Did you move house for secondary school?

[Beck_mum]

I've been fascinated by the number of posts I've seen from people who've applied to schools quite far away from where they live with the intention of moving if their child gets a place. It seems a huge upheaval for jobs, friends, siblings etc, I was wondering how many people actually do this in the end. If you have done this, how has it worked out?

[scary mum]

No we didn't and it would never have occurred to me to do so unless we were planning it anyway for jobs or to be near family or something. It constantly amazes me that people are prepared to uproot their families from (presumably) friends and the local community to chase a place at a particular school, or sometimes not even a particular school, but any grammar school that will have them.

[JamesDean]

Wouldn't have dreamed of doing so! We looked at the schools around us, discounted those that we felt were too far for DC to travel to, and then drew up a short list of those DC liked near-by. Perhaps we are just lucky to have good local choices ...

JD

[salsa]

Some people have already left their families and communities when they left their country. Moving houses would not be such a big event and if they came all the way to the UK for a better life, then education would be considered as part of that improvement.
Moreover, maybe they weren't that lucky with their local choices.

Of course, I'm not saying it would not be a major upheaval.
Salsa

[Beck_mum]

That's such a good point Salsa. You're right, I hadn't thought about that before. We're lucky to live in a great community we love, but probably wouldn't have hesitated to move from where we lived pre-kids. I suppose I assumed most people have bedded down in an area during the primary years, but that's obviously not the case for everyone.

[Silverspire]

We are moving house for secondary schools, but only 20 minutes away from where we currently live. Apart from for better schools, we have also outgrown our house. The new location is a better commute for Daddy. The only dilemma is I will have to do the daily school run, 30 minutes one way as there's no point changing schools for my daughter in year 6. My year 4 son will have to join the local primary school in September.

[daddyshah]

Hi Beck_mum,

We are moving house for our secondary school of choice. On a different part of the forum, I have received a fair bit of criticism for not sticking to a local school. You make a very good point about people moving countries for a better life and I feel different people have a different lense to life. For example, I know lots of people that have moved themselves and their families for a good job. In some instances, to places like Singapore and the Middle East. Yet they wouldn't necessarily consider moving for a school.

In our example, we have one side of the family in South London and another in North London. We used to live in North London, but moved down South to get on the property ladder (more affordable property) and to be closer to my in laws for childcare. Now my daughter has been offered a place at a very good school in North London and we are looking to move back there. It won't be easy but we are just not happy about putting her in the alternative schools nearby.

[loobylou]

I know quite a number of people living in High Barnet, where there is a good girls' comprehensive but where there is only one comprehensive school that a boy has any chance of admission to, who have moved less than a mile in order to get their son into another school. Other families have got into debt in order to send their sons to independent schools. It's very sad that people feel they have to do that but I can absolutely understand it. Other people I know have home schooled till a place comes up elsewhere in the borough and their children are then travelling for an hour or so to get to a different school. Not quite the same scenario add you mentioned but just showing that sometimes moving for secondary school is not just about the "best" school.

[gasman]

The way to do it is to play the system, I know of one family who "moved" to Sidcup to get their son into school of their choice, they were slightly too far out to get in for definite, so they told the school and LA they had rented out their house and intended to stay in Sidcup for good.

Funnily enough the house which was rented out stayed empty and they have suddenly moved back to their old house. It gets not only one child but also the two younger siblings in (if they pass) Cost being a years rental on one house £18,000, estate agent fees to "let" their house £2000, suddenly without having to move you have all three children in for circa £20,000. Much cheaper than Stamp duty on moving or private school.

Totally immoral and below the belt but if the system allows it and you can get away with it whose to know, just feel sorry for the poor local kids who miss out or the ones whose parents cannot afford to take this route.

LA could stop this but turns a blind eye

[Guest55]

gasman - why did you not report this?

LAs do act and remove places - many require 'all ties' with another property to be cut.