Would you move house to get your child into a good school's catchment area?

6feet

ibizafan wrote: »

We did this back in 1989 when we moved into the neighbouring county which still has the 11 plus and grammar schools. This was the system I grew up with and I wanted my sons to have the same chance of an excellent education. They both passed the 11 plus and have done very well in life. Of course, they might have achieved the same if we had stayed where we were, but I preferred not to leave it to chance. I never thought twice about moving house to get in the right catchment.

+ 1


Moving next month renting the family home out whilst renting in catchment...

silvercar

wik wrote: »

Yes....
36 years ago my parents did this on paper to get me into a secondary school!
what they did was say to the school that they were living in a house in the town the school was in (it was house of a work collegue of my dads)- it was over the county border from where we actually lived... I can remember the first few months at the school - when people would ask where i lived! and i had to remember to give them the street that parents had told the school about!!
was awkward sometimes when others at school wanted to call to play! but got round it by saying we had hobbies most days
Luckily it only lasted a term! then we 'moved'... so once my brother was ready to go up to secondary cos i was there he was allowed

Doubt you would get away with it today as they are wise to this trick and others, whose place you may be taking would report you.

There was a programme on TV about Birmingham school admissions team, where they spent a lot of time checking addresses including visiting supposed homes.

Morglin

No, because league tables don't tell the whole story.

One of my grandsons got into a top rated grammar school, in this area, but did less well than his two bothers who are at a moderately rated comp in this area.

With my own kids, I just got private tutors for the last year or so, before the exams, and they both got their qualifications send went onto further education, securing good jobs still the end.

Lin

hazyjo

Yes (if I had kids!), but surely there's no guarantee they'll get in. My friend's daughter couldn't get into a primary school in her road, or the second choice (possibly even the third, can't remember) and the next was rubbish so they've reluctanted chosen private education. (She's a teacher so knows a lot about the local schools).

The area would have to have a few good choices.

Jx

DigForVictory

We did. We were looking for a slightly more spacious family home anyway & found one we all loved that needed "a bit of work doing"... So it was affordable for the address.

The lads all settled, but as we hadn't realised the grammar was That Sought After, we didn't get the extra prep from 8 up that was an unspoken requirement. So all three ended up at the local comp, and are happy & doing well there (so far!).

They may go to the grammar for A Levels, but we're now fairly relaxed about that.

Mrs_Soup

We took it into account when moving house. Our catchment school is one you would not move into the area to get but woould not move away to avoid. I actively avoided one school in teh area which is much sought after because I do not approve of their hothousing of children (eg getting them to take GCSE maths at primary and then they get put into lower groups at secondary because they don't know the basics.)

JodyBPM

How much better does a school need to be to warrant moving?

I think I would move to be away from an awful school, but not so sure that I would move to get into a slightly better one if there was a reasonable option locally.

minerva_windsong

I'd definitely consider it. We're hoping to buy our first home later this year and schools are something I'm looking at as part of the decision, even though we're years away from having kids. But as others have said I don't think it's the be-all and end-all - you could have the most academically brilliant school but if it wasn't right for your child then moving to the area would be a pointless exercise.

daisiegg

Morglin wrote: »

No, because league tables don't tell the whole story.
)

The question doesn't say a word about league tables. It just says a 'good' school, which could mean all sorts to different people.

patricia..xx

Sort of. I would want to choose the best school for my child and would decide on a house on that basis. But I would never choose on ofsted or go private (I hated my private education)

However, the last house we bought (pre babies) was in the catchment of a very good school. It meant prices were high and rising and remained so through the housing market crash. So for us it was a safer bet as a house. I was told in all seriousness that I was selfish to be buying it, when it should have gone to someone with kids who would have benefitted from the school.

It didn't seem that good a school, the kids were annoying and were forever banging bags into the back of my car, aiming rubbish at our wheely bin and not picking it up etc