moving house shortly after school admission deadline- any advice???

[milkysmum]

Hi, We are in the process of moving areas and have sold our house and are awaiting an exchange date for the new house in new village we are going to. We had hoped to have moved before christmas but for one reason or another this has been delayed and it now looking more likley to be end of january/ beginning of february. My dd will be starting school next september so need to get application in by january 15th! what do I do? We are currently living 40 miles from the school we will be applying for but new house is just a mile away. Obvioulsy if we put our current address we won't get in (oversubscribed school). Can we use the new address on the form even though we havent yet exchanged?? Or should I just put current address with an explaing note and hope this take pitty on the situation? any advice welcome. Thanks.

[april1st]

Can you get advice from the admission office?

[milkysmum]

Thank you will check out about the over lap period. When I rang admissions they said just to apply and write an explanation but I see what you mean about this being unlikley to make any difference if over subscribed. Sooooooo frustrating as a big part of this move was for my daughter to be able to go to this school where her dad went, cousins and freinds children locally be going will all be going etc. Will try and get exchange date as soon as possible my solicitors office has been shut since Christmas so I think unlikly that when I get through hopefuly on Monday that they would be able to do anything that quickly but I will try!

[milkysmum]

just a question though- if it was only say a week or so till we actually moved to the new house after admission deadline how would they actualy know we were not living at that address- surley by the time they checked we would have moved and all but we well no???

[Kt8791]

We Are in the same position, hopefully moving by end of jan. my lea has till the 14 feb for a change in circumstances but I was told we have to be in the house exchanging isn't enough. They will need your council tax reference I believe. We are only moving down the road but we are moving much closer to my first choice. If we miss the date we will go on the waiting list in April but in theory should be very near the top as we will probably live closer than some others that actually got allocated a place. How big is the school u want? Mine is 3 form entry so there should be some movement on the waiting list.

[milkysmum]

School is quite small- admission number for next intake is 12. I cannot find anything in the information booklet I have been sent about another deadline other than 15th of jan but will ring on monday and check. With regards to change of circumstances deadline if that applies to my LA does that mean I would complete the application with my current address but could contact them before 14th feb with change of address and this would be processed as normal and not as late applicant?

[Kt8791]

Yes u would complete with current address and then change when you move. I had to ring them to find the second date. It's very frustrating I really want to be in by the first week in feb to make sure we meet the date but Christmas has definitely slowed things down. We are in a short chain so fingers crossed. My dh was saying we may have to exchange and complete on the same day to make the date. Very stressful. I don't really understand why it takes quite so long to buy sell.

[semirurallife]

really sympathise, we moved in same period before daughter started...but don't panic!!! I didn't even look at the best (an outstanding) school around because it was over-subscribed (usually!) Once we had the necessary paperwork - think tiggytape is right and its best to stay on the right side of council education dept - we put her in the next best... only to discover once term started there was a place at the best school, and moved her there! So you just never know, luck of local birth cohorts and moves in and out of the area... fingers crossed for you it will work out. sometimes the panic isn't even necessary :)

[admission]

You need to apply for 15th and use your current address and you also need to be applying to the LA in which you currently live, not the LA which you will be living in. If they are the same that makes things a lot easier.
If it is a different LA then they will pass on the application to the LA where you are going to be living. Most LAs do have a few weeks of wriggle room for parents moving into the area. You say you can't find anything but if you post either on here or PM to me the school and LA then I will look up what it says.
You need to make sure that you put the change of address in writing to the new LA and that you also have confirmation that they received it before the extended cut off date. You obviously need to pressure the solicitors to complete before the deadline.
If by any remote chance you do not complete before the deadline then you still need to inform the LA that you have moved but what you should do is make it very clear in the letter that the change of address is for communication purposes only. Do not under any circumstances change your admission application to the new address after the extended cut off dates. This will automatically mean you are considered a late application and will not be considered for a place until all others have been offered a place. You have a far better chance of getting in using the old address for the initial allocation and hoping it is not over subscribed. If not allocated a place, go on the waiting list when your new address will be used and you should be nearly at the top of the waiting list. With an admission number of 12, you should also appeal as it will not be an infant class size appeal and you have a far better chance at appeal of getting a place.

[milkysmum]

admission that would be great fantastic if you could find me that information!! The school is St Josephs Catholic Primary School Withnell and the LA is Lancashire County Council. We do currently live in that LA be it 40 miles from the school we want to apply for. Thanks so much for the advice everyone!

[MissHairspray]

Nothing much to add OP but you have my sympathy, we're in a similar situation -likely to be moving between late deadline (5 March for our LA) and offer day and it's really stressing me out. Unlike you we aren't going far and it wouldn't be a disaster if we had to stick with our current catchment school, except if we change our address after the deadline then I'm worried the LA will cancel our original application and we won't get a place anywhere near by, not even in what would have been our catchment school. Argh, how can it be so complicated!

[Mutley77]

Milkysmum - as it is a faith school you may well be in with a chance as the admissions criteria do not have to adhere to LEA policy. You need to put all the qualifying info in the admissions form - presuming your child is baptised that is probably more relevant than where you live.

Good luck.

[admission]

As a catholic primary school, the school is their own admission authority, though the processing is done by the Local Authority.

If you look at the admission criteria for the school, it is very much based around baptised catholic children being admitted and I am assuming that your child is a baptised catholic. Priority will be given to baptised catholics who live in the parish of St Joseph, then other baptised catholics.
What is in a foot note for the admission criteria is this statement.

"Late applications (those received after the closing date) will only be considered alongside those received by the closing date under the following circumstances:
· the family were unable to complete an application form before the closing date because they moved into the school?s parish area after the issue of application forms OR
· the family were unable to conform with admissions timetable because of
exceptional circumstances which prevented the applications arriving on time ? the circumstances must be given in writing and attached to the application form.
Applications received after the notification date (after places are offered) will be added to the school?s waiting list in admission criteria order. "

Looking at Lancashire's admission arrangements for community schools they do not have any other cut off date other than the 15th January. However it does say that late applications because of parents moving into the county will potentially be considered as on time applications but is very vague about exactly how. What it does say is that it is not anticipated that any late application after the 29th March will be considered as on time. It also makes it clear that for faith schools like st josephs it is up to the school, what they accept as on time.

I would therefore fill the form in with your current address (as that is what you must do) but put large notices all over it saying that you are moving into the area very shortly after the 15th Jan cut off date with the new address, make sure you get the baptisimal certificates and supplementary forms in on time. Then as soon as you move I would notify the school governing body admission committee and copy it to the LA admission office confirming that you have now moved and that you wish to be considered on the basis of the new address. The governing body committee will meet to agree the admission criteria order. Whilst I do not know when that will be, i would guess some time in February and until that date the governing body do have the ability to consider your new address as the correct address and count the application as being on time.

Obviously if you have any contact with St Joseph church that would also be useful as would your current church dropping St Joseph church a note, saying you are moving into the area.

The other thing that I would say, having been on the receiving end of school admission appeals where this kind of situation has occurred, you need to keep meticulous records of every conversation you have and confirm everything in writing. If you think the process has gone wrong and you did not get a place, you can appeal and having concrete proof of the school having know that you were moving etc is good proof when it comes to the appeal. Dates are all important when it comes to the process having been carried out correctly.

[milkysmum]

Amazing knowledge here on mumsnet thank you so much everone. Admissions that is very detailed advice and I am very very grateful for you taking the time to get this for me.