{"id":10073,"date":"2021-08-23T10:52:55","date_gmt":"2021-08-23T09:52:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/?p=10073"},"modified":"2026-03-06T09:54:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T09:54:54","slug":"secure-school-place-when-moving-homes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/secure-school-place-when-moving-homes\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Secure a New School Place When Moving House"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"770\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/first-day-new-school.jpg\" alt=\"Father taking his child to her first day in a new school\" class=\"wp-image-10109\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/first-day-new-school.jpg 770w, https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/first-day-new-school-300x175.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/first-day-new-school-768x449.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Image source: Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes it may feel like securing a place in the preferred school for your children is more difficult than winning the postcode lottery. Some families describe the process as a &#8220;horrible chicken and egg&#8221; situation, so being well-informed and prepared for the outcomes is the best weapon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some tricks might slightly push your chance towards the winning side &#8211; read through to get familiar with how parents use them to secure a spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may have heard about some dubious tactics like renting in a catchment area and other slightly fraudulent doings to beat the school admission process. In this article, we will explain what people try to do, how the system works and why going down the dark path might not be the best idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s get down to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69e620f248da1\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69e620f248da1\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/secure-school-place-when-moving-homes\/#How_do_school_catchment_areas_work\" >How do school catchment areas work<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/secure-school-place-when-moving-homes\/#Tricks_that_parents_use_to_secure_a_place_at_specific_schools_for_their_children\" >Tricks that parents use to secure a place at specific schools for their children<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/secure-school-place-when-moving-homes\/#When_should_you_file_your_application\" >When should you file your application?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/secure-school-place-when-moving-homes\/#What_is_a_fraudulent_application\" >What is a fraudulent application?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/secure-school-place-when-moving-homes\/#How_schools_investigate_fraudulent_applications\" >How schools investigate fraudulent applications<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/secure-school-place-when-moving-homes\/#Proof_of_address\" >Proof of address<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/secure-school-place-when-moving-homes\/#The_legitimate_ways\" >The legitimate ways<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/secure-school-place-when-moving-homes\/#Best_practices\" >Best practices<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_school_catchment_areas_work\"><\/span>How do school catchment areas work<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If the school of your choice is popular and there are more applicants than available places, it might lead to the school having a very narrow defined geographical catchment area. A rule of thumb is to apply for at least two schools (and more) within the catchment area of your home to stand a more realistic chance of admitting your children to any of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on the school&#8217;s popularity, the distance may vary from a few miles away to within a hundred metres away. It&#8217;s doubtful that children will get admitted if they live outside of the catchment area &#8211; make sure you weigh up the possibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tricks_that_parents_use_to_secure_a_place_at_specific_schools_for_their_children\"><\/span>Tricks that parents use to secure a place at specific schools for their children<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<\/p>\n<ul class=\"list-red-check\">\n<li><i class=\"icon-check\"><\/i><b>&#8220;We live with our relatives&#8221; version<\/b><br \/>Chances that your children get admitted to the desired school are low &#8211; school councils do their &#8220;homework&#8221;, and if you get busted, you may even get fined. As rare as that may be, it&#8217;s not worth the risk to be taken to court.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"icon-check\"><\/i><b>Renting in the catchment area<\/b><br \/>If you can&#8217;t afford to buy a property in the catchment area, you might consider renting a property within the allowed distance. Sounds good on paper, but you have to be careful. Some schools may look for proof you&#8217;ve lived there 12 months before the time of application. And if you still own your old property while applying, there is a big risk of getting rejected. It would help if you had a solid reason like extended major building work for this option to pass through. Don\u2019t count your chickens too early &#8211; even if your child gets in, some angry parents might tip you off and investigate the matter.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"icon-check\"><\/i><b>Moving into the catchment area<\/b><br \/>It\u2019s a good option if you have the financial opportunity to do it. However, it\u2019s still not a guaranteed spot, since many of those areas are full with children and the schools cannot accommodate everyone. Another thing is that you would probably be paying a substantial amount on top of your property value just because of the high interest. The closest to the school you are &#8211; the best chances you get, but bear in mind the distance varies from year to year &#8211; a.k.a. A nerve-wracking experience.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"icon-check\"><\/i><b>Church attendance<\/b><br \/>Your children may stand a higher chance of getting in if you regularly visit the church of the preferred school\u2019s faith. Of course, if you or your child is a non-believer, it\u2019s not really worth it to make them go through this for years just to get them in a school. We\u2019re mentioning this because there are a lot of people that would start making their kids go to church just to appease the school which is not always a good idea. Kids are kids and they might slip up and confess the real reason they are a part of that faith\/church.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_should_you_file_your_application\"><\/span>When should you file your application?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have moved houses and your pupils have to change schools during the school year, there is an in-year admission process you should get familiar with. Keep in mind that this can be a very stressful experience, and you should be prepared yourself accordingly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The usual deadline for applying is at least six weeks before your child is due to start at the new school, but we still recommend that you do your own research for the specific school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have to follow this path, make sure you apply to as many schools as possible to stand a good chance for admission. There are several crucial factors in the decision-making process &#8211; the distance from the school, family welfare, and academic record. