No idea what to do about primary school

[Sparklycrystals]

Please help! I own a flat in one county that I lived in until a few months ago. It is now let out and the tenancy ends in July. I moved to another county where I am currently renting. My dd is due to start primary school in September and I have applied for the local school here where we currently live. There is a possibility however that we will be moving back to the flat I own once the tenants move out in July. Can I apply for a primary school there as well? They are different county councils/LEAs. I’m worried that if I don’t and we do end up moving, we will have to apply after the deadline and possibly have to take a place at a school we don’t want (there is a very good one directly opposite the flat).
We only have 3 days left to apply so really hoping someone could advise me please. Thank you

I don’t see the harm in applying as you will have to turn down one offer depending where you end up living.

Thanks, I’m a bit worried that if I do apply in the county where the flat is they will think I’m living there now, when I’m not paying council or anything and could get in trouble! (I’m obviously paying council tax where I currently live) I don’t want to do anything inadvertently fraudulent or jeopardise the school place where we’re currently living in case we stay here

You can only apply via the LA from your actual current address, so if you put a school from the original area on the list it is unlikely you would be allocated a place there unless it is undersubscribed. Better to secure a place locally and address any move later, although by that point you would probably have to accept a place at whatever closest school had a vacancy or go on waiting lists.

To be clear you can make one application and only receive one offer.

Ok thank you @LIZS

To be extra clear, you can't do what Green suggests.

The flat you have currently let to someone else will be taken as your actual address for admission purposes. You even admit you’ll be moving back to it before your child starts school

You even admit you’ll be moving back to it before your child starts school confused

I don’t understand what you mean? I said there’s a possibility I’ll be moving back in when they leave? So yes I understand now I can’t apply in two places which was the question I was asking

It’s the way admissions work, op. Renting a flat in a school catchment for a short period of time whilst owning property elsewhere is seen as attempting to get a place by fraudulent means, even if that isn’t your intention.
You can’t prove that it isn’t.

Well no, because if we end up staying here and therefore need the school place here then we’ll continue to live here and it won’t be a short term let. In fact if the decision is to stay here I’ll be buying somewhere in the next year or two here and continue letting my flat in the other county. But I’m not going to even apply for a place in the other county now as I’ve learned I can’t do that.

@74NewStreet that rule varies by LA. If there is a rental contract in place and the properties are far apart then it is often the address where the child lives (evidenced by cb letter, council tax bill etc) which is one for the application. What you describe is used in densely populated areas such as London to wheedle out those who rent in a better catchment short term while renting out an owned property or while having renovation work done.

74 You are right if for example the 2 addresses are 5 miles apart. However as the OP says different counties I'm assuming they are far enough away that she can't commute from one location to the other. In which case I don't (with no expertise other than regularly reading admission threads) think her situation would be considered fraudulent.

The owning one place and renting elsewhere only matters if they are close by. We own in Yorkshire and rent in Lincolnshire, and admissions use our Lincolnshire address. Weren't even asked about property elsewhere

Actually you can do it. However, you need to be honest about your address and you’ll only get offered one school. If you want to apply for a school 1000 miles away from your permanent address you can do so and if it’s undersubscribed, you will be offered that place. What you can’t do is rent somewhere in catchment purely to get a place and move back to your permanent home afterwards.

Ok thanks that’s all really helpful, the two properties are 100 miles apart so no way I would be renting in one place and actually living in the other. I think I’ll give the LEA a call tomorrow and just ask how it works in that area.

Oh, apologies, op. I assumed the distance was far less.

No problem, I was just a bit confused!

OP: Unless you are certain that you will move back apply from where you are currently living, using your current address, for your local schools.

If you move back you can immediately put in a late application to the school across the road from your flat and if they admit on distance you will shoot straight to the top of the waiting list because it is across the road.

@BlouseAndSkirt thanks, yes I applied for the school here about a month ago, and I’ll talk to the LEA where my flat is tomorrow but it’s likely I’ll have to do what you suggest and hopefully as you say, the distance would mean we’d get a place there if we need it.