Talk to me about relocating and school applications

Well at least they got training! I've supported a number of people who've just been expected to do it...

@Needlenardlenoo yes, those other subjects you mention come under "others", and they are in short supply. Our school has unfortunately had to train a non-specialist to teach Economics A Level.

The graph shows the unfilled teacher training places (I'm on a Samsung and can't zoom in but generally graphs like that don't even show Psychology, Sociology, Economics etc - top 10 A level subjects, very few teachers). Shortages go further than just trainees and in fact compound because if you've no experienced staff, you're hardly going to take on a trainee...

The OP needs to do a lot more detailed research and ideally one or both of them needs to come over and see the lie of the land and talk to Heads in person. And read all the admissions details for lots of potential schools and make a spreadsheet. Bearing in mind some schools you apply to directly and some via the LA. And the falling birthrate since the peak of 2012-13 is complicating things (peak cohort just entered year 8). Covid seems to have created population drain out of inner Boroughs too.

I didn't even need to apply for my last job - I just mentioned to a few people I was looking! (Obviously I did need to apply before the formsl offer, but I certainly didn't need to bother looking for adverts). They didn't tell me about priority for children of staff though. It was mentioned to me in passing by another teacher.

@qwert987 do neither of you teach a shortage subject? This graph shows the national shortages, but schools in London find it more difficult to recruit due to the higher cost of living. They just have to have a "demonstrable" shortage of applicants, so it is a school decision. You could live in Croydon/Surrey but commute to a school that needs your subject. The (Outstanding) state school where I work is actively recruiting teachers from international schools because it struggles to get enough high quality applicants in many subjects.

Otherwise, you will need to find the Secondary Admissions Brochure for your area and read what it says about summer applications. My area has a paragraph on it and applying in June is better than applying in July/Aug.

Yeh @qwert987 unless you teach PE you may well find your teaching skills are in high demand. It’s not just maths and science; there is a shortage of teachers of MFL, English, tech, geography, history... not everywhere tbf but I know ex-colleagues in (good) schools that cannot recruit anyone to roles in these subjects.

Everything's a shortage subject potentially...

They don’t need to for the main round application - as I posted above, they can apply from their current address. The rules changed a couple of years ago, as per the gov.uk document linked to. They may not get a place anywhere in the initial allocation, but will have an on-time application in the pipeline and in the event that they are at the top of the waiting list for any of their preferences if / when a place becomes available, it will be offered in the normal way. As both I and other ppl have pointed out, though, the mid-year application is the greater issue, for more than one reason, given the year group.

In year admissions - Southwark Council https://share.google/C7tB3kiEZ5w22Sdi4 you can see from the wording that Southwark probably has more relevant experience.

In-year admission - outside the normal admissions round - Surrey County Council https://share.google/6Dj1md3ppcQMEqC5R

Secondary school in-year admissions: step by step | Croydon Council https://share.google/z73UU3THHmVN4jagu

If it is Surrey LA (and bear in mind some Surrey addresses are actually in Croydon, Kingston or Sutton borough) they do process applications from overseas in advance of arrival.

Based on the experience of an American friend, over for a year's work exchange, she was able to apply to the LA for places for a year 8 and year 5 child from the end of May half term, with accommodation confirmed but not arriving till August, and the LA did find places.

Obviously easier as no GCSEs or SATs or 11+ involved.

Not necessarily, only some schools prioritise children of staff. In some LA you can apply once you have a confirmed address and up to six weeks before you move so check the LA website. You need to check admissions criteria for each and find a school which is usually undersubscribed that you are happy with and is accessible. It does not need to be listed as your first choice but include one you will hopefully find a space at with a late application. You may struggle to place both in same school though.

You MAY get priority in admissions if you are permanently employed at the school and can evidence that there's a shortage of e.g. Physics teachers. You have to read the admissions rules for each possible school carefully AND get offered a job AND negotiate that they disregard the requirement to be employed for two years first.

It's easier with private schools as generally the Head can actually decide they want someone enough to offer (e.g.) 50% fee remission for their two kids as well. And you don't need to have an address in the area in advance. Plus there are of course boarding schools so accommodation may come with the package.

Private schools that are single sex often have deals with other ones that educate the other sex / have younger or older students.

So if you get offered a job with girls' school X you may get offered fee remission at nearby boys' school Y.

The OP does have options.

Are you both looking to teach over here? Secondary? You get preference of you work at the school..

Your other option is for you to seek jobs in private schools (there are loads in the area) and negotiate fee remission for the children. That could buy you an additional year to find suitable in year places.

You'd actually be better off moving further in (Lambeth/Peckham/Southwark) where the fall in the birth rate is leaving even oversubscribed schools with places.

I think that would be the best option depending on what you teach. One of you find a teaching job in a school that prioritises children of staff (you normally have to have been permanently employed for two years but schools can disregard this if there's a shortage of staff, which there almost always is in the SE!) My daughter has a place at my school on the latter basis. We live 7 miles from the school. The longest distance offered last year was under 800 metres...!

But presumably you had a property here that you used as your address for the application?

Nope. Still resident in a different country. Places offered the day we left - and the day before arriving in the uk. Pretty close, but offered before we stepped foot back in the uk.

I messaged asked which schools had spaces in the relevant years, in the XY98 postcode, and got a list the next working day. So I sent in an application as I got other plane hone, and had a pair of offers waiting g fir me when I landed.

@Cantseetreesforthewood so you would have had to have already been resident to have been offered the places 😕

Just to counteract the negative stories, we moved back to the uk at the end of the I ternational school term - so way before the English summer holidays started.

OK, it was primary, but the LEA couldn't have been more helpful. I messaged asked which schools had spaces in the relevant years, in the XY98 postcode, and got a list the next working day. So I sent in an application as I got other plane hone, and had a pair of offers waiting g fir me when I landed. The kids started in their new school 2 weeks after landing - and we were bring pushed to start a week earlier, but it was just to much for me to sort uniform without a car.

So, we did the last few weeks of the summer term. If the timelines work, I'd serious consider this for your oldest. No point for your youngest, as they will need to move schools.

It was very straightforward once we started - but very stressful packing up our life with zero idea where the kids would be going to school.

If you don't get a space there are 2 things to consider - wait lists are opperated in order of admissions priority, not time on list. And if no school place can be offered (if they offer one you dont like, tough) you can start off on the fair access protocol.

Nuclear option: can you get your oldest into a private school for 2 years?

Ooof, you’re doing this on hard mode. Any chance you are returning to teach at a school that gives priority to children of staff? This is quite common in oversubscribed schools round our way.

You’re going to be bottom of the heap for y7 and you really need to think about y10 now as your elder child will need to decide GCSE options sharpish, and some schools start GCSEs in y9.

Read up on the y7 late admission process for your new area - that will explain how your y7 application will most likely be handled.

And? As I say… heaven and earth