Back to school – Time to move into a good catchment area? | Rightmove Property Blog

Back to school – Time to move into a good catchment area? | Rightmove Property Blog

It’s back to school soon and while many of you are busy ironing school uniforms and stocking up on essential stationery, many others are already worrying about getting their children into their preferred school next year.
Schools consider many different factors when selecting pupils, such as special needs, siblings, religion and distance from school. It’s important to think about admission early and get as much information as you can to give you the very best chance of earning a place for your little ones.

Applying for schools can be an anxious time for families – securing a place in the school of your dreams is becoming increasingly difficult and catchment areas are shrinking. Parents are often willing to cheat and lie their way into the system, with some seriously eager applicants moving their families into caravans or hotels to make sure they’re within the right postcode.

Catchment areas tend to vary between schools and can often be just a mile radius around the school grounds. To find out the requirements of schools in your area, the school’s prospectus and/or website should be able to give you all of the information you need and will tell you how they allocate places.