Huge dilemma re. applications - help me see things clearly

[phonix]

This is our story (sorry it goes on a bit):
Moved from London to Kent last summer to get away from it all and get both our DC into a decent school.
The move hasn't really worked out for us (long, expensive commute, worse off financially, not warming to new town, missing London, etc)
Have just moved again back to the Surrey side of London. DC1 is reception age, DC2 is nursery age and due to start reception in Sep 2011. Due to the move, both DC are currently @ home with me until January.
The schools in our new immediate area are all very good hence the reason they're all oversubscribed - put DC's names on the waiting list for all.
However, just had a call from one of these schools to say that there is a place coming up in both their reception and nursery groups.
Here comes the dilemma:

• the school is lovely, but under normal circumstances it wouldn't be our first choice.
  
• we'll definitely accept the places for the time being, BUT...
  
• what shall we do with DC2's school application? Put the name of another (our preferred) school first on his application form and ignore the fact that we got lucky with this one?
  
• or go with this one and lose our one and only chance of getting them both into our dream school? This ?dream school? is also literally across the road from us, so will definitely be offered a place there for DC2, which would give sibling priority on the waiting list for DC1...
  

I feel very guilty as it is, with the failed move to the country and changing schools so many times in such a short period of time?but then again, what was the point of all this sacrifice if they end up in a school which is (only) our second best choice?!?! Argh, going mad mad mad...!!!

[roadkillbunny]

I think the thing you need to think about is that if you apply for the 'dream school' for dc2 and get a place you will have to deal with the practicalities of having 2 children at 2 schools, your DC1 would bump up the waiting list but this is no way to know for sure when or even if you would ever get a place there.
If a duel school run would be possible in the long term and you would be happy with that then apply for the 'dream school' if not then it is a massive gamble that could really back fire on you and even if it didn't it would mean moving your DC1 to the 3rd school in 2 years, only you can know how well your DC would cope with that.

In your place I think I would take the places available now, apply for your DC2 to go to that school next September and make the very most of it. The only thing that makes me waver somewhat is the 'dream school' being just over the road and the benefits that brings but then I imagine having my children at 2 different schools and to me any way that is far worse then a slightly longer school run.

[Karoleann]

I'd put the dream school down for DS2. If the other school has a breakfast club you can drop DS1 off a bit early and wait for a sibling place.
My eldest goes to school just round the corner and its lovely.

[phonix]

Morning all,
Luckily, distance is not an issue as the two schools are almost next door to each other. DC1 is currently first on the waiting list for both schools, but school No2 is offering us places first. Our preferred school is 3-form entry, so there is bound to be some movement on their waiting list sooner or later, maybe not in the current academic year but next September
...only if I had a crystal ball...

[redskyatnight]

Sounds like a no-brainer then. Send both DC to the school/nursery where you've been offered places. Put dream school as 1st preference and school 2 as 2nd preference on DC2's form. Worst case scenario sounds like you have both children in "next door" schools while you wait for a place for DC1. Which is not a bad worst case scenario as it goes!! Of course you might find once you get your children in, that you actually like school 2 more!