Moving house and changing primary schools

[ArtemisBean]

I'd love to hear how people have managed the logistics of this. DH and I had hoped to move before the cut off date for applying for DS's reception place, but for financial reasons we're not going to be able to do that now. Which means we'll have to start him off in a school local to where we are now and then put him (and DD if she's school age by the time we move) on the waiting list for a school at our new location. I guess I'm wondering what other people have done while waiting for the space to come up? How long did it take? Did it take longer for two places in the right year groups to come up or do they prioritise siblings? Did you have to take whatever was available at another school while you waited? How did your DC cope with moving twice? The whole process sounds seriously stressful to me on top of a house move as well, but surely people move mid-school year all the time?! I'd really appreciate insights from anyone who has done this. As you can tell, I'm clueless!

It depends on whether the school you want your child to go to is oversubscribed or not. It may be heavily oversubscribed and have very little movement. It will also depend on where you are on the waiting list.

If a school you like has spaces, you will be offered them. If not, you will be offered the nearest school with spaces. This may not be the same school for both.

Once one of your children is in, if the admissions criteria prioritise siblings, they will jump near the top of the waiting list (if not to the actual top). It is then a waiting game (pun semi-intended). Some waiting lists move reasonably frequently, some never will.

It is possible to appeal, however if it’s in the period where both are affected by Infant Class Size rules, it would be nigh on impossible to appeal successfully. If the elder is in Y3 by the time you’d be moving and applying, you could consider focusing on getting the younger into a school you like as getting the older one in on appeal is more possible.

Of course all this assumes you end up going after a school that’s oversubscribed!