Moving - Please Help

[Essexdaddy]

Sold my house and will be moving from CCHS in-catchment area to out of catchment area, but I just found out the following from CCHS admission policy:

"The offer of a place is conditional upon the applicant being continuously resident within the priority area (at their permanent home address) between 1st September of Year 6 and the start of Year 7 at CCHS."

If my DD is offered a place, which is likely as she is in top tier, please does it mean the offer can be withdrawn if we move in May this year? We have been living here for 5 years.

There was never intention to game the system, but we have to move as we have found a dream home and got someone buying our current home. How do we handle this as we don't want to miss CCHS? Should we explain to the school first? I am confused.

My DD also scored more than 395+ in CSSE, but CCHS is our first choice.

Thanks.

[hermanmunster]

that is quite difficult and I don't know the answer. can see why they do it, aiming to stop people living in an area short term just to get a place - but seems odd that someone can move on the second day of term, but not the day after the allocations are made.

[ToadMum]

Unfortunately, this has been there for all to see since the 2020 admissions policy was published almost a year ago. Furthermore, the Secondary Admissions booklet / webpage states:
Moving house/changing address details
If you move address either within Essex or into
Essex during the admissions process, you must
notify School Admissions immediately by email or
letter. You should provide proof of exchange of
contracts if you have purchased your new home, or
a copy of a signed tenancy agreement if you are
renting. If there are changes to your plans you
must let School Admissions know immediately or
your child’s offer of a place could be withdrawn. It
is your responsibility to provide School Admissions
with proof of address. Please do not assume that
the Admissions Team have access to other records
the Council may hold about you

So you really cannot decide not to let ECC know as soon as you move. Will your vendors and purchasers agree to reschedule the move for later in September (although this might engender suspicion on the school's part, it would actually comply with their policy), or are your purchasers hoping to apply for one of the Chelmsford grammar schools from their new address?

Did you really not read through the whole admissions policies for the schools you were intending to name on your CAF, before deciding to apply?

[Essexdaddy]

Unfortunately, this has been there for all to see since the 2020 admissions policy was published almost a year ago. Furthermore, the Secondary Admissions booklet / webpage states:
Moving house/changing address details
If you move address either within Essex or into
Essex during the admissions process, you must
notify School Admissions immediately by email or
letter. You should provide proof of exchange of
contracts if you have purchased your new home, or
a copy of a signed tenancy agreement if you are
renting. If there are changes to your plans you
must let School Admissions know immediately or
your child’s offer of a place could be withdrawn. It
is your responsibility to provide School Admissions
with proof of address. Please do not assume that
the Admissions Team have access to other records
the Council may hold about you

So you really cannot decide not to let ECC know as soon as you move. Will your vendors and purchasers agree to reschedule the move for later in September (although this might engender suspicion on the school's part, it would actually comply with their policy), or are your purchasers hoping to apply for one of the Chelmsford grammar schools from their new address?

Did you really not read through the whole admissions policies for the schools you were intending to name on your CAF, before deciding to apply?

I ready the policy, but didn't take special attention to this specific policy text as I felt that I met all the conditions and never thought there will be opportunity to move.

The purchaser of my property has a child but not up to age of doing 11+. They are moving as they are able to buy a property as first time buyers.

If cchs or council doesn't consider the number of years I have lived here, then the system is not fair as my DD was about 6years when we moved here, didn't even know anything about 11 plus or whether we are in catchment. We just moved here be 6thcause we could afford the property.

I am really feel worried now. I might miss out on our dream home... Its new build and they cannot wait till Sept to complete.

[kenyancowgirl]

Have you asked them? They might be happy to exchange in May and complete at a later date.

The rules are there to prevent people moving in to get a priority (in catchment) place, and then moving back out again - they could argue that you are doing the same (regardless of the fact that you have lived there for 5 days or 5 years) - you are getting an advantage by being in catchment at allocation day but would then be moving out. So in answer to your qustion, yes they could withdraw the place after allocation and yes, they would know as you have to inform them of your address.

Certainly a pickle.

[Essexdaddy]

Have you asked them? They might be happy to exchange in May and complete at a later date.

The rules are there to prevent people moving in to get a priority (in catchment) place, and then moving back out again - they could argue that you are doing the same (regardless of the fact that you have lived there for 5 days or 5 years) - you are getting an advantage by being in catchment at allocation day but would then be moving out. So in answer to your qustion, yes they could withdraw the place after allocation and yes, they would know as you have to inform them of your address.

Certainly a pickle.

Thanks for replying, but I disagree that they could prove that I moved here to get an advantage. First, I moved here 5 years ago from area that is already in catchment and nearer the school. Secondly, it will be hard to show that someone can move into a place and stay that for 5 years before immediately moving out. Thirdly, I will be happy for them admit as an out of catchment as my DD will still get in. She is quite very cleaver and one of the top marks both for CEM and CSSE.

