Anyone moved house and needed to move schools? Or know about school admissions?

[Bluebear]

We will be moving house in a few months - just had an offer accepted on the one we want to buy, but I have rung the catchment school to ask what to do and they have said that they are full, as are all the other local schools except for a 'religious' state school (which just happens to also have the poorest results of the local schools).

The school admissions person I spoke to basically said we had no choice and I would have to put ds (year 1) into the church school despite it not being our religion because it is still a state school.
I would be happy with any of the other (non-church) schools but really don't see why I have to put him into a school where he would have to stand outside of assembly and hear stories about a god that we don't believe in etc.

So,

1. Does anyone know if you can go onto a waiting list for a different primary school if you are not in the first term of reception year? (so we could at least hope that someone might leave one of the other schools and ds would get a place)

Or, 2) if I take time off work and home-school him, could I expect to get a school place if one came up?

And, 3) since he is on the special needs register at his current school would this make any difference over any decisions about admissions? (He has hearing impairment which has made it difficult for him to cope with social situations and needs to follow routine to be happy) We were hoping that he would go to school with the neighbour's children which would help him with the social side of things.

Otherwise I guess we will probably have to put him into the private school which I have spent weeks talking myself out of because it is sooo expensive

Thanks for any help.

We're in this position too -- had offer accepted and under offer ourselves.

I'm pretty sure you can put yourself on the waiting list for the school you want; I certainly hope so, cos that's what we're planning to do. We're staying within a few miles of our old house, though, so ds can stay at his current school until a place comes up.

I don't think the LEA can just allocate a school in that way -- afaik the parents' right to express a preference still applies. If he has special needs then that might help the application as well, esp if you can come up with some reason why the preferred school can meet his needs better.

My masterplan is to go and look round the two schools we're earmarked (one church, which we do qualify for, one not, but w/in usual intake area), decide whether we like the look and then keep gently pestering until a place comes up. I'm figuring that they're both two-form entry schools, this is central London, sooner or later a place will come free. I don't think home-schooling would affect your application for a school place, though that's not an option for us. I don't think you can actually apply properly until you have proof of residence, though -- maybe on exchange of contracts?

well actually frogs the LEA can allocate a place: here's what it says on our letter about applying: "If none of yr preferred schools have been able to offer a place your child will be alloctaed a place at the normal area school (if available) or the nearest school with places."

That's not terribly helpful is it bluebear. If I were you I would appeal and see if you can't play the special needs card as well with emphasis on the social side.

Not that I know a lot about appeals, but a year may be full (and thus the school refuses you) and yet the school may not be and so would accept on appeal.

That's certainly the case at our school where we have a full reception yr but places in yr 1 so technically places in the school and in fact classes less than 30 in reception (does that make sense?)

Thanks Frogs - yes, you can't 'apply' until exchange of contracts.
The person I spoke to was the catchment school's admissions person rather than the LEA - I am going to try to get the LEA version tomorrow.
We will be moving a long way from our current school, no way to keep ds there until he gets a place at a new one, and home schooling would have to be 'funded' by increasing the amount of mortgage we take out on the new house (and hopefully by my boss agreeing to me taking a short career break or parental leave or something!)

Good luck Frogs - hope you're right about the existence of waiting lists!

And thanks Clary too!

I'm sure I'm right about the existence of waiting lists -- for several months after dd1 had started at primary we were sent letters from other popular local schools offering places as they became free. Some intermittently wrote to us and asked whether we wanted dd1 to remain on the list.

Having said that, it was before the days of centralised admissions, but the same principle must still apply. In the last year or two there have been several children who have accepted places at other local schools only to turn up in ds's class a couple of terms later when someone has left.

Clary, what I meant was the LEA can't make you accept a particular place. Sure, if all the other schools are full it's that or nothing. But regardless of whether you take up the place in the least favoured school or choose to Home Ed for the duration, I'm sure you can still stay on waiting lists.

Bump

actually in most state primary schools you will have stories about God, Jesus etc in the assemblies.

we have moved twice this year and gone through the admissions process and the appeal process too, but each LEA is different in rules for mid-year applicants and new children in the area so our experience is unlikely to be relevant - except it's the LEA not the school which is the way to go. And many areas prioritise children with special needs for school applications so that might help your case.

