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Original poster

Only one child offered a school place and anxiety

36 replies

Zaina89 · 23/05/2025 16:02

Reposted
We have bought a house in Solihull, relocating from Birmingham. This is a move we’ve wanted to make for a long time. We have three kids - a daughter in Year 4, a son in Year 3, and one still nursery age.

The commute to the older kids’ school from our new home is sadly not sustainable - it’s 30 minutes each way when roads are clear, but at school rush hour more like 45-50 minutes.
I applied last month to Solihull council for the kids to move to local schools, fully understanding that the good schools were unlikely to have open spaces. To my surprise, my son in Year 3 has now been offered a place at our top choice school (with a nursery attached that I hope our 19 month old will attend once he turns 3, before going on to reception there). They don’t have a place for my daughter in Year 4, however - she’s third on the waiting list (though could move up the list based on sibling priority once my son starts).
The school wants my son to start on 9th June, so I have to decide quickly or we lose his offer.

Would you take the offer? My son is very shy and I’m having all the usual worries about moving him especially so late in the school year - I’m panicking about whether he’ll make friends. I’ve also got to let his current school know he’ll only be back for a week after half term, and the three-way school run will be very challenging. But hopefully this will mean my daughter is more likely to get a place? Is there anything I can do to speed this process up? Would love to hear about any similar experiences

OP posts:
Zanatdy · 23/05/2025 16:19

Definitely accept and hopefully your year 4 DC will go to the top of the list

Exaltedmalteaser · 23/05/2025 16:18

You should take it, and your other children will have sibling priority. Short term pain for long term gain.

MrsPositivity1 · 23/05/2025 16:17

I’d take it

EmmasDilemmas · 23/05/2025 16:17

You aren’t likely to get two places at once so I agree best to take the one for your son which will also increase the odds of getting one for your daughter, and hope the dual school run doesn’t last too long.

Poppyyoutwat · 23/05/2025 16:16

I commented on you last post, I’m not sure why you have posted again.

You have moved area. Unless you want the ballache of driving for almost two hours a day to take your children to the school in the old area, you are going to have to move him.

You will rarely find a school with places in two years for siblings.

Move your son, and then complete an in hear transfer for your older child with the LA for that school. She will go futher up the list as a sibling.

I don’t see the dilemma here at all. You have moved. You have been offered a place for your son at your preferred school. Take the place, put your older child on the list and your youngest when the time comes.

If you don’t want to continue driving your daughter all that way, either home educate her until the place comes up or find her a place at another Solihull school until a place at your sons school comes up (not ideal to move them twice or have them at different Solihull schools, or move them twice in a short period), but lots of parents find themselves in the same predicament who have moved too far to communicate to the old school). Put your youngest in a nursery in Solihull.

It will all get sorted. Children will make new friends and forget about old ones.

lanthanum · 23/05/2025 16:13

In some ways June is a good time to move school - he'll be a bit of a novelty so the other kids will include him, and hopefully he'll have made friends before the summer - it can be tough over the summer holidays if you don't know any locals. Hopefully your daughter will then go to the top of the waiting list and get a place by September.

thetrumanshow · 23/05/2025 16:12

Absolutely yes

If you decline, they may offer you a place for your daughter later on anyway, when there's a spot in Y4, and then it's your son who won't have a place.
You can't wait for 2 places at the same time, and hopefully it won't be too long with higher priority.

Pinty · 23/05/2025 16:07

I think you have to accept the offer and then hope that your daughter is offered a place by September. Will you be able to cope ferrying the children to two schools for awhile if necessary?

NuffSaidSam · 23/05/2025 16:06

Take the space, it's the best long term option. All the stuff about your son being shy/not wanting to move him is moot really isn't it? You've bought a house, the old school is too far away....he has to move. It might as well be now.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 23/05/2025 16:06

Yes, take it and contact admissions to remind them there's now a sibling attending after he's arrived for his first day.

LinkedinLovely · 23/05/2025 16:04

I don't know how to vote but just take the place. Home school your daughter for a bit then she'll get priority