To not know how to do this or am I just an incompetent idiot?!

[Oohlalaaaaaa]

Trying to move a family from Scotland to South Coast. Specifically Christchurch area . All the 'good' schools are full. I don't know what to do or how it works. Been told my BCP council to make a wish list of 4 schools. Surely if they are sll full we will just be offered a place at the 'inadequate' ones where there is availability? They said the closer you live to desired school the higher up waiting list but there are no guarantees and you would be putting all your eggs in one basket. I just feel so lost with all of this. My husband and daughter are desperate to make this move to be nearer his family but it just all looks so tricky. Sorry for bleating on. Any advice would be greatly received!!

You’ll get a place at the closest school with a place but you can only apply when you have an address in the area. Then stay on a waiting list for those you want. We moved and ended up getting offered a place in a large school that is rated good but is a 10 min drive away. It’s worked out fine for us but we’re still on the list for our catchment school a year on.

Feel free to message me as it was hideously stressful at the time!

Thank you. Have pm'd you.

Which schools are you looking at? I moved to Christchurch and know a fair bit about the schools if you want to pm me, I wouldn't necessarily be going by OFSTED in your choices

Ok will pm you thank you.

Move. Sort out the school when you get there.
England works differently to Scotland with school placement - and yes, it's stressful.
If a school is full, you won't get offered a place. Yes, you will be offered the nearest with spaces. If everything a sensible distance away is full, you are likely to get the school most likely to be able to cope with an extra child.

But applying now, before you move, might result in an offer that will need taking up faster than you can move. Move, then look at schools.

So if you move and all the good schools are full and you get a place at a poorly performing school then what do you do? They say to make a wish list of 4 schools but what is the point if there are no spaces?

I’d assume the wish list they’re inviting you to make will be so you can be put on the waiting lists once you move. If all the ‘good’ schools are full (and I take that definition with a large pinch of salt anyway) your DC will go to another school. If a suitable space comes up at one of your waiting list schools you will be offered it when it’s your turn and you can make the decision about whether to accept. It’s difficult though, especially at first. A friend of mine relocated and at one point her 4 DC were put in 4 different schools initially, gradually they were moved into 2 schools as places became available

Don't know much about local schools but Christchurch is right on the Hampshire border. Worth contacting Hampshire CC to see if there are spaces in its schools?