Schools near Surrey university

[Ddawoud]

Hi Everyone, In april I'll be moving to Guildford from UAE, as I'm a Ph.D. student at the university of surrey. I have 2 children (3 years and 10 months and 6 years). I'm not used to registering my children to local schools since we don't have this option in UAE. Therefor, I would appreciate your help if you can at least help me to list the schools that my children can be admitted in. The location will be around the university.

Your best bet would be to contact the local authority (which I assume would be Surrey county council) and ask them about the procedures and which schools have places. They'll probably not let you actually apply though until after you move. The university may also have information for student parents or suggest ways of getting in touch with others in similar positions.

Your younger child won't be due to start school in the UK until September, so you'd be looking for a nursary for a term. The university may run one or have a list of local ones.

You would need a UK address to apply, then Surrey LEA will be able to tell you which schools have places for your 6 year old. The younger child won't get a reception place (first year of school) until September this year; children usually start the September of the year (Aug 31- Sept 1) in which they turn 5, so your youngest will start this Sept at 4.5. The admissions process for that is about to close, (on Friday) so the sooner you can get a UK address and apply the better, as schools will have their reception classes allocated over the next couple of months. Surrey will need to give you a place somewhere, but it may be at different schools.

Surrey University has a Nursery - which I believe is quite good. The two closest schools to the University are Guildford Grove, and Onslow First which feeds into Queen Eleanor's. Both of which are good. Guildford Grove is more mixed (50% from the University and 50% from the local somewhat deprived housing estate) but is very very good. It may have a nursery class attached.
Where your children get a place will depend on where there is space and where you live. You can only apply once you are here, and apply via Surrey County Council, it will be "an in year" application.
Are you Muslim? I know Guildford Grove has a lot of Muslim pupils, and is well used to considering Ramadan etc. (so has a classroom children can go to during Lunch and Breaks). Queen Eleanor's is a Church of England school (which welcomes Muslim children, but you may feel less comfortable with depending on your views).

Most schools in Guildford are Good, so I wouldn't worry too much.

Thank you so much, your advice is very helpful.

I temporary have an address till I find a house within the accommodation of the university. Would it be wise to apply now for the schools using this address or I should wait till I get my permanent address first.

your feedback is appreciated.

If you have an address you should apply TODAY for your younger child. You can inform them later of the house move. If the deadline is tomorrow as a previous poster said, this would greatly help you chances of getting a school of your choice. You'd need to phone the local authority first thing though as find out what to do. It will probably mean handing the form in in person along with showing your child's ID and proof of address, visa, etc. I think you'll need some sort of written tenancy agreement.

It's not so urgent for your older child as they would be in "in year" application anyway so just given a so space where there is one rather than applying with everyone else.