How do you get a school place when moving to a new area?

[pinpluf]

We have the opportunity to move further out of London & really want too. However how difficult is it to get new school places for dc? The schools don't have spaces currently available so I assume we go on a waiting list but how fast do they move, what happens if we never get a place? arghh!

It depends entirely on the area (and to a certain extent, luck) as to how much movement there is. Busier areas and bigger schools will tend to have more movement generally.

The Local Authority has to offer you a school place somewhere, though it does not have to be one of your preferred schools. Over a certain distance (differs by primary and secondary) they have to offer transport.

After infants there is more opportunity to appeal for a place, as it is about showing that the detriment to your child is greater than the detriment to the school (at infant level the Infant Class Size rules exclude this).

Unfortunately there is always a bit of a gamble with moving!

I take it you have spoken to the schools admissions department at the council? They have to offer a place, but not necessarily at the school of your choice, or even very near you. I've known lots of people moved out of London and none have had to wait for a school place.

Have you checked with the school? Admission departments are usually very out of date with places.

Unfortunately there is always a bit of a gamble with moving!

I feel like we just have to hope for the best.

Thank you

Depends on the area. We phoned around the schools the day we landed in the UK and were offered a place that day. That was year 6 and there was space though.

I've spoken to one school which is the closest to the house we saw but they don't currently have any spaces.

I haven't tried any others yet because it's very new.

Our current school which has always been heavily oversubscribed now has lots of places as so many families have left.

Thanks all

We recently moved to SE London and needed primary school places. Our two closest schools said they had no places but I put them top of our list anyway. Then called around and found schools.that did have places but we're further away and picked best two and put them on our list too. In the end council gave us places at our 2nd choice school. So schools may say there are no places but they do come up and you could be lucky

Both times we've moved our younger DD has been offered school places straight away, first time in our second choice, the next time in our first choice school (we knew the first choice was unlikely the first time but it was the only school in walking distance). Our elder DD was out of school for half a term the first time, but offered a place the day after her sister the second time. Elder DD is in a lot higher birth year!

The time we had trouble the council basically kept contacting every school in order of distance from our address finding one with a space, while meanwhile we appealed for her sisters school. The council successfully found her a place and we won the appeal... but it wasn't entirely for the sibling link, it was mainly the school (and council) hadn't followed their own admissions process for military children but had treated it as a normal application despite the military marker. There is usually no obligation for siblings to be offered the same school.

It is a lottery unfortunately. But its a consequence of class size limits and population density... they can't magic up extra spaces or keep them just in case.

Good luck.

@Fizzgigg that's reassuring