If parents live in different counties, can both apply for secondary school places for the same child?

[CantSleepWontSleep]

If parents live in different counties, can both apply for secondary school places for the same child, and then choose which county to accept any offered place in and move the child if necessary?

I have no idea if this is possible, or whether you can only apply in one area for each child.

Thanks.

[SanityClause]

No, you apply from where the child currently lives.

If you would prefer to apply from another county, the child would usually have to move there first, before making the application.

[titchy]

Absolutely not! The application MUST use the address the child resides at (at least on school nights) the most, with some other determining factor, specified on the LEA websites, in the case of alternate weeks scenarios.

[SavoyCabbage]

You think you can apply to as many counties as you like like, as long as you use one address for all of the applications.

[titchy]

No savoy you can't. If you're including out of county schools you still have to apply to the child's home county who will then pass to any other county if necessary.

[CantSleepWontSleep]

Thanks all. I thought that was probably the case, but wanted to check before making an assumption.

[SavoyCabbage]

Ok, sorry. I did in year applications so the whole process was different. My dc are at schools in different counties though.

[Blu]

I think Savoy may have meant you can apply to SCHOOLS in as many counties as you like.

The application is based on the child's primary address. One address only,
The application goes to the LA for that address.
But you can apply to schools in other counties, and the county you live in won't be taken into account when awarding places; only the published admissions criteria.

So say you live almost on the border where 3 counties meet: leics, notts and derbys, for example, your 3 closest schools might be in 3 different counties. You would apply via your own county, listing the schools in order of preference and your county admissions teams do all the sorting out.

[mummytime]

Basically you fill in only one application form, and that goes to the LA of the area the DC lives in the majority of the time (normally where child benefit is claimed).