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Original poster

How to move mid school year, please help me get my head around this!

53 replies

MayorMumbum · 18/03/2019 12:36

I've posted a few times recently about the mess DD is in with regards to secondary school offers and her bad mental health but I really need some advice on what to do next.

Due to my DD not being offered an acceptable school place and an overall horrible year for us as a family we are looking to move house to a nicer area where there is a bigger selection of better schools and for a new start.

We have seen the perfect house but we don't drive so would need to find a school place for DS(8). I am going to homeschool DD for mental health reasons for a while until she has a school offer. I don't see that happening until Christmas at the earliest.

So what do I do??? How can I move now without securing a place for DS at a school first? We would need to move pretty quickly and could only hold off until the May half term so DD can do her SATS at their current school. It also means removing DD2 from her nursery and possibly deferring entry to reception for a year.

I just need advice, this house is perfect and they don't come around very often in this area, but I have no idea whatsoever what to do about the school situation!

OP posts:
NotComingBackAnytimeSoon · 18/03/2019 12:44

this house is perfect and they don't come around very often in this area,

You answered it. Go for it. Surely you can only get a definite school place once you have a fixed address?

Original poster
MayorMumbum · 18/03/2019 12:47

I think he would get a school place soon-ish, there is an outstanding school 0.2 miles from the house that are really helpful and I'm semi-confident they will squeeze him in, but what if they don't? He will then not be attending school, could I be in trouble legally at that point?

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Original poster
MayorMumbum · 18/03/2019 13:12

My worry is the gap between moving and finding him a school place Sad

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NotComingBackAnytimeSoon · 18/03/2019 13:19

There must be many people in this situation, who have to move because of jobs. They can hardly expect someone who lived in Brighton and moved to Newcastle to keep ferrying their child to school every day! I would have thought that as long as you have registered him as needing a school place in your new town that it counts.

If the school genuinely don't have space for him, they would have said that already.

Meet0nTheledge · 18/03/2019 13:19

Are there no other schools you could get to from the new house?

Original poster
MayorMumbum · 18/03/2019 13:22

I'm disabled so the distance I can walk them to school is really limited unfortunately Sad.

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NotComingBackAnytimeSoon · 18/03/2019 13:53

Ok, but we really can't give you the answers.
Why would you have to defer DD2's entry?
Which school would he go to and how could he get there if you don't get the one you want.?
Could you appeal a decision based on your not being able to get him there?

Original poster
MayorMumbum · 18/03/2019 13:57

I'm assuming she won't get a spot in reception as the application date has passed. She might but she might not. I know no one can give me the answers, it's just such a big step and I'm trying to get my head around it I suppose.
I'm worried we'll move and then we won't be able to get him a place anywhere.

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chitofftheshovel · 18/03/2019 14:21

I thought I’d found a house in another county to move to. It’s fallen through but my kids have a place at the local secondary.
I filled in an in year transfer form using my potential new houses postcode and heard within two weeks. I was told that places are kept specifically for families relocating. This may be the same for primary.

If I were you I would say yes to the new house now. All the rest should fall into place.

Original poster
MayorMumbum · 18/03/2019 14:44

I'm more worried I'll be in trouble if my son isn't enrolled in a school but not being home educated iyswim as there is bound to be a few weeks where we've moved but are still waiting to hear from schools.

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chitofftheshovel · 18/03/2019 14:57

I get what you mean. If you apply for a transfer now you should have heard by the time you move. But if you hadn’t I wouldn’t imagine anyone would care about a couple of weeks. He will be learning if he does have a couple of weeks off, even if you are not officially teaching him. Good luck!!!

NotComingBackAnytimeSoon · 18/03/2019 14:57

Just keep a copy of any paperwork before sending it in. They can hardly complain if you've done everything by the book. If you were planning to home ed the eldest, it's not like they'll be left at home unattended.

Original poster
MayorMumbum · 18/03/2019 15:19

Oh you're making it sound so doable and I'm getting excited Grin.
It's just a big leap of faith I suppose. We've been here eight years and accumulated so much stuff. Just seems like a huge step but it would be so good for our family.

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GahWhatever · 18/03/2019 15:23

I moved my daughter in Y7 and from visit/form fill to new school took 2 weeks; this was without a house move. Contact the school, tell them when you are arriving in catchment and ask if they have a place, then if one does become available you'll get priority over someone out of catchment who may apply in the interim.

Original poster
MayorMumbum · 18/03/2019 15:28

We have a viewing on Saturday and will then need to make some very speedy decisions!
Another huge issue is it may mean moving her just before her sats so I don't know how I'll swing that either Sad.

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NotComingBackAnytimeSoon · 18/03/2019 17:58

would it be so terrible if she didn't have to take them because you were moving?

Don't give up on your dream house because of sats!

MyDcAreMarvel · 18/03/2019 18:03

What do you mean “ not being home educated” just home educate him while you are waiting. I don’t see the issue?

MyDcAreMarvel · 18/03/2019 18:04

Also missing says is a bonus.

MyDcAreMarvel · 18/03/2019 18:04

*sats

MadameJosephine · 18/03/2019 18:04

This was 15 years ago so I guess things might have changed but my understanding is that if a school has a place available and nobody else has asked for it then they have to give it to you. I moved DS from Yorkshire to the north east in the middle of year 2 and all I did was call the schools and find out who had a place, at that point I didn’t have an address in the area and actually we didn’t end up living next to the school but it was close to my parents who were doing pick ups for me anyway so it worked out perfectly

SwayingInTime · 18/03/2019 18:06

I might need a place for September for my dd1 and the council were completely matter of fact about her being out of school for a bit while we sorted a place.

Original poster
MayorMumbum · 18/03/2019 20:02

OK so as I see it my options are

  1. Don't move. Lose house and home educate DD1 indefinitely (we will need to move eventually anyway) but younger 2 can remain in their school.
  2. Either magically find spots very quickly at the only school I can get them to or deregister them, take the plunge into home ed and remain on the waiting lists for the local school until they're placed (would be a massive struggle with 3 but doable for a while) having DD1 miss Sat's and all the leaving school dos (she isn't bothered about anything except prom)

Feels like there will never be a magic "right" time. It seems the days of moving to an area and slotting them in quickly to the local school are over. All seems a lot more complicated now.

And DD1 wants to do her Sats, strange child HmmGrin.

OP posts:
spellingandgrammar · 18/03/2019 20:08

If the school has a medical/social needs on their admissions criteria then it may well apply to your disability (not just the kids needs) so you may go to the top of the list above siblings etc - you can check criteria online to see your chances of a place.

Myusernameismud · 18/03/2019 20:17

We moved house (to a different county) on Sept 24th last year. DCs didn't go back to school after summer, and I let the LA know they were being home educated while we looked for a new school. I got in touch with the schools I wanted them to go to (DD secondary and DS primary) the first week of term and arranged to look around 2 days after we moved house. They both started school the following week. It was far easier than I'd ever imagined, although we were fortunate both schools had places.

DD went to an academy who arrange their own admissions so we looked around on the Thursday and had a letter on the Friday saying she could start Monday. DS school is LA run so we had to send the form off and apply for an in year admission, which can take up to 4 weeks, but the headteacher of his new school phoned the LA and asked them to agree a start date for him while they were going through the official process.

We were in the same situation as you, had to either just go for it or lose out altogether. So we went for it and it was the best choice we've ever made. Be brave and go for it OP!! Good luck Grin

Original poster
MayorMumbum · 19/03/2019 07:33

What did you say to the LA myusernameis? Did you write a letter? Did they give you any bother?

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