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Original poster

School application from overseas (long, sorry!)

38 replies

itsveryyou · 09/02/2015 15:16

We’ve had problems with applying for a high school place for DS as we’re currently living overseas but will be back in our house before Year 7 starts in September. Before we moved in 2012, I contacted the C of E academy which we wanted to apply to, and they said in writing that we could apply from overseas, provided we could ‘prove’ property ownership, contract end dates, continuing church attendance etc – which we did.

We applied last September and were suddenly told by the school that the application wouldn’t be considered as we weren’t currently living in the catchment area – we were incredibly upset about this change of heart, and have been offered no explanation as to why their stance has changed. The LA says the school does have the ability to exercise discretion and ‘allow’ applications from overseas, but it seems they’re not willing to.

This particular school is oversubscribed and so if we wanted to try to get a place, we would have to wait and appeal when we got back to the UK, three weeks before school term starts (can’t come back any earlier due to work contract) – which is not enough time for an appeal to be launched and a decision made. We don’t want DS to be in a different school for a few weeks of Year 7, then have to transfer if the appeal is successful, nor do we want the stress of an appeal – but his ‘best’ friends will be going to the CofE academy, and it’s an excellent school in terms of results and pastoral care – so should we try, for his sake?

We’re inclined to go with our second choice school, which is non-faith and not oversubscribed, but still strong in terms of results/activities/pastoral, but it’s not the school most of DS’s friends will be going to. Do we owe it to him to appeal for a place at the CofE academy and hope he gets in, or do we go for the second choice, which it’s most likely he will get a place at and be able to start with everyone else in Sept?

OP posts:
Original poster
itsveryyou · 11/02/2015 16:42

titchy - I'm not sure at this stage - the school said they wouldn't consider it, but then they might be obliged to, as part of the usual admissions process, even if they know they will reject it.

AKnicker - we sent a copy of the application pack to both LA and school, they both advised us to.

The school told us after we applied that we had to be back in our house by Feb 16th 2015 to be considered 'resident' - they hadn't mentioned this before and it's not in any of the paperwork for applicants. All a bit frustrating really :0(

OP posts:
AKnickerfulOfMenace · 11/02/2015 16:28

Did you send the pack to the school or the LA?

titchy · 11/02/2015 15:26

It doesn't sound like you will get a formal rejection as your application hasn't even been considered.

Original poster
itsveryyou · 11/02/2015 14:50

Hi admission - yes, we applied by before the deadline last October, as we were advised to do. As advised by the LA, we put our UK address on the form, with an explanation about our current location, and supporting 'evidence' about our return dates etc which we were asked to supply. Back in 2012, the school even helped me find the right church to attend over here to enable us to qualify for continuing church attendance, so they've known our circumstances all along!

It was only when I called the school last October to check they had received the application pack that I was told that they'd received it, but wouldn't consider it as we are living overseas.

I guess we will either have to appeal as soon as we have the formal rejection, if indeed we can from overseas - or we can hopefully get a place at the second choice school, which at the moment is seeming like the favourable option in terms of stability and security for DS - which is the most important thing.

Thanks for your advice, I really appreciate it.

OP posts:
admission · 10/02/2015 22:20

The school would probably be right in saying that the child needs to be in residence to launch an appeal based on the near by address. However did you apply for a place as you would normally in the UK? If so I presume you used the expected address and that is why the school / LA rejected the initial application. It strikes me that if you applied and expressed your preferences for this and other schools, then you should be considered for a place based on your current address, somewhere abroad.
If the school and the LA have just plain rejected your application then they have not applied the admission rules correctly.
If you think they have just rejected then I would email them both now and say am I not being considered for places based on my current address when I know I will be resident back in the house I own by September. The reality is that you are unlikely to get a place but by having been rejected it does give you the right to go to appeal for September admission. That will definitely be held in May/ June not after September.

Original poster
itsveryyou · 10/02/2015 20:06

The DCs and I could technically come back early, but we don't think it's practical for us to move back to the UK and leave DH to pack up the house here, sell furniture and tie up all the loose ends, as well as work full time.

The school told us an appeal could take 8 weeks, and wouldn't be held during the summer holidays, so in light of that, we'd have to move back mid May when the kids are still in school here, which again isn't really an option.

OP posts:
clam · 10/02/2015 19:53

Maybe your dh can't move back ahead of the contract ending, but could you and the dcs?

AKnickerfulOfMenace · 10/02/2015 19:38

"We've been told by the school that we can't launch an appeal until we are resident in our house "

I'm not sure this is right.

AKnickerfulOfMenace · 10/02/2015 19:36

It's not possible for you and Ds to come back early?

Original poster
itsveryyou · 10/02/2015 19:32

I know the friends issue isn't ground for appeal, it's just something that's bothering me in terms of DS being able to settle into his new school as easily as possible. We can't move back before DH's work contract ends, that's not something we have control of, unfortunately.

OP posts:
catslife · 10/02/2015 18:53

Schools can and do change their admissions policies OP so it's possible that this may have been OK in 2012 but is no longer the case now.
Yes you should still receive some sort of notification on allocations day 1st March. This depends on the LEA but there will either be an email or letter or area that you can logon on the website. You will also be sent info about waiting lists and how to appeal.
Usually appeals for Y7 starters are held in June/July so August would probably be too late. Is there any chance that perhaps you could return to the UK in early July so that you could Appeal before the school Summer holidays?
The argument that most of his friends would be going to the faith school wouldn't be grounds for appeal.

Original poster
itsveryyou · 09/02/2015 23:07

Thanks for your comments and taking the time to reply, I really appreciate it! I just think we were advised incorrectly by both the school and the LA, and there's nothing we can do about that (apart from feel very misled!) The school states it adheres to the admissions criteria set out by the LA - but the LA has told me numerous times that the school could decide whether to accept our application as it could be considered 'extenuating circumstances'.

Do you think we will receive a 'rejection' letter once the school has completed its admissions process and places are announced on March 1st? We've been told by the school that we can't launch an appeal until we are resident in our house (which will be Aug 17th) - does that sound correct?

On that basis, if we chose to appeal mid Aug, it wouldn't be progressed til early Sept when school resumes and would possibly take up to 6/8 weeks to reach a decision - at which point, DS will have been settling into another school for more than half a term and I'm not sure it would be best to move him at that stage.

Thanks for your help, it's helping me get my thoughts clear in my head.

OP posts:
admission · 09/02/2015 21:47

Number of points here. I do not know why the school told you that because the whole point of the admission process is that it is based on the address that your son is living at on the last day of on-time applications. That is clearly not in the UK but where you are currently. Until you are in a position to confirm a date when son will be resident in the UK, at the address you own, neither the school or the LA will use that address. We are also talking about the fact that most LAs and schools will only accept someone being offered a place if they can start within a few weeks. Hence not till the start of the summer holidays in July from what you are saying in your post.
The LA are also wrong in my opinion about the discretion to admit the school has. The school has no discretion, it has to use its agreed admission criteria and policy and that is the law. I can only think that someone in the LA is confusing the situation that exists when service or crown personnel are returning from service abroad, when there is more latitude on the address used and timings.
You could apply for the place at the preferred school anyway in say mid June and then go to appeal. The idea that you have something in writing that says you could apply from overseas but use your UK address from the school could work in your favour at appeal - it will certainly give the panel an interesting set of decisions to make. There is once you have applied and been rejected no problem in accepting a place at the second preference school whilst you await an appeal - actually you do not need to be at the appeal for it to proceed but it is obviously best if you can be.