School admissions. Late application.

[OverTired26]

Hi all,

Okay so this primary school stuff has given me an almighty headache. Sadly our outcome on offer day was not a good one. I'm really uncomfortable sending my DD to the school she was given. While I know wait list etc exists, I've just found out there are two beautiful schools which may work better.

I want to put in an application for those but nothing is quite clear about how you do that when you've already applied?!

I've also just noticed the deadline is 25th April. And it's a paper application. And I'm very overwhelmed! Anyone with any experience?

Thanks!

You can ring LA and ask to be put on their waiting lists too. If there are places you should be offered one, if not the wl will be ordered as per admissions criteria.

Are the two schools you’ve found private schools?

Do these schools have spaces?

I’m struggling to understand how you have just discovered other schools which are better than the ones you’ve already applied for.

Get onto the Primary Education board and get advice from someone like @prh47bridge (hope OK to tag as this isn't the usual board)

@TeenToTwenties - Happy to be tagged anywhere I can help!

@OverTired26 - You contact your LA to clarify the process if it isn't explained on their website. Your LA may allow you to go on the waiting list for these schools as well as any waiting lists you are on already, but they may insist that you come off some waiting lists you are already on. The LA is allowed to limit the total number of waiting lists you can be on at any one time.

The law gives you the right to apply for any school at any time. The 25th April deadline will be for administrative convenience. They must still accept your application for these schools even if it arrives after this deadline.

These beautiful schools… were you not aware of them before?

Thank you all so much. I've cooled myself off a lot know.

@IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads- No, not private schools. Just smaller village schools further out.

@Easylifeornot- I applied for three schools that I really liked and met my daughters needs. Sadly she did not get any and got placed at the one I did not apply for as it is one neither of us liked when we viewed. I've now looked at the village schools which are further out, hence not immediately considered (or considered above the three I did choose) and yes, they have places.

@prh47bridge- Thank you so much, and thanks to who tagged you! The whole thing just felt hugely overwhelming. I have been in touch with my council (though finding their number made me feel like some sort of Internet sleuth.. it was all email addresses only!) And they explained the whole process. Apparently I can just make a new application on the portal. I think I'd gotten confused as this information and the dates attached were nowhere to be seen. The only other options online were the in year admissions which are not until July time. She advised that I can make a new application and it'd just be treated as late. She also confirmed that my offered place still stands if I am not offered any of the new ones.
Really appreciate the responses.

Will get onto applying tonight!

Have you checked what the admission reqs for these schools?

have you rung to ask whether you’d meet the reqs? Ie church? Catchment?

have you confirmed whether over subscribed?

have you considered logistics? Ie do you drive? How will you get to the schools?

Was the school you were given one of our original 3 choices when you applied? If yes, then they see it that you have successfully been placed into one of your ‘chosen’ schools, and my understanding is that you can only join the waiting list of schools that are higher up on your list of original preferences, rather than lower down/not on the list at all. Those WL are reserved for people who had a preference for those schools but didn’t get them.
So example to make that clear, if you’re given school B then you could join WL for school A as you missed out on it, but not school C as you already got one you preferred more. And definitely could not join WL for school D,E,F if they’re oversubscribed, as you didn’t pick them.
However any school that actually has places going spare (no WL) is fair game and you can absolutely apply to those at any time.
This is just my understanding and may only be correct for my LA, so it’s worth speaking to your LA asap for proper advice

Sorry by time I’ve finished typing that can see you have updated you got none of your 3 choices. Silver lining there means that you can join any WLs now I believe!

I have checked the admission and yes, she meets them. I've also emailed each school and it's been confirmed that they have spaces and that they'll show me round at the first opportunity. Both schools are lovely. But I was happy with the three we chose. Unfortunately no, we didn't get any of those. Logistics are absolutely fine, I drive and both are on the way to work so no issues there. Both have suitable wrap around provision too. I'd have considered both of these had we not been happy with our initial choices. I've joined the wait list of the three we chose but not keen on leaving it to chance when other schools are around.

Sorry, all of that should have been in the initial post, I was just having a minor panic as I hadn't realised we could do another application, or that the deadline was so close! I didn't really understand the process and the councils website gave very little in the way of information for second applications after offer day. Now that I've spoken to them I've calmed right down and can think clearly. Thank you for your input!

How far away are they?

As they have places it should be realivity easy but if they’re small underscribed schools there is always the potential for closure.