WWYD - School Admissions

[BaskingTrout]

Posting here for traffic and because I know I'll be told if this is a bad idea!!

It's nursery places application deadline next Friday. We are in the process of moving house. We won't be completed by then but we probably will complete before Christmas or right at the start of January at the very latest. There is no chain, all the money is in place, there is nothing to hold up the sale or cause problems.

We will be changing school catchment areas, although they are neighbouring and in the same LA, and the new school is usually oversubscribed. Do I use my current address and write a cover letter explaining, even though this means DD is unlikely to get a place? Or I do I use my new address, even though the sale hadn't happened yet?

I know that this is not the proper thing to do but if all the applications will be put to one side and not even looked at until after Christmas, by which time we will have completed, will there even be a problem?

I spoke to a primary school teacher who is a casual acquaintance who said to use my new address.

WWYD?

Assuming you're applying for a Reception place in England then you don't have to apply until something like the middle of January. Applying earlier makes no difference as the applications are assessed all together after the closing date.

If it's a nursery place is it now down to local policy at each place anyway? I would go and talk to them and explain the situation and take it from there.

Sorry just seen you said Friday.

I'd probably do it the other way round, use the new address but add a covering letter to say you're in the process of moving and are between addresses but will be in the new house shortly. Obviously if the sale doesn't go through you would have to inform them. Otherwise you're plain cheating.

It's in Wales, I guess it must be a slightly different system. Deadline is definitely 16 December.

I think it might be the case that if you can prove you'll be living there (e.g. solicitor's completion statement) then it's fine. I'd use the new address and not draw any attention to the fact you're not in situ, actually. It's only a few weeks we're talking about.

You do need to be able to confirm your address if requested- so I wouldn't use your new address yet! I would put the application in now under your current address.

In my LA, if you move house you have about 1 month after the official closing date to put in an application under your new address.

If you google your LA name and school admissions, you should be able to view an admissions guide that will tell you if they can extend the deadline.

Ah that explains nursery place too. Slightly different system.
If you used your new address, they might ask for proof as you won't show up on any of their records at that address and then you'll be at the back of the queue. Depends what checks they do or if anyone complains about you because their dc missed out on a place.

We have the same issue - completion date for reception place is January, we move a week after. I called local admissions team who told me to apply under current address but put that in other information box explaining moving date etc, then call when we move in to update address.

Try calling your local admissions team?

I'd ring the admissions team and check what proof they need of your change of address.

X post!

Depending on your LEA, you can usually change the address on your application up to something like the middle of January/February.

I'd put your new address.

You know the risk of not completing is very low. If the worst happens you can just ring up in January and remove yourself from the process.

When does the nursery place start? Presumably if the house falls through you don't need the nursery place straight away anyway?

Here you need proof of address with an application and a council tax bill, won't you need all of that?

No one here can tell you what is the right thing to do, you need to speak to whoever is going to be in charge of making the decision on allocation what you should do. Worst case scenario is that you move house but get refused the place because you weren't entitled to it at the point of the deadline, so get allocated somewhere a long way away

I'don't put your new address. In fact I did exactly the same and also in Wales

Have you exchanged? That's normally good enough intent that the new address is correct. If not us still put the new one

Thanks for all the replies. To answer some questions... the application form doesn't say anything about showing proof of address, maybe they would ask for this later? But if they do, it won't be a problem because we would have moved.
We haven't exchanged yet, but we are expecting exchange and completion to happen at the same time.
If we have to give up the nursery place because the move doesn't happen for some reason, I guess it's not the end of the world because DD won't be going until next September and she is August born So will have only just turned 3 then anyway. Plus we have to reapply for reception class anyway.

I can't see anything in the admissions guide about extending the deadline.

If we do get refused, I assume we will be offered a place at the school in the catchment we are currently in. It is the closest one to the new catchment and it's not oversubscribed. Perhaps I'm wrong in this assumption though?