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Original poster

how to find a place in oversubscribed school mid year

135 replies

Spanielmad · 09/08/2017 15:48

Hello, we might be moving house in the coming year - to south Buckinghamshire. My kids are about to start Y6 and Y8. If we move in the middle of the school year how are we supposed to find school places? Pretty much ALL 'good/outstanding' secondary schools and grammar schools are oversubscribed. So even if we find a house near a good school how do I get my kids in??
thanks !!

OP posts:
Original poster
Spanielmad · 10/08/2017 23:09

Venusfytwat - not sure, will double check! thanks.
thanks, OlennasWimple - good point!
CrowyMcCrowFace (LOL, what a name!) thanks for your thoughts, that is really helpful. yes, the trojan horse thing is a good idea. But I would really want to avoid putting them in an available comp, (moving them from their current school) and then moving them again when a place becomes available; that would be two school moves and 3 schools! And I can’t sign off on a house unless I know they will get into a decent school....

I think the primaries are less hard but I wasn’t really looking at that as we’re not ready to move until spring maybe and by then my youngest will have nearly finished primary.....
If we do go down the waiting list route - I would hope it would be an extremely short wait, otherwise I really don’t see this happening, there’s no way I am moving them around all the time. I can only envisage unhappiness and getting behind with learning if we move them around too much.

By the sound of it, it might be easier to get my eldest into an oversubscribed school as later years might well have spaces. My youngest would then move up the waiting list as his sibling is in already. That would still probably mean my youngest will have to go to a different secondary school first before joining his brother. And my youngest is the one who needs stability the most. mmm...plenty of food for thought. Thank you so much everyone!

OP posts:
CrowyMcCrowFace · 10/08/2017 21:48

Mind you, I'd also take ofsted ratings with a definite pinch of salt!

CrowyMcCrowFace · 10/08/2017 21:45

Mid year places for year 8 & above often move fairly quickly.

I taught at a v over subscribed school in the UK for years. When a place in year 8 or above came available, our office would contact the next family on the waiting list.

Often that family would have put dc down after failing to secure a year 7 place, but the dc would then have settled happily in the school allocated & parents would decide against moving them a year or more later.

Schools do want to be full, if only so they can resist taking on 'managed moves' or excluded kids from other schools, to be blunt. Your y8 could find a place quite quickly & then you have a 'trojan horse' via the sibling rule.

I'd prioritise moving to the catchment area for your first choice secondary, & getting your y6 dc into a primary which feeds to a secondary you like/are in catchment for. Are the primaries equally over subscribed?

OlennasWimple · 10/08/2017 21:32

Don't rely on the RightMove school checker - it's not always accurate...

Venusflytwat · 10/08/2017 21:29

Are you sure Chesham Grammar will be oversubscribed? It isn't usually.

Original poster
Spanielmad · 10/08/2017 20:36

ah thanks Lacebell10 - yes, I think I noticed a few of the grammars go by test results, I will double check. I imagine if the test results are really good they might want you more, LOL. No idea how my kids would fare in those tests though...we never had any need to look at them.
Thanks for the tip!! Maybe we can play it that way. Sudden move when places are allocated.

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lacebell10 · 10/08/2017 20:24

For the year 6, it might be worth looking at entrance criteria and seeing if any have ability out of catchment places and how they are allocated. For some it depends on their score and not distance. I know one of dd classmates who got a grammar place like this and the whole family moved from south London to south Kent for him to attend.

Original poster
Spanielmad · 10/08/2017 19:50

thanks all. Yes been looking at rightmove - very useful with school checker on there! Good to know it relates only to Y7 intake, Greentulips. That gives hope for later years. My kids are about to go into Y6 and Y8. obviously it would be ideal if my youngest doesn’t need to go to the local comp here but we find something over there before Y7 starts, but I am going to have to figure that one out.

We are about 2 hours away, so SittingintheSun, a weekly commute might be an option. Not the preferred option, obviously, but it is an option. We are happy where we are. The comp here is ok, has a ‘good’ rating. Not mad about the school but it sure ain’t bad.

Thanks Fresh8008, at the moment, still early days, I am not planning on going on waiting lists. I don’t want to put my kids through 3 secondary schools. I think stability is at least as important as a good school. But I am still thinking about all the options.....

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Fresh8008 · 10/08/2017 18:22

Have you actually looked in detailed at the 'in need of improvement' or 'inadequate' schools. They might actually be ok generally and have already improved or the rating was a blip in the history of a usually good school.

The reason I say, is because if your plan is to go on waiting lists for good schools it might backfire if you never get a place in these good schools. And then your stuck in a failed school not of your choice for 5 years.

How many years can you stay in a school, settling down, making friends and integrating before moving them to a 'good' school would actually be counter productive? Maybe its better to get all your children into the same under subscribed school that is at least ok to stay at and then hope/try to get something better.

