we wanted to keep him there to avoid two moves in two years (plus neither of us have jobs near the new house yet). This means we have to apply for secondary while we are still living here.

So a few questions now I’ve explained a bit

• Can we apply for a secondary 300 miles away? Is this allowed?
• As we have both houses would we be allowed to apply from the address we would be moving to, where DS would be living permanently from July 2022, or does it have to be the address we are at now?
• Do we apply using the new councils secondary school form because we want the school there?
• Are we being crazy and should we just move now and deal with two moves in two years?

There’s no reason why you can’t apply. It’s a common application form. You apply using the address your DS is living at permanently on the date of application using the council form for the permeant address. So, if you are still living in the city, your DS is at school in the city and your DS is registered as living in the city, you apply using the cities form. Theoretically you can apply for any school anywhere in the country and if there is a place you will be given it.
But....
Will you get a place? In an oversubscribed school you have no chance. This might leave you with the more undesirable schools. You might have to go on the waiting list for the school and then you would still have two school moves.
Another thing to think about is, even if you did move now, would you have a chance of a place from the new house? If no then you may as well hang on for a year.
Unless...
If you don’t have a chance of the school you want, and the rest are undesirable, or, there is no other school you would be happy with, then move now (or before October 31st) and deal with two school moves this year rather than in secondary.

To clarify, I should have said in the last paragraph,
If you don’t have a chance of the school you want from the city address, but you do from the new house, then move now.

Yep, what ^^ Red said.
I personally think 2 moves is preferable, provided you get on with it. Your DS can get to know a few other kids, and the general area before starting secondary.
Have a look at the new LA website to see how quickly you have to take up a place if offered at Primary. You could apply within that window for a y6 place, then move up at some point in the summer.

I’d ring the council where the secondary school is and explain the situation and see what they say because you already own the house in that area so you’d be able to provide proof of address with council tax and utility bills etc.

If you can get your DC into a primary school for Year 6 where they will meet children who will move up to the secondary school with them, then I'd move ahead of the application deadline. I work in a school in admissions where children arriving into Year 6 settle really well and move onto secondary with friends.

You can apply to a school anywhere. So there is no issue with applying.
You do have to use your child's permanent address, so you will have to use your current home and, unless the school is undersubscribed, this means you are highly unlikely to get a place there.

I'd suck up the two moves - I moved a lot as a child but moving between two houses that are relatively close by whilst retaining consistency of schools/new friends was the easiest type of move to make. Particularly as you'll move with the idea that the first address is temporary so you won't feel too settled.

Why not move early and let you DS make friends before high school?

I'd move early if you can, it will take the worry out of school applications and DS might make some friends he will go to secondary with.

My parents made a very similar move when I was 10 and it all worked out fine for me. I wasn't bothered at all about two new schools in six months

You can apply but the application will be refused

@Blueskytoday06

You can apply but the application will be refused

Not if OP is in England and moving to somewhere else in England, it won't. You can literally pick any school in the country on the application form.

Thank you @RedOrangeYellowGreenBlueIndigo that has really helped me understand what we should be thinking about.

A bit of Googling has shown the school still operates with a catchment area and if we moved now we would be priority 2, after looked after children, as we would be living in the catchment area (which is huge! It spans 10 miles in each direction from the school - no more fighting with 0.01 of a mile). Also, it would be the closest school to us at 2.5 miles away. The next one wouldn’t be for 12 miles.

Despite this, the school is undersubscribed, not because its awful, it’s actually been outstanding in its last 3 inspections, had a write up from the good schools guide and is very highly regarded by the locals (DH actually went there and I’m convinced he’s a genius, which he credits to the school), but because there just aren’t enough children to fill the places. 200 places available and in the last 3 years has taken (excluding 2021) 184, 168 and 177. So I think it wouldn’t matter where we applied from, we would get a place. So if we can’t get jobs quickly and sell our current house quickly then we can sleep safe knowing we will get a place.

@Retrievemysanity I will ring the council and explain. Thanks for that suggestion, for some reason it didn’t occur to me to do the most obvious thing.

For all who have said that kids settle well into year 6, and make friends before secondary, @TeenMinusTestsand and @SillyBub, I think we need to explore this more. We will certainly be doing that as I think that’s an important point you both make. But looking at the info available on the council website, our local primary might be full - so we shall see what they say and where we would be able to send DS (and DD for that matter). DS (and DD) both know the area well because of many many visits, they have spent whole Easter holidays and half terms up there in the past, and they do know a few children from the village, just not as many as if they were at school because they aren’t necessarily in the same year. It would be nice if they knew some in their own year groups.