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your child has been excluded from school for any reason, do not fail to reveal any attendance, disciplinary, or other behaviour. The system can easily collect this information, so trying to hide it will certainly slow you down and harm your chances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the case of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/international-removals\/\">moving back from living abroad<\/a>, the school may ask you for third-party evidence to show that you no longer have any connection with the previous property or it&#8217;s not possible to live there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Check also:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/moving-house-with-children\/\">Moving House With Kids<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/moving-house-toddler\/\">Moving House With a Toddler<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/moving-when-pregnant\/\">Dealing with A House Move During Pregnancy<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_fraudulent_application\"><\/span>What is a fraudulent application?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Trying to cheat the system and fight for your child to get admitted to the preferred school may be tempting. Still, if that school is oversubscribed, there is a good chance that the responsible authorities will be investigating fraudulent addresses. A fraudulent application is any application including:<\/p>\n\n\n<\/p>\n<ul class=\"list-red-check\">\n<li><i class=\"icon-check\"><\/i>Renting a property in the catchment area whilst keeping your previous home<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"icon-check\"><\/i>Applying from a relative&#8217;s address without living there<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"icon-check\"><\/i>Renting a property close to the school and then moving out before your child starts school<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_schools_investigate_fraudulent_applications\"><\/span>How schools investigate fraudulent applications<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember that sometimes it may not even be the school authorities that will seek fraudulent applications, but actually the parents whose children might have lost their admission because of your fraudulent application. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Schools may also do checks on your address at any given time throughout the school year, do a cross-reference check with the electoral roll, and may even stalk your social media presence for good evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Proof_of_address\"><\/span>Proof of address<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You will be asked to provide at least two proofs of address like any of the following:<\/p>\n\n\n<\/p>\n<ul class=\"list-red-check\">\n<li><i class=\"icon-check\"><\/i>A TV license<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"icon-check\"><\/i>A copy of the tenancy agreement<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"icon-check\"><\/i>A tax letter from the council for the current year<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"icon-check\"><\/i>A copy of the benefits letter from the past year<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"icon-check\"><\/i>A utility bill dating no more than three months before<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"icon-check\"><\/i>A copy of the tax credit letter<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_legitimate_ways\"><\/span>The legitimate ways<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Don&#8217;t be surprised to find out that the best way to secure a place in your dream school may be \u2026 by paying. If you don&#8217;t have the money (for day junior and secondary school, the amount can reach 15K pounds per year), consider if borrowing will be worth it. If such a decision costs you so much that the whole family gets distressed by a loan weighing on the budget, maybe drop off the idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Best_practices\"><\/span>Best practices<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<ol>\n<li>Ratings are not everything &#8211; pay an actual visit to the school and make an informed decision.<\/li>\n<li>Ratings may have changed throughout the years, and an &#8220;Outstanding school&#8221; might be &#8220;Needs improvement&#8221; now.<\/li>\n<li>If you have planned to move to the catchment area &#8211; plan it well ahead of time as most schools may require a minimum period of residence before the school year starts.<\/li>\n<li>If your application gets rejected and you are confident of its validity &#8211; always appeal as the chance to win may be high enough.<\/li>\n<li>The competition is fierce, which is an excellent reason to put on secondary school applications.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Securing a new school place for your child could be a stressful process, but make sure you keep your sanity and don&#8217;t sacrifice your family&#8217;s welfare in the name of an outstanding school. A happy family and environment may shape a better future for your kid than any school may do.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"cta_container_holder obf\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"title\">Moving soon? Let Fantastic Removals assist with your relocation!<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"sub-title\">Enter your postcode to view our rates and availability in your area.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"postcode-field-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"dynamic-helper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<form id=\"check-prices-form\" class=\"default-check-price-form\" action=\"\">\n\t                            <span class=\"the-postfield-wrap\">\n\t                                <input id=\"postcode-field\" type=\"text\" class=\"the-postfield\"  name=\"postcode-field\" data-default-service-category=\"removals\"\ndata-default-service-type=\"Removals\">\n\t                                <div class=\"typewriter-box\">\n\t                                    <span class=\"typewriter\"><\/span>\n\t                                <\/div>\n\t                                 <span class=\"moving-label\">Enter your postcode<\/span>\n\t                                <label for=\"postcode-field\" class=\"error-message\">Add a valid postcode e.g. SE1 2TH<\/label>\n\t                            <\/span>\n\t                            <span class=\"submit-wrapper-with-loader active\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"load-holder-lds-eclipse\">\n                                            <div class=\"load-lds-eclipse\"><\/div>\n                                        <\/div>\n\t                                <input id=\"check-prices-submit\" name=\"check-prices-submit\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Check Prices & Availability\" rel=\"nofollow\" disabled>\n\t                            <\/span>\n\t                        <\/form>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info_text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>For questions about the services we offer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/\">visit our main site<\/a> or you can always call us at <a href=\"tel:\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sometimes it may feel like securing a place in the preferred school for your children is more difficult than winning the postcode lottery. Some families describe the process as a &#8220;horrible chicken and egg&#8221; situation, so being well-informed and prepared for the outcomes is the best weapon. Some tricks might slightly push your chance towards&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":10109,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[647,24],"tags":[628,466],"class_list":{"0":"post-10073","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-moving-family","8":"category-home-moving-tips","9":"tag-family","10":"tag-how-to"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10073","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10073"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10073\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21707,"href":"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10073\/revisions\/21707"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10109"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10073"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10073"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fantastic-removals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10073"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}