Thanks all.

You are right Fennel, they do the ;'god' stories at most state schools (although the one that ds goes to at the moment gives equal weight to many other religons) but I went to a church school and the religion permutated all lessons in subtle ways..Dh is the one who is really anti-church schools. FInding it more amusing today that we know so many people who have 'aquired' religion in the couple of years before their children started school so that they can get into the church school and there we are trying to get out!

Hi - I just wanted to suggest that you explore the SN avenue - as if you were "allocated" the church school you might be in a position to appeal on the basis that other schools would support your DS better. Have you visited the schools and asked if any of them have experience of hearing impaired children? Sometimes LEAs make alterations to certain schools to improve the acoustics eg carpeting classrooms. Victorian buildings are, I believe, particulary bad for hearing impaiments - just in case the church school happens to be that age! Apologies if I am stating the obvious - I am sure you know far more than me about this issue!

Goodluck!

I am a member of an admission appeals panel and I have to say that sadly the situation regarding waiting lists is not straight forward. The fact that a child leaves a school does not necessarily mean a child on the waiting list will be offered a place. Suppose the admission number for the year is 60 and there are actually 62 pupils due to successful appeals. The waiting list will not be activated until the year number goes down to 59 ie three children would have to leave before a place was available.

Should a place become available the place will not necessarily go to the child whose name has been on the waiting list the longest.The offer goes to the child who best fufils the published admission criteria.

Best wishes to those of you who find themselves unable to find a place for your children at the schools you prefer.

NB It is quite wrong for an official to tell you that a school is full and you have no alternative but to accept a place at a school where there is a place available.
If you want a school place you must ask for an application form, fill it in and present it to the school. If the number of places the school can offer has been exhausted the school will reject the application and advise you that you have the right to appeal against the rejection. You can then appeal to an independent appeals panel. If you present a very convincing case the Panel may require the school to create an extra place for your child. However the panel will not be able to do this if the school can prove that due to lack of space, equipment or teachers the admission of another child would reduce the quality of education it normally provides.
Re Special needs. If your child has an official statement of special needs the LEA should advise you of the procedures for finding him a suitable school.

Thank you for your replies.
I'm going to attempt to speak to the LEA for some guidance next week (especially about the SN side of things).

Bear in mind that infants (key stage 1) classes are not allowed to be more than 30 children. If your son has a statement you would certainly be at the top of the waiting list (it is usually called a continued interest list and all over subscribed schools have one)). If he does not have a statement, you would not be considered under this category (unless you will be living in an exceptionally wonderful LEA area).

Thanks, He has an IEP but I'm unsure about anything else - will contact school SENCO and find out more. Will also ring the LEA when I can, and see what they say.
I'm guessing that we may put him into the private school just to keep him in an unchanging environment rather than let him go to the church school and swap again if/when a place becomes available at the catchment school - he wouldn't be able to cope with that I'm sure and dh won't cope with having ds in the church school for the next 5 years.
Thanks for everyone's help.

You'd know if he had a statement - the LEA would have assessed him and you would have been heavily involved. I'm guessing he's probably School Action (it should say in the corner of his IEP) - School Action Plus means the school ask for help from outside - could be Occupational or Speech Therapist for eg.

Yes - school action! He has had speech therapy but was signed off before he began school.

Hi, We are due to move from lincolnshire to surrey in the new year, and desperaetely trying to get our house search based around decent schooling. one son 7 with dyspraxia and ? aspergers but not needing statement. other son is 9 and sporty and doing well. Both attend a small village school (100pupils) need a decent primary ? guildford, leatherhead or just inside M25 east of sutton and walton. any ideas ?

Sorry haven't read all the way through but I would ring up all the schools you are interested in and 'chat up' the secretary. The school may know of children that are moving on soon and you may be able to slip in the place. That's what we did with DD. She got a place in yr 3 at a great church primary out of our catchment area.

thanks secondhandrose, I will make some calls soonest after christmas.