In terms of delaying completion, not sure they would wait that long and I might lose my buyer that is paying good money.

[kenyancowgirl]

Sorry, they don’t have to prove anything. My point is that it doesn’t matter if you lived there 5 days or 5 years - the fact that you live there for allocations gives you the catchment advantage. The LA don’t care if you lived their 5 days or 5 years - they care that you are getting the advantage and then moving out of catchment - and if you do this before your child starts school they will withdraw the place according to the rules they set, and you agreed to, when you applied.

Don’t get me wrong, I have some sympathy for people who get caught in conundrums that are genuine - however, in this case you will find yourself the wrong side if you move in May.

But it sounds as if you are confident her score will still get her a place when she is classed as out of catchment? Is that how they allocate out of catchment places then, by score? Do they have many out of catchment places?

[Essexdaddy]

Sorry, they don’t have to prove anything. My point is that it doesn’t matter if you lived there 5 days or 5 years - the fact that you live there for allocations gives you the catchment advantage. The LA don’t care if you lived their 5 days or 5 years - they care that you are getting the advantage and then moving out of catchment - and if you do this before your child starts school they will withdraw the place according to the rules they set, and you agreed to, when you applied.

Don’t get me wrong, I have some sympathy for people who get caught in conundrums that are genuine - however, in this case you will find yourself the wrong side if you move in May.

But it sounds as if you are confident her score will still get her a place when she is classed as out of catchment? Is that how they allocate out of catchment places then, by score? Do they have many out of catchment places?

Understand your point. It's likely she could get in as an out of catchment with her score, but even its not possible, I guess she will get in at Westcliff with 395+. Please, correct me if my guess is way out of mark! However, cchs remains her first choice.

Please do you know if we could ask them to consider her at cchs as an out of catchment candidate for admission purposes at this time? I will chose that option as we have to move and if she doesn't get in as an out of catchment, she will be considered for westcliff.

The issue I am seeing now, is that if she is given cchs as in-catchment candidate and later they withdraw the admission, she would have missed out from Westcliff and Southend.

Worried parent.

[ToadMum]

Sorry, they don’t have to prove anything. My point is that it doesn’t matter if you lived there 5 days or 5 years - the fact that you live there for allocations gives you the catchment advantage. The LA don’t care if you lived their 5 days or 5 years - they care that you are getting the advantage and then moving out of catchment - and if you do this before your child starts school they will withdraw the place according to the rules they set, and you agreed to, when you applied.

Don’t get me wrong, I have some sympathy for people who get caught in conundrums that are genuine - however, in this case you will find yourself the wrong side if you move in May.

But it sounds as if you are confident her score will still get her a place when she is classed as out of catchment? Is that how they allocate out of catchment places then, by score? Do they have many out of catchment places?

Understand your point. It's likely she could get in as an out of catchment with her score, but even its not possible, I guess she will get in at Westcliff with 395+. Please, correct me if my guess is way out of mark! However, cchs remains her first choice.

Please do you know if we could ask them to consider her at cchs as an out of catchment candidate for admission purposes at this time? I will chose that option as we have to move and if she doesn't get in as an out of catchment, she will be considered for westcliff.

The issue I am seeing now, is that if she is given cchs as in-catchment candidate and later they withdraw the admission, she would have missed out from Westcliff and Southend.

Worried parent.

This^, in a nutshell.

You need to contact Essex Admissions and ask precisely what your position would be, once you move out of catchment.

[pinkrabbit38]

Sorry, they don’t have to prove anything. My point is that it doesn’t matter if you lived there 5 days or 5 years - the fact that you live there for allocations gives you the catchment advantage. The LA don’t care if you lived their 5 days or 5 years - they care that you are getting the advantage and then moving out of catchment - and if you do this before your child starts school they will withdraw the place according to the rules they set, and you agreed to, when you applied.

Don’t get me wrong, I have some sympathy for people who get caught in conundrums that are genuine - however, in this case you will find yourself the wrong side if you move in May.

But it sounds as if you are confident her score will still get her a place when she is classed as out of catchment? Is that how they allocate out of catchment places then, by score? Do they have many out of catchment places?

Understand your point. It's likely she could get in as an out of catchment with her score, but even its not possible, I guess she will get in at Westcliff with 395+. Please, correct me if my guess is way out of mark! However, cchs remains her first choice.

Please do you know if we could ask them to consider her at cchs as an out of catchment candidate for admission purposes at this time? I will chose that option as we have to move and if she doesn't get in as an out of catchment, she will be considered for westcliff.

The issue I am seeing now, is that if she is given cchs as in-catchment candidate and later they withdraw the admission, she would have missed out from Westcliff and Southend.

Worried parent.

I had a look through CEM scores this year and the score you quoted for your daughter is on the low side of guaranteeing an in catchment place for CCHS (although helped this year by them adding an extra class), for out of catchment for CCHS you’d probably need 7-10 marks more.