Advice if you move school catchments but own property still within catchment?

galvanizersbaby

Hello

I think I know what the answer to my question might be but am interested in any advice from anyone in this situation/perspectives

My partner and I are considering moving in together (just considering at this stage) - he works in central London and his current property is about 45 mins drive from where myself and my two children are currently living.
My son currently attends the local catchment school (reception year) and my daughter has a place available to start in September this year - this school is across the road from where I am currently working and about 10 mins walk from where we live at the moment.
If we were all to set up home together it would make sense to be in his property as mine is too small, however I wouldn't sell my current property at the moment and would probably rent it to pay the mortgage.
My partner also has another property close to mine which he has a buy to let mortgage on and is currently renting.

Anyway getting to the point (sorry I do ramble on) if we were to move in with my partner I would continue to work at my current location so would make sense for the kids to be at the same school as this is close by where I am during the day incase I am needed but obviously our address where we were living would be very much out of catchment - does anyone know how the school would feel about this?
Also is there anyone that works some distance away from where their children are at school? - how do you manage/find it?

Any opinions welcome?

Surfbabe

At the school I work at, if you are living at your address which is in the catchment area at the time the child starts school, you can move where you like after they have started. If you move before they start you would probably lose the place. We have several parents who work some distance from the school and they have arrangements with other parents on case of emergencies. The best thing to do is talk to the school.

galvanizersbaby

Surfbabe wrote: »

At the school I work at, if you are living at your address which is in the catchment area at the time the child starts school, you can move where you like after they have started. If you move before they start you would probably lose the place. We have several parents who work some distance from the school and they have arrangements with other parents on case of emergencies. The best thing to do is talk to the school.

Thanks Surfbabe - I assumed that the school wouldn't want children there who were living well out of the catchment (school is in Sussex and property moving to would be in Surrey)
The move won't happen (if we go ahead) prior to my daughter starting school in Sept.
I am planning to go in and talk to the school but thought I would get a few opinions first - being new to the whole schools process myself - thanks for your help:T

k1mmie

I know that some schools check the electrol register as proof that you live there and may ask for a council tax bill to prove this.

With many people applying in catchments and giving false addresses they seem to be hotting up on this.

I would say check the criteria for your school and probably the LEA.

Nicki

I live in London and when we moved we were very careful to stay in the same LEA as we didn't want our children to move schools. When I mentioned this to the head after we'd moved, she told us that even moving LEAs isn't a problem once your child has actually started at the school. This may be a reciprocal agreement between London LEAs of course.

galvanizersbaby

k1mmie wrote: »

I know that some schools check the electrol register as proof that you live there and may ask for a council tax bill to prove this.

With many people applying in catchments and giving false addresses they seem to be hotting up on this.

I would say check the criteria for your school and probably the LEA.

Thanks - I had heard this too but was hoping that since the children would already have the place before the move it would be ok - will def check the criteria!

Spendless

Here, it is where you live when you make the application. Then you can move wherever you want, and it wouldn't make any difference to your place until it came to changing schools (eg to go to secondary), and then you would be in a lower down category than someone living in catchment.

car25

Why not ring the LEA admissions dept and ask them (you don't have to give them your details).

dora37

We moved out of the catchment area when our 2 sons were at primary - and it wasn't a problem at all. However had they not already attended it would have been.

Savvy_Sue

You asked about living some distance from school: we never did this at primary, but some of my sons' friends DID live some distance away and it could get problematic having friends to play. Especially in school holidays.

Plus you will never have the joys of walking to school, you WILL have the hell which is the school run on a wet Monday morning ...

You will need a rock solid reliable car.

90 minutes driving every school day is not something I would want to do, personally, you need to think whether you do, and whether your children will cope with it, especially when first starting school.

On the other hand, presumably your current job fits within school hours and other childcare arrangements, and such jobs are not to be lightly given up! But if you're making your future elsewhere, I'd look for schools and jobs elsewhere too.

oystercatcher

I believe once you have a place it is yours so they can't take away the eldest childs place as long as you get him there each day. Round here there is a siblings rule and generally if you have one child there the next follows (but I think you have the place anyway). The previous poster makes some valid points about friends and long journeys. On the other hand to change home, job and school all at once is also adding stress to everyone. I'm sure you could move the children later if you felt you needed to, likewise changing jobs .
Good luck
Oystercatcher