Yes you can apply but when the school review the application to see if a place can be offered you'll find it will be rejected.

@UserAtRandom. Yes, definitely England. We are going from south to north.

@Blueskytoday06 can you explain more?
Why would they reject it if they have places? Is that because of the distance?

I'd move now personally it would be a whole lot easier I think x

Are the two moves two school moves op? As in, school A now, school B (primary) in Sept 2021, school C (secondary) in Sept 2022? If so I think that's fine.

You can apply to any school in England, but you will only get a place if it is undersubscribed, as others say. Otherwise anyone nearer than you will get in.

If it is a desirable school it is unlikely to be undersubscribed tbh. Which leaves you in a tricky situation - waiting list, appeals.

You can't apply from the house you own there while you live at another address as a, pp suggests.

I would just look to move before Sept this year and have done.

Sorry Op I cross posted with your update. I would still check numbers - there may have been building in the area lately for example. I suppose some phone calls could find out numbers in year 5 currently in local schools? 30 extra children may put it out of your reach if non local.

You should be able to. We moved from France to U.K. and applied for UK State school places from France. I emailed and called the school admissions team at the local council and also to the headteacher of the school. Once we explained our situation, that we’d be moving over the summer holidays and wanted them to start next autumn term, they were very helpful advising me on how to fill out the paperwork, and it all went through.

@Blueskytoday06

Yes you can apply but when the school review the application to see if a place can be offered you'll find it will be rejected.

I think you'll find places are allocated according to Admission criteria, so if OP's child meets the criteria (possible if the school is undersubscribed or there is no distance criterion) to be offered a place, he has to be offered one.

If the school isn't over subscribed then you simply apply once you have a moving date. I moved twice during my kids education and both times couldn't complete the form until we moved.

Taking this from the perspective of your DS, do two moves. We will meet people locally who he will move up to secondary school with, so he won’t be making that transition alone. I moved across country when I was in Y6. Yes it was hard but it was better than waiting until the summer between Ys 6 and 7. I was settled in my new home and had some new friends before going into a very different school environment.

I moved with eldest in year 6. I was going to wait until he had completed that year with his friendship group but I’m so glad I didn’t. He found it hard for a few days (moved in January) but made new friends who then went up to new secondary school with (one of whom is still is his closest friend at 18!). I had to find a primary that took all three but he was my main concern and it all worked out.

The two potential problems when applying for a school 300 miles away are your likelihood of getting a place and the timescale by which you’d have to take it up.

As you’d be so far away and outside catchment, you’d be a long way down the oversubscription criteria and far from certain to get a place. Of course, that might not matter if the school remains undersubscribed.

The other issue is that, if you do get a place, the school and the education authority will expect you to be there at the start of term to take it up. They may not be willing to hold the place, waiting for you to arrive (although an undersubscribed school may be willing to be more flexible). You therefore need to make sure your move happens in good time.

@clary you are correct
DS currently Y5 at School A
Move 1 would be to new primary for Y6 (School B)
Move 2 would be to secondary (School C)

No new building going on as far as we are aware but something to bare in mind, thanks.

@PanelChair we would definitely be there for the start of term for Y7. If we don’t move this year we would be in the new house in July 2022. The main issue would be oversubscription. Which is looking like it won’t be a problem, but who knows what will happen over the next year.

@PlanDeRaccordement that’s great to hear. Thank you so much.

@UserAtRandom brilliant, thanks for the clarification.

I’m seeing that most think a move now rather than later is a better thing to do. I might ask DS what he will prefer - Tomorrow, too late now.

I did some more digging. And I think it’s a bit self explanatory, but I think I just want someone to tell me I’m right (just in case I’m not, then rely on the info and best laid plans go very wrong).

One of the main problems about moving now, other than selling the current house and finding a primary school, is work. Neither DH or myself have a job near to the new house so this is something that we need to get on with. If we can’t find one we can’t move.

I found the attached in the schools admissions policy. Reading it, it sounds like this might buy us some time to find work and the application won’t be considered as late? Meaning we could move anytime before March. Have I understood this correctly? Like I said, I think it’s obvious from reading it, but I just want to make sure I’m reading it right.