To not understand what will happen now we are moving in 2 weeks?

[Lostandlostsomemore]

I've spoken briefly to the admissions team in the borough we are moving too ( surrey ) and they've both told me different things so before I ring them back tomorrow to confirm the address now we have the house keys can anyone with a bit of experience let me know what will happen?
Son has a place to start in September where we currently live but 25 miles away from new address so not possible to keep him there.
We are catholic so would be applying for the local catholic school however looking at the PAN number nearly every space was taken up by a child living in the area so must be over subscribed.
One told me I need to contact our local council and give them the new preferences and another told me to email the new council directly with them as it's not an in term admission as not September yet but do they basically give me a list of schools with places available or do they just give me any school they fancy if none of my options have a place and I have to keep refusing them until one comes up I'll take?
And what happens if by January he hasn't got a place, do I then have to " home educate " until he does and prove this to the LEA? Any help really appreciated, this move wasn't meant to happen but it has so trying to run with it

[PatriciaHolm]

If none of your options has a space, you will be allocated somewhere that does, though that could be some distance away as many places in Surrey are oversubscribed. Depending on distance you (child only) would qualify for free transport (if space more than 2 miles.) If you refuse that, then you are reliant on waiting lists; they won't keep offering you spaces until you say yes.

If you turn down an offer and nothing comes of waiting lists by Jan, then yes essentially you are going to have to home ed.

[FishWithABicycle]

do they just give me any school they fancy if none of my options have a place and I have to keep refusing them until one comes up I'll take?

Once they have made an offer to you, they are under no obligation to keep offering you alternatives if you refuse that offer. You should always accept that offer but keep on waiting lists for other options - is your new house very close to a preferred catholic school?

[Inkymess]

The LA should let you know what schools have places and you can request the best one for you. Then join waiting lists for any schools that you want more. Do not refuse a place as they are not obliged to offer you anything else. I'd call the LA you are moving to and discuss ASAP

[Lostandlostsomemore]

It's 1.3 miles away, it's the closest and only catholic school within about 10 miles.
There is one other school closer at 0.80 miles but one form intake so I assume less chance of that one having a space.
Going to get very messy as my daughter starts school next year so by April she will have the catholic school to start next September and he will be somewhere else, nightmare :(

[Lostandlostsomemore]

That's what I thought, that they could tell me what ones were abailable but from the above posts they don't, just offer me one and that's it?

[Zeitgeistic]

If all of your choices are oversubscribed, the LA will offer you a place at the nearest school with places. In somewhere oversubscribed like Surrey, it is likely that this will be a school some distance away and/or a school that is struggling. However, the LA MUST find your son a place somewhere by Sepetember if this is when he is of school age. It may not be where you would choose to send him, but they must find him a place. As previous poster says, if this school is more than 2 miles away, they will also have to provide transport.

You should investigate the local schools and make a list of all those that you would find vaguely acceptable and make sure you are on the waiting list for all of them. You may have to put up with some time at a less than ideal school, but it is likely that a waiting list place will come up eventually.

[Zeitgeistic]

They should tell you which schools have places if you ask. You can then apply for the one you like best that still has spaces AND put yourself on the waiting lists for closer schools as well. They will only allocate you a random school if there are no spaces at any of the schools on your application form.

[Inkymess]

They will offer whatever is nearest with a space. If your 2nd child gets into the RC next year, you could then appeal for first and will generally be top of wait list as a sibling. Try and email the new LA and get details in writing. At least if you ask what is available you can look at the options and have some control?

[Lostandlostsomemore]

Yes I did think about that but seems very unfair on son to start somewhere and then have to move once sister gets a place.
Such a bad time to be moving

[Zeitgeistic]

We were in the same situation as you OP. It is actually a surprisingly common situation to be in. We moved after the Reception allocation deadline and then had to make a late application. DD ended up at a school 5 miles away. The LA provided her with a taxi for the journey. I was horrified initially but she coped brilliantly with it and got on well at her new school. It took 18 months for a place to come up at our preferred school but it did in the end. I moved her and she has settled really well at her new school. Hopefully DD2 will join her there next September.

