Question about moving home/school

[rastlyn]

Hello everybody! I've been following you for a while!
I'm a Spanish mother, I currently live in Rotherhithe with my Italian husband and our 3-years old boy.
London became too stressful/expensive for our family and we decided to move to Milton Keynes in April, when our rental agreement ends.
My little one is going to a nice state school in the area and his education is our primary concern. Now, my question is: will we be able to have him accepted in a new school for his last term? And also, schools accept new applications until January, but what if we don't have a proof of address until April? Is he gonna be refused a place in Reception? How would you solve this?
Thanks a lot!

[gallicgirl]

Hi

I assume your son is in a pre-school attached to a school? When is he due to start reception class, September 2016 or 2017?

Pre-schools and nurseries tend to operate admissions on a waiting list basis. Therefore, if there is space, they will probably accept your child immediately. If you can't find a space in a pre-school, your son could claim the 15 hours free funding at a private nursery.

www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/schools-and-lifelong-learning/school-admissions

I can't just find the date the admissions procedure opens but it closes 16 January 2016 for those starting school in 2016/17. Usually you have to have an address in MK before you can make the application to schools. If you have exchanged contracts, the council may accept your application but you're best calling them to check. If you don't have an address until after 16 January then I think you make a late application and will only be considered after national offer day.

[gallicgirl]

Oh, and he won't be refused a place, the council are obliged to find him a school place but this won't necessarily be the school of your choice, merely the nearest school with an available space. If you look at the admissions criteria for the schools, you should get an idea of which schools are more popular to help you choose which areas to look at moving to.

[LIZS]

The LA aren't obliged to find you a preschool/nursery place. They may be able to give you a list of funded EY settings but locating a vacancy will be down to you. If you are sure if the timing of the move you could approach private ones now and be on their waiting list if needs be. For a reception place for 2016 you'd need to submit a late application when you move which would hopefully be taken into consideration immediately after the initial allocations are made in April.

[rastlyn]

Thank you all for the information! I'll keep you posted!

[Strawberrybubblegum]

If he is starting reception next September, then I'd see if there was any way to be in the new area before the applications close in January.

Could you afford to rent both places for a month or 2? Perhaps you could negotiate an earlier release from your current rental contract for a fee? (Eg moving out to your new place in January, but paying an extra month rent to your old place)

Getting into good state schools is as difficult in Milton Keynes as elsewhere around London, and if you apply late you might well not get the school you want - and you won't want to move him when a place comes up in a year or two, since he'll be settled.

If his birthday is in September or later and he'll only be starting reception in 2017,then there's no concern.

[rastlyn]

Dear Strawberry,
This is quite distressing for me, because my landlord is not the nicest person in this world and our rental agreement isn't flexible and it only ends in April. I can't definitely afford to rent both places with the house prices in London.
My son's birthday in August so he'll be starting reception in 2016.

I do hope I'll manage to sort this out... It'll be already very hard to remove him from Nursery and we'll need to fill the rest of the year in a private school I suppose.

[Lorzhu]

I live in Rotherhithe too! Will be glad to have a coffee some day :-)