Home ownership and school catchment areas.

[r44flyer]

Hello all,
Having recently landed a new job my wife and I now have a combined income that will just allow us to buy a house in an area we have always favoured, primarily because it has a couple of good schools for our kids for the near future (they are 3 and 1).

Having never had enough spare cash to pay into a pension my long term plan was to have just one buy-to-let property paid off to supplement my state pension, or perhaps just pay for university fees! Given we already own a house we know and, aside from the sentimental significance it has having been in the family for 70 years, have spent time and money on, what would be ideal would be to keep this one and rent it, move in with parents and save for the deposit on the new home over the next two years. This solves the problem of having to apply for a school place before we can afford the house in the catchment area, in this scenario, because parents also live in the catchment area. They are happy with this proposal in terms of living with each other for that time.

I know this smacks of having our cake and eating it, and I am aware of the seriousness with which the council will take any issues surrounding families moving to areas temporarily to secure school places. It is not our intention to deceive, it is our intention to live in that area and attend that school and not move back anywhere else. It is merely a question or poor timing, by 18months or so.

So, what I am concerned with is if we apply to a school from parents address, whilst owning a buy-to-let property that we lived in shortly before, what problems are we likely to encounter with the council refusing or withdrawing a school place? Has anyone had a similar experience? I really have no idea if any of it really has any significance, but applying from a parents address must wave all kinds of flags.

If the solution is clear cut and we must sell and buy in the catchment area then so be it, my pension plan will be dead and buried. We will most likely be out of money for anything other than maintaining that address for the school, in an effort to give our kids that start which, compared to the schools where we are right now, is like night and day.

Thanks for any thoughts.

[russ_a]

You can't apply yet for a school, I believe applications open in the November prior to your child starting in September the following year. You will be informed of the result early April.

We bought a house 350 meters from the school we wanted our son to attend. He didn't get in.

Best of luck!!!

[Monkeythree]

I don't see any problem with you owning a buy to let property at the time of the application - that is irrelevant to the local authority even if you previously lived in said property.

If you are living at your parents address at the time of the school application, that is the address you use. You don't have to state on the application that it is your parents address, only that it is yours. So, so long as you are actually living at that address (council might ask for proof) then that aspect also shouldn't be a problem.

Edited by Monkeythree on Sunday 3rd May 07:21

[austinsmirk]

I live adjacent to a massive carved piece of Yorkshire stone with our village name on it. We didn't get our first into the village school.

Bit of a pain, thinking of elsewhere, as it would have been a 500 yard walk.

So she's now at the next school. Which is a 4 min drive. Which also turns out to be the highest off sted rated school in the city.

And you can tell, it simply is amazing and clearly the better choice.

With schools forget advance planning as demand fluctuates year to year and it's not about nearest either.

I will say house prices are clearly higher where I live, clearly because of the perceived view of the village school. Bonkers eh ?

[Hoofy]

russ_a said:

We bought a house 350 meters from the school we wanted our son to attend. He didn't get in.

Whilst I don't even have someone to make children with let alone have a child, I can't help but think that something is fking stupid about the system. Basically, you have to now drive past your nearest suitable school to take your child to some school possibly a few miles away while some child possibly a few miles away is dragged past the school your child goes to in order to be delivered to the school 350m away from your home. Green thinking by the authorities.

[KrazyIvan]

Be prepared to give them pretty much every detail of your life to prove your current living arrangements (when your in the right area).

As an aside, have you really thought about the implications of moving your family in with your parents, as this could be substantially more stressful then getting in your preferred school

[austinsmirk]

Just re thinking. They'll be no council tax or polling info to prove you live at yr parents.

[russ_a]

Hoofy said:

Whilst I don't even have someone to make children with let alone have a child, I can't help but think that something is fking stupid about the system. Basically, you have to now drive past your nearest suitable school to take your child to some school possibly a few miles away while some child possibly a few miles away is dragged past the school your child goes to in order to be delivered to the school 350m away from your home. Green thinking by the authorities.

We have to drive to a different county!

[jjones]

A good school can very quickly become a bad school if the head is replaced (and vice versa).

[skilly1]

our local council has very strict rules on what needs to be in your names and correct addess if they ask for proof:

1. driving licence
2. doctors
3. council tax

you can call up and ask what proof they would need should the need arise.

its a absolute joke - who changes their driving licence as a priority, it caused me a nightmare.

[Sheepshanks]

Hoofy said:

Basically, you have to now drive past your nearest suitable school to take your child to some school possibly a few miles away while some child possibly a few miles away is dragged past the school your child goes to in order to be delivered to the school 350m away from your home.

In what circumstances would that happen?

[r44flyer]

Thanks for the replies so far.

It's the reach of the council's investigative power that I have no clue about, but if I can ask them about the as bluntly as that I will do so.

Good point about shifting addresses on documentation.

Moving in with parents is not an idea I have taken lightly, believe me. It's a means to an end.

[manic47]

Sheepshanks said:

Hoofy said:

Basically, you have to now drive past your nearest suitable school to take your child to some school possibly a few miles away while some child possibly a few miles away is dragged past the school your child goes to in order to be delivered to the school 350m away from your home.

In what circumstances would that happen?

Depends on their over-subscription criteria.
As an example, if an elder child is at a good, oversubscribed school, their younger siblings will get priority over closer children.

An acadamy by us is branching out and looking to oversee (and improve) feeder schools that they some 15 miles away.
The children from these will be quite near the top of their admission list, certainly ahead of those from the already good local schools who drop to the bottom of the list.

Edited by manic47 on Sunday 3rd May 11:24

[skilly1]

If you have formally moved in with your parents and rented out your other property you have not done anything wrong. That is allowed. You will be able to show a lease for tenants etc. the council want to know where you and you child are living on a certain date and you need to prove it is need be. Nothing else matters.

[mph1977]

jjones said:

A good school can very quickly become a bad school if the head is replaced (and vice versa).

exactly - especially at Primary level ... some secondaries operate better when the principal is seconded / on sabbatical / etc

[Crush]

What is the cost to change your home compared to sending your kids to an independent school?

[Hoofy]

Sheepshanks said:

Hoofy said:

Basically, you have to now drive past your nearest suitable school to take your child to some school possibly a few miles away while some child possibly a few miles away is dragged past the school your child goes to in order to be delivered to the school 350m away from your home.

In what circumstances would that happen?

Ask the OPer.

[r44flyer]

Crush said:

What is the cost to change your home compared to sending your kids to an independent school?

Back of a napkin maths... about 70% of basic fees.

[Sheepshanks]

Hoofy said:

Sheepshanks said:

Hoofy said:

Basically, you have to now drive past your nearest suitable school to take your child to some school possibly a few miles away while some child possibly a few miles away is dragged past the school your child goes to in order to be delivered to the school 350m away from your home.

In what circumstances would that happen?

Ask the OPer.

I'm baffled by where the 'green thinking of the authorities' comes into that?

[sleep envy]

Gaz. said:

There is one (academy)school a few miles away that has been the engine for property prices going absolutely nuts outside its catchment recently as it is getting increasingly difficult to appeal, we're talking a good 25-30% increase year on year on average like for like and one road has gone up 38% since September last year. If you're in the catchment you've had it, especially as the independent schools are over subscribed with long waiting lists.

Mental as the catchment area from year to year will wax and wane.