Moving for DC's new school , Question for London parents

[namethattuneinone]

I've been involved with a few threads recently where mums casually say, we have offer from XYZ school and ABC school, can't decide, live nowhere near any of them, we'll move.

As someone thinking about 11+ on the horizon in a few years, how easy was it do this? I absolutely hate moving home, some moves have been plain sailing, others pure hell.

I'm interested in any London parents who made a move for, private or state doesn't matter, a move is a move- for 11+, or 7+ or even 4+.

Did you regret it? Was it hard settling into new home while DC settling into new school?? Whenever we've moved , my OCD means I need a new toilet and bath, and kitchen and floors, even when they're not in a bad shape, which leads to major renovation and living in a building site for months. (we aren't rich, I just hold out for price when we sell our old property to cover work) I can't imagine doing this and getting used to new school runs, settling DC , new routes for work, etc. But a few schools I've got my eye on for DD would involve a move.

This only works for private schools, because you can get offers from them wherever you live, and also super selective grammars and super selective places eg language or other aptitude places at schools which have them.

Are these the kinds of schools you'll be applying to?

Because if not, distance will be the tie-breaker and that'll use the address where you are actually living, not where you might move to

You're right, for state you'd have to have moved for applying and sold your old place.

DD is at prep in suburbs at the moment and I'm thinking about senior private, grammar and state. But I've only really looked at privates so far in my research (so far, open to all types).

For State you have to move by October the year before. Potentially earlier for Grammar, with no guarantee of passing the 11+ exam. This could mean moving Primary schools as well if its a significant move.

@namethattuneinone

You're right, for state you'd have to have moved for applying and sold your old place.

DD is at prep in suburbs at the moment and I'm thinking about senior private, grammar and state. But I've only really looked at privates so far in my research (so far, open to all types).

Actually this isn't quite right @namethattuneinone. There's a lot of misunderstanding around taking the 11+. You can apply to, and sit an exam for, any grammar school in England, that's the law (it's called the Greenwich Judgment and it's established case law).

But for some of them you then have to be living in the catchment area to get a place on allocation date and for most people rushing through a move at that stage isn't practical. If you are not in catchment in time, you won't get a place regardless of how highly your DCs scored.

For the so-called super-selective grammar schools, you can be living further away, but need to be realistic about getting DCs to and from school every day and decide whether the journey is feasible, or desirable for an 11-year-old child.

In my experience people often do this when the school is a long commute i.e. their DC can physically get there but they will move closer to make it easier. Also then they can commute back to finish year 6 if needed. Alternatively they rent, so moving is quicker and easier to time. It sounds pretty stressful to have a hard deadline for moving, as sales can take forever. Also timing it to avoid a year 6 school move. We are in a superselective grammar area and know a family who moved after their eldest got a place. Their younger DC are at a primary a bit further from home as they needed to do in year admissions (as with any move). Do you only have 1 DC?

I would weigh up very carefully if a particular school is really worth that level of upheaval. Particularly as you don't sound excited about the move. It would be different if you had another reason to move e.g. needing more space. Personally I'd consider it if I was really unhappy with the local options but not to get that 'perfect' school, but we are all different!

We've just been through the 4+ with our DD and we're planning to move so we can be walking distance of the school. We need to move anyway for more space, and the school we decided on is better located for DH's commute anyway, so overall it will be easier once we're settled. We have no plans to do much in the way of renovations immediately - we'll probably do so over time but just focus on settling into school/new home first.

The timing is an issue - results came out at the end of January and we're just viewing properties now, but not much is coming on the market. We don't expect to move before DD starts in September - it would be nice, but I hear the buying process is taking much longer. But it's easy enough to travel in London and it will be for a limited time.