To ask how anyone transfers schools confidently

[MacroBetty]

We want to move to a city down the road in the next year. Kids are moving into year 1 and year 4 now. All I want to know is which schools currently have spaces in those years - realising there is no guarantee I would get those spaces at the point of officially applying. Nobody (not schools, not the council) will give me the information. I just want to know if it’s only the worse schools that have spaces because then I will start having to look at private options and if we can really afford the houses we want to offer on. Has anyone navigated this before? TIA

There is no point them telling you if they have spaces now unless you’re prepared to move schools straight away.

They won’t give you the info because say they have one space in each year group. Because they tell you this you decide to move. But by the time you move those spaces are gone. That’s why.

They should definitely share this information with you - some councils have a webpage showing which schools have vacancies.

If they refuse it leaves you with little option but to write your request as a formal Freedom of Information (FOI) request. Just make sure it’s achievable - don’t structure your request in too complex a way or else they can say it would take too much resource to answer.

But also, if you have a list of eg 5 schools that you’re particularly interested in, you can just call them (not in the holidays obviously). Many primary schools are undersubscribed at the moment and if they are significantly undersubscribed, people in the office will likely know.

You can also delve into the governer’s meeting minutes if they have these on their website.

Thank you that’s really useful

Do a Freedom of Information request.

You should be able to find info on which schools in the area are over/under subscribed in terms of offers of Reception places. I know that's not what you are looking for, but will give you an idea of the popularity etc.

I work in a school office. Our numbers can change on a weekly basis so there really is no point in us telling you which classes have spaces. We take quite a few refugee children who can be moved to another area with a couple of hours' notice so places can suddenly become available.

We moved house mid year so I understand people's frustration. We chose an area with 3 schools within easy walking distance, we didn't get into any of them and that was only for one child.

They know the situation now not in a few weeks. They could have four spaces and have five children apply next week.

When we last moved, there wasn't a space for one child on the closest school on that day. But there was the day after. If they have left two days earlier, another child on the waiting list would have got that space, but we moved closer.

Honestly there is a massive amount of luck in In Year admissions

Admissions should tell you about places under their control.

I can see why you want to know this. If you find that several good schools have multiple places available and no waiting list that gives you some confidence (albeit not a guarantee) that a place will be available when you need it. If you find nowhere has space and there’s a waiting list everywhere, that’s different.

Could it be that with academies, the LA don’t know the status of places? Or does the summer holiday add some flux to the situation?

I’d wait until the second week of term and ask again. Eg Please tell me how many places are available at the following schools in the following years and whether there is a wait list.

How far away is the city? Could you take a place earlier if available and commute there until you move?

Thank you. Possibly I do just need to wait until term starts. We’re about 45 minutes away now. I think if the worst came to the worst we could commute them to their current school but would want to avoid this if at all possible