Sorry, posting in AIBU for traffic.
We need to do the school application for our. 3 year old DS by 15th January. We had planned to move before then but the offer we had put in has fallen through and it seems unlikely we'll be at a new address by application deadline.
My DS is a very late August birthday and I've always been unsure of him going full time reception at barely turned 4. Although I know he'll develop a lot in the next 11 months, he doesn't seem anywhere ready yet. However, I'm also aware even if I want to defer I have to apply for a place to do that from.
Further complicating the situation is that we don't need to be anywhere in particular for work so are looking at good schools, both primary and secondary, with independent options at secondary, to guide the move, along with lifestyle the area will provide. We want to stay within reach of family but this still leaves options over a few LAs.
The last house was in a different LA but I based the move on good schools, particularly an independent secondary. I've since heard some rather worrying things about that school and safeguarding. This has introduced a new problem. Do we stick with that area or look elsewhere? I'm now really aware that we aren't going to have on the ground info on schools as we're not local to them.
Our current LA is terrible in terms of post 16 education and the secondary options are woeful, many travel out of area anyway. So we won't be moving in LA. But we have to apply from this address. As DS has no siblings and isn't baptised (so many religious schools around here) distance is the first criteria he'd be taken on. So unless we're in situ by or close after application deadline that wouldn't secure a place. We definitely want to move from here how do we proceed with the application? Not sure what works best, or least worst. And also if there are other things I've overlooked.
- Apply for schools local to current address and ask for deferment. We'd keep him in his current nursery for the time being. Have more time to research areas and schools and apply for in year when we get there and hope for the best.
- Rush a move, apply for schools local to the house (which I'm more aware than ever could fall through) and hope we're in in time for the application deadline. If we're not we'd not have a school place locally and I'm not sure what would happen at that point.
I called the LA to ask, before we knew the offer had fallen through but as we were unsure if we'd be in in time. This is as far as I'd got. So I wondered if anyone with similar experience could give me any advice. TIA