Renting for Secondary School

[thismumstryn]

Hello Parents,

I own a flat in Harringay and I have secured a rental in Barnet in the catchment of Archer Academy. I plan to rent my flat in Harringay and move to Barnet end of Oct this year. My DD starts secondary in 2026.

So my question is - I have heard that councils dont speak to each other. If I have a rental history of over a year before making the application to Archer, will I be at risk of missing the school on grounds of temporary address? I tried to sell my property this August but was unsuccessful.

I have an EHCP for my DS from Harringay and am worried that I will lose it should I sell my flat. I received the EHCP in April and I have heard that if I try to move it to Barnet council, they may cancel it. I like the primary school my DS is going to and dont mind keeping him there.

I dont have any decent secondary schools around me, hence looking to move.

I feel like we are being penalised for trying to provide our children with good education! Please help.

You would need to check how Barnet will view the rental and if they would see it as an address of convenience. They may well view it as that if you rent while still owning the other property. You can see more information in their booklet here.

If you move LA, the EHCP will transfer. The new LA will review the EHCP and may amend, reassess or potentially propose to cease to maintain. Although you would have the right of appeal.

On your first point, you also need to look at the admissions policy for Archer Academy itself, as not all the rules are set at council level.

I live outside London but have two oversubscribed secondaries nearby - one of them would accept your new rental address and the other would reject your application on the basis that you have kept your old out of catchment home.

Hi EndlessLight, Thanks for your reply. I have already read their admission policy. Until last year, their requirement was 1 year - which is why we decided to move a year in advance before application. I just checked again today and they have changed it to 2 years now! So just on their admissions policy, it sounds like if you own a property not near the school, any other property (regardless of how long you rent it) will be considered as temporary accommodation. We dont intend to move as soon as we get the school as the property is very conveniently located close to the school. We plan to eventually move but until then, the rental will be our home. So now we are worried that we might be disqualified.

WRT EHCP - I am aware of what you have mentioned. I am worried the council might cancel it. It was very hard to get.

Finding it very hard to balance educational needs for my two kids :( My daughter is intelligent but we dont have a school which will support her close to us. My son is autistic and we want to keep the EHCP and school he is currently attending in Harringay. Stuck between a rock and a hard place!

@BarqsHasBite Thanks for your input. I did check the schools admission policy and they have mentioned that Barnet council will do the allocation. We are stuck since my daughter liked this school and I like the school my son is in - which is in harringay...

I thought ch with EHCPs had their admission done early?

So deadline end of October, like all ch (so you need to be in that address by 31/10) and school allocated in January

Different borough & schools but here that wouldn't be allowed. You would need to sell.the original property otherwise it would be considered an address of convenience ie renting a property to get a place at the school & yes checks on property ownership & rental are made across councils & your situation would raise red flags for further checks if the school is over subscribed.

After selling the property or possibly if it was still on the market The EHCP would be up to the new borough to see if they could meet it within the borough or if it needs to be met at a different borough.

If you move and Barnet proposes to cease to maintain DS’s EHCP, you can appeal, and it must be maintained until the appeal process is over.

Barnet may continue to name the current school. If they don’t, you can appeal. Unless the school is wholly independent, the LA must name it unless the LA can prove:
-The setting is unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or special educational needs (“SEN”) of the child or young person; or
-The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education for others; or
-The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the efficient use of resources.
Being out of borough doesn’t change this.

@RockyRogue1001 OP’s child with an EHCP is not the child who will be transferring to secondary in Sept 26. It is her DS with the EHCP and DD who will move to secondary in Sept 26.

DC with EHCPs must have their amended EHCPs finalised naming the secondary placement by the 15th Feb of Y6. There is not one set application date for DC with EHCPs (despite what some LAs claim) and they don’t need to apply via the normal admission process. Parents get the chance to state their preferred placement as part of the phase transfer review process, which should happen sometime in the autumn term of Y6.

I think it's risky to move into another LA/Borough when one of your dc has an ehcp (especially if it was fight to get it) and you want them to remain in your preferred school. Have you spoke to Barnet SEND team about maintaining current placement from out of borough and the process of them taking on the ehcp.

I would read about the actual law and process. Rather than Barnet’s version of it. IPSEA is a good place to start.

They won't cancel the ehcp. They might change the support in it at the next review but they can't just stop it.

Anyway, you apply for schools via the sen panel - the school's general admittance rules, catchment areas, where you live etc are irrelevant- and you can just ask for this school you want. As it's a state school it shouldn't be a huge problem as long as you can get him there and the school can meet his needs.

The year 5 ehc review is where discussions start about secondary schools. You don't have to move to get him into this school if they will have him and you can get him there.

Following Barnet reviewing the EHCP, they could propose to cease to maintain. Although they would have to maintain until any potential appeal had concluded.

Where does OP say her DS is in a state school? The only school she mentions by name is Archer Academy and that is for DD, not DS.