Moving into catchment after allocation

MrsM · Post by **MrsM** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:03 am

Hi, my daughter passed 11+ but we live outside catchment and last years radius. We are hoping for Royal Latin and had originally planned to sell our house and buy in Buckingham last summer but like most couldn't sell. We are wondering if there would be any point renting after 2nd March allocation and if there is any way we can work out our chances as this would obviously be a huge cost paying for 2 houses until we could rent our house out. Any thoughts anyone has would be gratefully appreciated. Thanks. MrsM

Guest55 · Post by **Guest55** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 12:11 pm

I don't think it will help as you will have two houses - a selection appeal may not view that positively.

Also it is likely you may get an offer from another GS which might make it difficult to prove why RLS is the 'only' school.

Post by **Etienne** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 2:47 pm

I think you meant "transfer appeal," Guest55?
The home address is never relevant at a selection appeal.

MrsM - in the first instance you would have to satisfy Admissions that your rented address is not just an "address of convenience."
Read very carefully page 12 of the Buckinghamshire guide for transfer to secondary school.

Guest55 · Post by **Guest55** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 2:55 pm

Yes Etienne I did - sorry -

MrsM · Post by **MrsM** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 5:50 pm

Thank you for the replies. I guess this is a new situation for them with people having to rent because they can't sell as housing market wasn't as dire last March. We certainly wouldnt have 2 houses out of choice but I suppose until we can rent out our current house it could look that way. Supposing that we could prove to their satisfaction the Buckingham house was our main residence does anyone know how we could find out our chances of getting a place? We have no other grammar schools on our list of preferences just state schools. Many thanks.

Guest55 · Post by **Guest55** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 6:13 pm

I think it would be very difficult to convince them.

Are you near enough to Aylesbury to consider that? You could ask to add another GS to your list.

Sally-Anne · Post by **Sally-Anne** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 6:40 pm

Hi MrsM

The real problem you face is that your current address is already carved in stone as the address that Bucks will use for school allocations. The deadline for providing proof of address passed around 6 weeks ago.

Bucks CC would perhaps accept a new address in the event of a major issue - where a house has burned down, for example, but a voluntary move at this stage would almost certainly lead to them believe that you are simply trying to play the system.

Your best hope is to sit tight and hope that the allocation distance is further than last year or the waiting list delivers, I'm afraid. A transfer appeal is obviously another option, but the success rate for those is only around 15%, and I would only recommend it to someone who has really strong evidence as to why only the over-subscribed school is suitable for the child's needs.

Sally-Anne

Post by **Etienne** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 7:10 pm

There is no mention in the current admissions code about needing to prove that you have sold your old house. Nevertheless, one can understand why the LA would want to be satisfied that your move is genuine.

The deadline of 12th December 2008 refers to the first round of allocations.

If you move later or provide information later,
and the evidence is adequate, we will use your
new address for future rounds..

No guarantee of success, I'm afraid.

Sally-Anne · Post by **Sally-Anne** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 7:54 pm

Etienne wrote:There is no mention in the current admissions code about needing to prove that you have sold your old house. Nevertheless, one can understand why the LA would want to be satisfied that your move is genuine.

There were quite a number of newspaper reports last year about parents trying to play the system, particularly in Hertfordshire and East Sussex. The LAs were coming down very hard on them, and using all sorts of methods to investigate parents who were suspected of giving falsified evidence or moving temporarily to gain a school place.

I dealt with a case last year where a family had moved to Bucks from quite some distance away. Despite the fact that it was patently obvious that the child could not possibly travel to and from school each day from the old address, and there was nothing obviously suspicious about the case, Bucks CC still demanded very substantial amounts of evidence to prove that the original house was being sold and that the new home was a permanent move.

Sally-Anne

Guest55 · Post by **Guest55** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 8:13 pm

We were told by the HT of an over subscribed Upper School in Bucks that parents had been investigated and offers of places withdrawn.