Help - hardly any vacancies in primary schools in Tonbridge

[TAG30]

I am moving to Tonbridge in May and have just phoned admissions and they state only 2 primary schools in Tonbridge have vacancies. Neither of them were on my wish list :(

Could someone with experience of this provide any advice on what they did? i was thinking i would just move to a house right next door to the school of choice and i would get a place - how naive am i!

Can i just be allocated a school 2 miles away and left to it?

Any views on Cage Green and Longmead primary in Tonbridge would also be helpful.

Thanks in advance

yours,

in a panic!

[titchy]

No advice about the specific schools, but yes you can be allocated a school two miles away and left to get on with it! How old is the child? If 8 or under and the walking route is over two miles the council will help with transport (bus pass - for child not you, or taxi for example). If over 8 the cut-off for transport help is 3 miles.

What year group? You can appeal for a place in a specific school. If year 3 or higher then you stand a chance, but year 2 or below then infant class size is maximum (normally) of 30 so chances of success verylow. The council has to provide a place, but it has so has fulfilled its obligation.

HTH - the admissions 'gurus' will say more I'm sure...!

[titchy]

You can go on waiting lists of course....

[prh47bridge]

Don't know the area and not much to add to titchy's comments.

You can apply for any school you want but if they are full up you will not get a place. You can appeal but whether or not you will win depends on whether or not it is an infant class size appeal. It is an ICS appeal if you are appealing for a place in Reception, Y1 or Y2 and admitting your child will result in a class having over 30 children with one teacher. You would have very little chance of winning an ICS appeal as you would have to show that the LA made a mistake - very unlikely with an in year application like this. However, you would have a much better chance if it is not an ICS appeal.

You can also go on the waiting list. Your position on the waiting list is determined by the school's admission criteria, NOT when you applied. So you may find you are immediately first on the list if you move close enough to your preferred school, leapfrogging everyone else who is already on the waiting list.

If there is a place at a school within a reasonable distance (which is generally interpreted as meaning up to an hour's journey each way) you will be offered that. You are entitled to reject the offer but the LA does not have to come up with an alternative offer for you.

As titchy says, if your child is under 8 and the shortest safe walking route to the school is longer than 2 miles your child will be entitled to free transport to and from school. If your child is over 8 the distance goes up to 3 miles.

[3duracellbunnies]

There is sometimes movement of people, especially over the summer. Have you enquired about tunbridge wells and surrounding villages too? If you end up having to travel might as well look at all your options. I don't know anything about those specific schools, but I imagine the situation might change again before May.

[TAG30]

Thanks for your replies, especially re the waiting list and priority not being who has been on the longest - very interesting.

ill give the admissions department a call and find out a bit more on my preferred school. Though, as its an outstanding school I'm not holding out much hope!

[TAG30]

May is when I'm looking to move so hopefully things will change