[Inkymess]

Don't worry too much about switching schools. At our school at least 9 DC joined in reception mid way and all settled straight in. DC join and leave all the way through our school due to nature of the area and it never seems to cause huge issues. He'll worry much less than you. It's unfortunate but you are where you are so stay calm and seek the best options. Good luck!

[Lostandlostsomemore]

They provide a taxi for a 4 year old to go in alone for reception?? So who walks them into school?

[Heels99]

Taxi driver walks them into school at our school.

[VivaLeBeaver]

You generally get the same taxi driver every day. Taxi driver will have been crb checked and had extra training, at least round here that's the case. A friends ds has always gone to school by taxi and he's really fond of his taxi driver.

[PanelChair]

One note of caution: if your daughter does get a place at the Catholic school for next year, it is not certain that your son would then get a place as a sibling. Waiting lists are held in the same order as the oversubscription criteria, so a sibling at the school would usually propel him to the top of the waiting list, but if this is a school where the Published Admissions Number is 30 or a multiple of 30, the infant class size rules will apply. Even on appeal, it would be very unlikely for your son to be admitted as the 31st pupil.

There are lots of threads here which discuss ICS appeals and the very limited grounds on which they can be won.

[Lostandlostsomemore]

That sounds awful for a child of 4 or 5.
Yes I'm aware of the sibling rule, this is just going to be a nightmare.
From someone who has always rented privately we were always able to choose almost the school we wanted and work around it, this is now a massive difference having to hope something comes up.
I've spoken to the admissions who have said that I can legally defer him until January at the school he has already got so if nothing has arisen by then it would then be my choice whether to make the 50 mile round trip or not, is this correct?

[PanelChair]

Yes, if he is/would be not yet 5 you could defer entry. If you're in a position to home educate or enrol in an independent school you could in effect defer until a place comes up at the Catholic school, but in a heavily-oversubscribed school that could take years.

I'm sorry not to be more optimistic.

[Lostandlostsomemore]

That's ok thanks for your reply :(
Will be lovely to have a stable home for the kids but this couldn't have happened at a worse time.
We don't have the money to go private and I don't want to have kids in 2 different schools if I accepted somehere for my son then somehere else for my daughter ( the catholic one ) so I have no idea what's the best thing to do from here

[Heels99]

There is a family at our school who moved to the area whose children are in three different primary schools plus one in nursery.
It wont be for ever but it does seem like two different schools will be the temporary solution

[Lostandlostsomemore]

And how do I collect them both from 2 different schools?? Or drop them off?
I hope they offer my son a decent school to start with whether catholic or not and then I will apply for that one for my daughter who should get in as sibling already in

[Heels99]

YoU Use breakfast club or after school club or childminder Or share Pick ups with another parent

[Lostandlostsomemore]

None of the local schools have these clubs and we don't have the funds for a childminder so I guess they will be home schooled until they have the same school :(

[Heels99]

I think you are being defeatist, you can arrange swaps with other parents etc you can drop off the older one a bit earlier perhaps the younger will be a few mins late, surely better than not going to school at all.

[Lostandlostsomemore]

I won't know any parents there it is a brand new area and from what admissions said likely the school offered may not be local area so drops offs by other parents aren't likely. My other thread highlights why we had to move, really angry now :( although of course over the moon we have a forever home

[westcountrywoman]

In your situation I would home educate DS if a place doesn't become available in the next year, but keep him on the waiting list. Apply for a place for DD and hopefully she'll get in. Then DS will have sibling priority so will most likely jump to top of the list.

The rules about infant class sizes bring limited to 30 was abolished a couple of years ago so even if a proper place doesn't come up, you might be able to appeal as they can now go over 30 in certain circumstances.