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Original poster

if you are moving to a town and the only primary school is "full"....

17 replies

fennel · 25/01/2006 15:01

...what do you do? is the council obliged to bus your infant off to another town?

Has anyone been in this situation? If you sit tight and persist will they somehow find a place in the local school?

OP posts:
Piffle · 25/01/2006 15:05

appeal and appeal
unless class sizes are over 35 you should get a plce
WE had to do this when we moved, yr 6 places were well over subscribed
in the end we chose ds to go to RC school as it had lower numbers, even though we are not RC
The other schools said well yes you can appeal and you will get in, but the class sizes are enormous.
Keep persiting ringing the school you want, we did this and this is how we got our place.
HTH

Piffle · 25/01/2006 15:05

and yes I think they do have to bus/taxi the children out of area...

motherinferior · 25/01/2006 15:11

Presumably the council has a statutory duty to educate your child so will have to find some provision.

sunnydelight · 25/01/2006 15:16

The LEA has a statutory duty to offer your child A school place. Once they have done this - regardless of whether or not you like it/want to send your child there and where it is is irrelevant.

carla · 25/01/2006 15:17

Message deleted

sunnydelight · 25/01/2006 15:17

Sorry, pressed post too quickly. Meant to end with once they have done this they have discharged their duty and it's over to you!

prettybird · 25/01/2006 15:30

I found ith sin a governemt document oabout travelling to school:

"For many years local education authorities (LEAs) have provided free transport for
pupils who live beyond the ?statutory walking distances? to ensure that pupils are
able to attend school. The ?statutory walking distances? are 3 miles from the ?nearest
suitable? school (2 miles for the under eights)."

This disucssion was about parents who lived clsoer than that wanting access to school transport: the implication beign that the LEAs are under an obligation to provide free transport if you live more than three miles from the school (found elswhere that thiat is defined as the "asiest andd shortest walking route) - and two miles for the under 8s.

carla · 25/01/2006 15:30

Message deleted

Original poster
fennel · 25/01/2006 15:35

We are looking at moving to Devon, considering buying a house in a small town with one small primary. The school admissions secretary tells me they are full in Reception and Year 1 - my dds' classes.

She hasn't answered my queries about what we do beyond join the waiting list, it's a bit tricky because if they really can't get a place in the local school it does affect our urge to buy a house there. but do you have to move and then hope for the best/appeal/press for it?

OP posts:
prettybird · 25/01/2006 15:41

This gives you infomration about devon County Council's admissions policy, inclding what they do if you apply outwith the normal timeframes, such as in your case.

Plymouth and Torbay have spearate arrangements - but there are links to them.

Original poster
fennel · 25/01/2006 15:45

thanks Prettybird.

It's within Exeter city council control and they seem to have a commitment to children going to their closest school where possible. which might help.

there isn't another school very close by, it would be a separate village or a suburb of Exeter.

I suppose the council is going to be more helpful than the individual school.

OP posts:
roisin · 25/01/2006 15:46

Before making any decisions, do check with the LEA. When we were moving house we phoned round schools. Two schools told us they were full, but one in fact had loads of spaces!

Original poster
fennel · 25/01/2006 15:55

that website is really helpful thanks again Prettybird. apparently they guarantee that your child will get a place in either the school you're in the catchment of, or the geographically next closest school.

which is a start, i suppose. apparently they are working to make sure new children don't have to go miles to school.

but it will be hard for the girls if the whole town goes to one school and they have to go elsewhere. hardly easy to make friends that way.

OP posts:
Original poster
fennel · 25/01/2006 15:56

thanks Roisin too, that's encouraging. but why would they say that if it's not true?

OP posts:
Milliways · 25/01/2006 16:01

When we moved house & phoned to see what would be our catchment school the COuncil told me that they held their breath every time one of the new houses sold as all schools were "full" , one school had just closed,but 2 new estates had been built

In your situation I would be tempted to move, putting childs name on list as soon as contracts exchanged.

prettybird · 25/01/2006 16:02

Why don't you contact the Schools Admission Team and see hwat they say. It may be that the nearest "alternative" school is also full - in which you get in to the school you wanted in the first place!

roisin · 25/01/2006 20:48

Fennel, I've often wondered that. I can only think maybe we caught someone on a bad day, and they didn't fancy showing people round again!

Like you we considered schools before committing to moving. Our first choice school was over-subscribed, and full with a waiting list for ds1's school year, (but the Head was still happy to show us round). We got a phone call on the last day of term to say there was a place for him. This is in an area of low mobility, so we were very lucky that the spaces came up.

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