Moving to an area with over subscribed schools

[Flumplet]

I recently posted in chat, but didn't get much help, so i'm posting here, even though i dont know what anyone can say or do to help really.

Basically, we live in a really quite rough neighbourhood, and we are looking to move next spring to a nicer area. The area we live in has a "good" academy primary - DS has just started reception class in September and is doing well.

The area we are looking to move to is about 6/7 miles away, very nice, close to friends and family, but the schools are all exceptional, and are therefore very over subscribed. DS is 9th on the waiting list for one of the schools, but none of the others will put us on the waiting list before we move in to the area, and prioritise siblings.

How the hell are we going to get him in to a local school - have we well and truly ballsed this up?? I suspect that he's going to end up staying in his current school - which is going to cause an utter ball ache in terms of getting him to school and then to work on time....

I dont know what i'm hoping to achieve by even posting this, I think i've just gotten myself in to a bit of a flap about the whole thing. I just really feel that i've messed things up for DS i guess, and the whole reason we originally wanted to move was to get him in to one of the lovely schools, but now we would be moving to the nicer area and he'd still be stuck in the 'good' but pretty rough school. Argch!

[lljkk]

You'll commute back to old school until space comes up. PITA but not impossible, I suppose(?)

[Flumplet]

Correct - a PITA but not impossible. I just worry that no space will come up in any of the schools and he'll be stuck at his current school until he starts secondary, and then he wont really know anyone when he starts there.

[talkinnpeace]

remember that waiting lists at schools are not a queue
when a space comes up, everybody on the list is assessed according to the admissions criteria
so you could get in right away
you could wait years

[NoSquirrels]

Theoretically, Infant Class Size will mean that he could be stuck until Year 3, if no one moves from the oversubscribed schools/drops off the waiting list to bump you up.

But remember that after Reception year, when people stay on the waiting lists all year as they still feel it's "worth" moving their DC, a lot of people don't bother to renew their place on the waiting list by Yr 1 as they feel actually their DC is settled and where they are is "good enough". So you could go up the list a lot. As soon as you actually move you will also move up the list, due to distance/proximity.

In Year 3, rules about how many are in the class are relaxed and the school can admit more pupils per year at their discretion.

Try not to worry, OP. Find a house, move, hope for the best, plan for the worst, remember it will probably be somewhere in between (a period of commuting to the old school before a place comes up.)

I sympathise, was easily THE most stressful part of moving for me.

[namechangedtoday15]

FWIW, my DC school is exceptional, one of the best in the country according to the league tables and there is still quite a bit of movement. The biggest shift came at the end of Yr2 when a handful of children all left at the same time to take up places in the local preps for the start of Yr3. I think that movement from infants to juniors is when there will be most movement. I agree that once you're in the area, and you can get on the waiting lists, something will probably come up.

[Flumplet]

Thank you for the advice and reassurance, I do appreciate it. I

[LIZS]

Once you have moved you should find he leapfrogs up the queue unless all above are siblings or live nearer. Your choice in the meantime us to commute or he.

[prh47bridge]

none of the others will put us on the waiting list before we move in to the area

They cannot legally refuse to accept your application. They can insist on using your current address but if you want to be on the waiting list for a school they should put you on the list.

[Flumplet]

That's useful to know, thank you.

[HelloItsMeAgain]

I had to do this - nearly a year in their old school after we moved. Was a half hour drive each way. A PITA but do-able.

[lexlees]

Do not worry about it. We moved from overseas and I spent unnecessary time worrying that we would get into a school too far from where we live. I was worrying about things that eventually never happened.

We moved into an area between the three most oversubscribed schools in the area. I went ahead of the family to settle. I could not even apply until I had a flight booked for ds. I applied to all three and got my closest one despite the waiting list of 15 kids. DS arrived on a Thursday and was at the school the following Monday! There was a bit of murmuring of 'how did you get in' from other parents who knew people on the waiting list.

You do need to wait until you have moved into the area. It is usual policy. You may find that you will have higher priority than most on the waiting list that are already in local schools. I guess it depends if it is the same council or not. If it is a different council you will probably find yourselves lucky. If it is the same council, they may deem 6 miles not particularly far enough to warrant changing schools.

Until then, don't waste your energy worrying, all you will get is wrinkles and grey hair!!!

[Flumplet]

Yes it's same council but it's a large city council - we will be living quite a few towns away from where we are now.