Moving house out of county mid year - advice please?

[BoyMeetsWorld]

I don't understand the logistics of this.

The LEAs deal with applications rather than the schools themselves. And none can advise until the immediate term before whether there are any places available at any of the local schools . Even then, they can't really tell you until you have a secure local address

So, if you're moving out of county (eg too far to keep your child at their current primary until a local place becomes available) - how the heck do you decide where to move to or take the risk, without any clue at all whether there will be a school place??

We'd be trying to move into year 3 in January. Which would be disruptive for DS as it is, without even knowing if he'd get a local school place at all. Obviously, we wouldn't choose to move if there wasn't. But the property would offer much better standard of life and schooling (at secondary, and primary if he got a place).

Don't understand how anyone can make this decision? Does anybody have experience?

[SugarMiceInTheRain]

All I can say is that round here, if you move into catchment, you go to the top of the waiting list, and as he'd be in year 3, the infant class size limits don't apply, so the school would be able to be more flexible with class sizes. Unless it's a ridiculously oversubscribed area, I wouldn't imagine it'd be too much of a problem...

[BoyMeetsWorld]

Really sugarmice? Oh that would make me ridiculously happy if that was the case, the whole thing is completely confusing me...

The house we're looking at is only 0.2 miles from the school, the school tells me they have a place in year 3, but they aren't allowed to say we can have it because the LEA deals with all admissions and the LEA won't tell us anything unless we already own the house and it's literally time to start the term....But that's not helpful in the slightest for making a decision regarding whether or not to buy a property and move to an area

I've got a horrid feeling this area might not be like that though. It's Oxfordshire, where abouts are you?

[PatriciaHolm]

If a school has a place, they have to give it to you regardless of where you live; BUT you need to be able to take it up ASAP (usually about 2 weeks). No state school or LEA can save you a space for months.

If you are not moving until January and cannot take up a place before then, you won't get a place until you have some proof of a new address in the area I'm afraid.

It really is a chicken and egg situation I'm afraid; until you can take up the place you won't get one. Once you have a probable address, Oxfordshire will find you a place somewhere, though not necessarily at aa school of your choice.

At yr3, class size limits are relaxed yes, but this doesn't mean a school will simply say yes let's go over 30. It's likely that you'll be given a place in the nearest school with space, or the LEA will force a school to take one more if no local school has space; but that will be in the school best placed to take an extra as far as the LEA are concerned.

You can appeal of course too, and at yr3 stand a better chance than in earlier years, though it will still be tough to win in most cases.