Sittinginthesun · 10/08/2017 15:44

Maybe stupid suggestion, but how far are you now, and how happy are you with your house, life, schools?

Lots of people near me keep with children in school, and their other halves do a weekly commute.

GreenTulips · 10/08/2017 15:30

When you look on right move it will give information on oversubscribed - that does relate dto the year 7 intake

They may have less students in he Year you need

Don't give up - I'd suggest youbpfferbon a house and then ask the schools

Original poster
Spanielmad · 10/08/2017 15:28

thank you so much for that info.
Even if we do pass the 11+ (my kids are both very bright but were never tutored or prepared for 11+ as we don’t have grammars around here) we’ll end up on a waiting list I now understand as all grammars are full. I hate to have to put my kids through 3 different secondary schools (current one, one bridging while waiting, grammar) so very much looking for alternative options.
Redsrule - " try and fill as many as possible” you mean waiting lists?
thanks again. Again, I will call some schools and assuming they wil confirm what you all say, I will look how far neighbouring counties are for the commute (and whether they have good schools that are not over subscribed), or perhaps even consider staying put and letting DH live in a hotel during the week.... Thanks!
oh..er...if anyone knows of a grammar/good/outstanding school that is not oversubscribed in the Chesham-Reading-Slough area let me know! ;)

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Redsrule · 10/08/2017 14:25

I work at the only outstanding secondary for about 20 miles and we have long waiting lists even for next years Y11. However we do have movement every year and new students joining us, most coming from nearby schools, sometimes independents, having been waiting for a place. I would check admission policies and try and fill as many as possible. Good luck

hedwig2001 · 10/08/2017 11:23

Bucks has the 11+ for Grammar school entry. Everything else is a secondary modern. Some are better than others, but I'm not sure any are outstanding. You might be better looking at living out of county. I believe Oxfordshire has comprehensive schools.
Those of us living in Bucks, support our kids to get through the 11+, and keep our fingers crossed.
My son did not pass. He has just finished GCSEs at John Colet in Wendover. We have been very happy with the school.

Original poster
Spanielmad · 09/08/2017 22:14

thanks Lizs. we don't know dates yet but will call a few schools to see what they advise. Who knew moving house would be so complicated... ;)

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LIZS · 09/08/2017 22:01

They won't hold available places open for 6 months' time though. What is available in September may have been filled by Spring, although movement during year 6 seems less likely. If you live near the border you can look beyond your immediate county.

Original poster
Spanielmad · 09/08/2017 21:45

thanks all. Greentulips, yes, that's what I"ll do. I will call and see what they say. Then decide which area to focus on....
thanks so much everyone!

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AndNowItIsSeven · 09/08/2017 21:44

No need for a school run at secondary level.

NewIdeasToday · 09/08/2017 21:39

Unfortunately there are some schools tang are judged to be needing improvement. I'm not sure why you think you'd leapfrog all the other families placed in these schools so your kids can go to an outstanding school mid-year?

GreenTulips · 09/08/2017 21:35

People leave schools all the time - you can ring and ask if there is space in the necessary year - then apply - you may get lucky because once settled they aret going to move from inadequate to good

That said schools ratings change all the time - there is hope

wheredoesallthetimego · 09/08/2017 21:34

there seems to be no undersubscribed schools except some 'in need of improvement' or 'inadequate'

you probably start in one of those, supplement by tutoring or working with kids yourself at home and go on the WL of all the schools you would accept. Once one child is in a school the other usually has sibling priority.

Original poster
Spanielmad · 09/08/2017 21:31

thanks again - really appreciate your answers!
SittingintheSun; good point, I suppose there might be a schoolbus, or perhaps they can walk (as they are now). And no we're not bound by Bucks but that's where DH work will be.... so further out (Berkshire, Surrey) would be a bit of a commute.
Lizs; thanks! we will miss October's deadline (I'll be signing up my youngest to the comp where we are now). You think we can apply without having an address in the catchment yet? mmm
Yes, I imagine they both need to do an immediate mid-year test for a grammar. But if there are no places... :(

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RedSkyAtNight · 09/08/2017 20:26

I don't know how this will work for your Y6 child, as they will miss sitting the Bucks 11+.

LIZS · 09/08/2017 20:22

Are they not already in different schools? School run is the least of concerns. Have you looked on Bucks .c.c website regarding In Year admissions and, thinking ahead, "late" secondary applications if you will miss October's deadline. You may be able to apply before you physically move but you need to be clear on any key dates and timeline.

Sittinginthesun · 09/08/2017 20:17

Secondary school run - the children are expected to make their own way there, so different schools shouldn't be a problem.

Bucks is a bit of a scrap for places, because they have grammars. Are you definitely stuck with Bucks?

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