Advice moving to different area for secondary school

[mav4]

Hi all,

Please I need advice on our plan to move to Leatherhead from Horley. My daughter is starting year 7 (secondary school) next year (September) and we have identified a school in Leatherhead that we would like her to attend. We also like the surrounding towns.

I've spoken to the council and they've said that we have to apply by 31st October this year using our current property address in Horley and provide evidence that we have moved to the new property in Leatherhead by 9th December this year in order for them to use our new address for the application. If we do not move by 9th December we will be offered a school in Horley and be put on the waiting list for the new school in Leatherhead or be offered any school, not on our preferred list there. There are no guarantees we'll be high enough on the waiting list. Unfortunately, the school also uses a catchment area for admission.

It is unlikely that we'll be able to sell our property and complete the move to Leatherhead by December.

Does anyone have experience with a move like this?

What is the best approach to avoid being given a school at the current address and having to commute from the new area to the old one?

Thanks in advance.

I don't know your area but ii wanted ds to start secondary at a school in a new area so we moved house during the summer holidays of year 5. He started a new school at the start of year 6 and got our first choice school in the normal admissions round.

If you've not moved house before 31 October then you need to use your current address. You need to look up what happens to applicants who move into the area between 1 November and offer day. Assuming that you don't move then you're probably at the mercy of waiting lists

Just read your post properly

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Your choices would be to drive to the offered school from your new address while waiting for a more local school or go on all waiting lists and pray for a school in Leatherhead. It might not be the target school but hopefully will be closely than Horley

I don’t know the areas you are talking about so no idea how big the commute is but what’s your plan for year 6-keep your DD where she is or move her because if she’s staying, you’ll be commuting anyway.

You can’t avoid being given a school at the current address if you live there at application/allocation time but you can appeal once places are given out and you have moved by then and/or go on a waiting list.

Thanks a lot for your replies @PeekAtYou

If you don't mind me asking;

• what sort of application did you make for a year 6 entrance at the new school?


• what time of the year did you make the application?

@Retrievemysanity we were hoping she could complete year 6 where we are now and move to the new area next summer after year 6. That looks almost impossible now that I know we need to move earlier for an in-time application.

We moved in the y5 summer holidays and made an in year application for year 6. Starting a new school in year 6 sounds strange but there were kids in his y6 class who moved up to the same secondary which helps. I was surprised that there were other new kids but it makes sense that they wanted to apply for secondary at the "right" time rather than risk being assigned a random school.

You would not have to commute. Once you have moved your address is updated and you submit a late application in LH. You probably won't get the most popular ones at that stage but likely get a place, either there or in Dorking or Epsom, and can go on waiting lists for tour preferred ones. You could list the LH ones on your caf from the outset but if they are historically oversubscribed and you rely on a distance based category it is unlikely a place would be forthcoming, as it would be based on your Horley address.

@mav4 it sounds like she’ll be in year 6 where she is for a bit though so you might have to commute anyway. Are you bothered about a year 6 mid year transfer? We moved in the summer hols but kept DD at her existing school for year 6 because I thought a move for final year would be too disruptive. Our commute isn’t too far though. Just something to consider. It is stressful. Our buyers were moving a considerable distance and ended up homeschooling for a bit before a school place was sorted for their DD.

We would prefer her to finish at the current primary school but that comes with the need to commute - around 30-35mins if no traffic. We'll have to consider both options and do our best to judge her personality and feelings at the time. Right now, I would say she's more likely to cope well- she's confident, talkative and easily makes friends. She would stop and have a chat with people when we are out walking. BUT you never know in 5 years' time.

Put your preferred schools in the new location on the CAF first, in your true order of preference. Then put the current locality school(s). That way,:

• if you have already moved (and have the requisite evidence) by 9th December, all is well, you should be offered a school in your new locality on 1st March

• if you have not moved, you are unlikely to get a school in your new locality on 1st March, but you will be on the waiting list for schools there from the off as they were your higher preferences, and won't need to make a late apication when you move (and you should have an offer of a place somewhere in your current area anyway, based on your current address). You may be lucky and a school you like will get to you in their 'all other' category, assuming that that is what you eould be in?

(Actually, do check how waiting lists work there - a lot of places automatically add names to the lists of higher preference schools, but in others, you have to request this).

Thanks @MarchingFrogs Just spoken to the council and they have advised us not to rely on being automatically put on the waiting so we should just request it in any case.