Finding a School in the Uk

[Malteserina]

My family and I are moving to the UK in the coming months to Windsor from Malta for 12 months. Our children are going to be starting school there in September and I'm lost. Whenever I phone schools up to have my children registered they are always sending me to the council or borough but since we don't have an address yet they tell me they can't do anything at the moment. I'd like to find a place to rent as close to the school as possible but it's useless finding a place and then be told that the school is full up. Do you have any tips on how to go about it? My children will be 4 and 5 in August. Is there a policy for temporary placing in schools?

Every la has its own policy, and is you missed the application dates there is not much you can do, you basically get leftover places.

On the bright side it is just for one year right?

Yes it's just for one year. Is it possible to have a late application?

I think so as ppl move houses all the time, but you get less priority than everyone else. Check their policies, they may have something in place for ppl who apply late for whatever reason.

State schools do not make provision for those moving not area late unless they often take Forces families etc. Once here you can make an in year application to the local authority and join waiting lists for preferred local schools. You should prepare yourself for them being offered different schools initially but most operate sibling priority for those attending so your other child should be placed near the top if the list should a place come up.

August isn't a good time to me though, as schools and LA staff are often away. Your 4 yo doesn't have to be in ft education yet so maybe a place for your older child , due to join year 1, should be priority.

Alternatively independent schools may be more flexible in taking applications before you move if they have space. Anyone not heeding a place in September would be giving notice at Easter so April may be a good time to ring.

When are you actually due to move though as until September your older child is Reception age then Year 1.

Can you afford private school? Around 20K a year in London.

A private school is near 9k where i live. Lots of expats send their kids there.

as soon as you get here, make an in year application for your older child, as depending on when you arrive, school doesn't finish for summer until the middle of July so they could do a couple of months in reception then move to year 1 in September, then you could use any sibling rule to assist in applying for a reception place for the younger one. Alternatively look for private from September for both if you can afford to, especially if its only for 1 year.

Ok that's very helpful. I don't know how the system works in the UK. However if we apply by the end of April for both of them when do we get an answer?

As far as I know, with in year applications if the school has a place it can be as quick as a matter of days, check the year groups they would go into now as it depends when their birthdays actually are as to what year group they are in.

But your 2nd child wouldn't start school until September regardless unless there happened to be a vacancy in a local preschool, many of which are not part of a state school. The LA may not necessarily know of preschool vacancies as they tend to be managed separately. You can put him/her on waiting lists for Reception in September as there will be turnover between now and then but it might be worth seeing where they offer for your older child so you know which other schools might be manageable logistically.

I think that the deadline for standard applications is in january and the decisions are anounced in april. Applying after that is more difficoult since most places have been allocated.

A colleague of mine moved to the uk on august and got a place for his child, but it took some time to get everything sorted out.

Do you know roughly where in Windsor you might be aiming at?

Anyway, I have here a list of schools in the 'Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead'.

You may be able to glean some information from it, and if any of the schools seem 'possibles' you should be able to look at their websites, or send an email.

(I'll have a look at the list tomorrow, and comment further, if relevant.)

www.rbwm.gov.uk/web/ed_school_primary_age_schools.htm#