help with secondary school admission

[Sanarea]

Hi

I need a help with school admission , I have three children 8(year4),11(year6),12(year8) ,we have been living in Essex for 13 years .
My husband offered a job in Dubai ,so we moved last January to Dubai.
Last week my middle sun offered a place in one of the grammar school in Essex.so it’s the time to decide if we will stay her or back to UK.
For the last two month I'm felling my children are getting too tired, waking up by 5:30 in the morning, catching up the bus by 6:30, arrive school by 8 and the same journey back after school.
Their school is not bad ,its private school ,but not as good as their state school in UK, also it is so expensive ,Therefore we decided to back to UK next September.
We applied for their previous schools but we really surprised that we can’t apply for my son's previous secondary school unless we back to UK (my son is a British citizen) then we can apply.
There will be no time and we need to secure a place for him before we move him back.
Anyone had this experience before?

[MsShellShocked]

Yes this is how it works.

You can however find out if they have places in his year.

When you move back he can go to any school you want - that has places in his year. And that info you should be able to find out now.

[LIZS]

Yes that is true. Could you not move back as soon as school is done anyway, to give a little more time , as Dubai summer heat is likely to be very uncomfortable. Most expat families will make home visits to avoid it. If your dh needs to stay longer for work, could you and dc come back then maybe have holiday over there.

[GoodArvo]

You do need to live in the area before applying for schools. I think that's perfectly reasonable. Could you imagine the mayhem if people living overseas could apply for state school places and then hold on to them while they decide whether they are going to move or not?

[Clairelbird1980]

Hi,

We are also in a similar position (living abroad for two years) but with a daughter due to enter Year 7 in September. I can do nothing but till I am back in the UK apparently. Really frustrating as we know we will be come back - Husbands job will be UK based. However, we still have our actual house in the UK, so am wondering if I can start the process even though we won't actually be coming back to the UK until after school finishes here.

Would also appreciate any advice regarding this from any other expats who have relocated back to the UK ??