Moving near to allocation day?

[Penfield]

We're supposed to be moving house. Our buyers haven't even had a mortgage valuation done yet and it's all going very slowly.

We've lived here for 15 years. DD wants to go to the school right by where we currently live. And at the moment that's the only school she'd get into due to tight catchment areas.

It looks likely that we'll not be moving by 1st March (is this the allocation day?). But if things start going a bit more quickly, we can try and ask not to move out until after then.

We're only moving a mile up the road - but my question is if we move out after the 1st March - say it was mid March or the end of March or even later - would DD's place at the Secondary school that we currently live on top of be secure?

I hope that makes sense.

Your LA/borough should provide information about the process if you move house between the application deadline and allocation day - if it’s not online, worth contacting them to ask what the process would be. Usually it’s the other way round though, in that people want to just the new address rather than the old one!

Some random examples of information from Haringey and North Northamptonshire, both of which suggest they would use your old address.

Moving after allocation day should not jeopardise your daughters school place, unless you were seen to be making a fraudulent application (e.g. you’d rented near preferred school then moved back to an owned address).

Thank you - I'll call them.

Don't call them.

If you're still in the house from which her place is allocated at the School you want then that's fine.

You're allowed to accept that place and if you move away after that it's up to you if you decide to change schools or not.

You are doing nothing wrong at all.

Take the School place that has been rightfully allocated to your DC at that moment in time.

Ok I won't call them ... :)

Moving now is a silly time - but we have such little space and two big growing kids who don't have their own rooms or space to study.

We were delayed by Covid etc and don't even know whether this will go through. I think if it does we may have to slow things down so we can still be here on allocation day. I have no idea as don't know how quick searches/surveys etc happen

But I just wanted to check that 1st March is allocation day and if we are still in our current house on that day we can keep DD's school place (which we'll definitely get as we live on top of the school). And we've done nothing wrong you say? Phew.

My daughter is so cross with us for moving at this time. It will all be better if this works out. Thank you.

It will tell you the exact date on your council website

Thank you. I think it’s March 1st country wide.

Do not call them. Look online at the admissions process for the school you are applying to. You will be in your current house by the application deadline so that is the address you are using.

A lot of schools will just use the address at the application deadline others don't so you need to find out which one you come under.

We had an offer on our house in the October, made an offer in the November but didn't complete until mid March. We were a guaranteed in due to a siblings policy but still needed to move for space.

Let's just say don't go shouting it from the rooftops about moving, it isn't a done deal until the contracts are signed and if there is a school admissions clause about your address on 1st March just make that part of the sale, that you complete after that date.

Yeah, drag your feet and cross your fingers but don't shout about it in case someone reports you for fraud.

Ah ... ok thank you. That’s really helpful.