Moving, post GCSE results day, need A level place in new school.

[kikilo]

We are moving house post GCSE results, DD has been offered a place at her current school to study A levels, however we need to get her into a school in new area.
She already has Maths A, Maths B, English Language A and RS A* under her belt.
Her predicted grades for this batch of GCSE's are A's in English Lit, Science, Business Studies, History, and B's in Psychology and Welsh.
In theory (hopefully...)
I don't think she will have a problem getting into a school. It's the process I am worried about. We have narrowed down the search for a new school to 2 favourites, however with the schools having broken up there is no one to talk to....
Our dilemma is.
Do we collect her results from her current school on the 23rd August, then hit the phone/email to the 2 schools and try to contact admissions/head of 6th form. OR do we have someone collect her results at current school, have them ping to them us and be sitting outside the potential new school and physically go into the school on results day?
The new area is 120 miles from our current location, so collection and attending new school on results day will not be possible.
I know that there is lots of movement on results day, as lots of pupils have offers at more than one school/college or disappointing grades mean changes of plans etc.
I know it's not an ideal situation but the move has to happen and actually it's really the perfect timing in some ways.
Any thoughts would be gratefully received.

Where are you moving to OP - in my area the last day of term is today.
So in some parts of the UK there could be staff around still.

Having done the sixth form application system 2 years ago I would say the following:

1. the most important thing is that your dd collects her results from her old school and tells them that she won't be taking her place as she is moving/has moved away. They would need to supply references etc so any support they can offer would be useful.
2. Pupils who already had offers at dds school had a few days to confirm they still wanted their places and after that they offered places to others on waiting lists/new applicants.
3. Make sure that you include at least one larger sixth form on your list. The larger the sixth form the more likely they are to have places available. dd has just finished 6th form college and they are still advertising that they have places available for September.
4. Many sixth forms have enrolment days in between GCSE results and term starting. At dds sixth form you could phone in to make an appointment beforehand. You bring along results slips and any certificates from previous years to enrolment.
5. Please note that once your dd has enrolled there may only be a limited time to change her mind if a place came up at one of her favourites.
6. Be careful about choosing a sixth form based only on the final results/league tables. Pastoral care may be important if you are moving to a new area. Some sixth forms have excellent results because weaker students leave at the end of Y12 for example so find out about drop-out rates!

Hope that helps

Look at the provision in the area you are moving to. Then I would send emails to possible places - and don't forget sixth form colleges.
Lots of people hold more than one offer of a place, and it is nothing like as restricted as applying for secondary school.
Although most places will be shut, staff will be in on and off over the holidays, and hopefully you will get some replies before the results day. Most sixth form colleges will have some space for last minute applicants (although probably not the likes of Peter Symonds). School sixth forms may also be open to last minute applicants who are moving into the area.

Try ringing the school(s) out of hours and see what the recorded message says about availability of someone to respond to queries?

Can she be flexible about what subjects she takes, or is she set on e.g. specific A levels for medicine?

Re the collecting of results, has your DD already given her written permission for her results to be collected by someone else? Schools round here usually ask students to do this, but it may not be necessary in other areas.

Of course, there will be someone in at the potential new schools the previous Thursday, for A / AS level results day, but they might be too busy to discuss GCSE results day logistics.

Thank you for the replies.
We are moving to London, the schools broke up nearly a week and a half ago. I have managed to get an email response from one school, they have just said contact them on results day. Fortunately we have friends who have had children at both schools, so have 1st hand tales of the schools!
I know that the 3 subjects she wants to study are 'doable' in both schools.
I have spoken to her current head of house and she is happy for someone to collect her results here if needs be and they will hold her A level place for a few days until she gets a confirmed place in London, so she doesn't feel she is placeless! She is also doing a reference for her and has given her email address for the new school to contact her during the holidays.
I thought about the A level results day as well as a time to try to contact the school, but I think they might not have the time, this is however a fear I have if we go to London for results day, won't the teachers be more concerned with their current students not those wanting to join from outside?
Oh decisions, decisions!
I keep having to remind myself that the timing is good in so many ways......can you imagine if we were having to do this part way through A levels.

Most 6th form colleges in London are slightly under-subscribed so you should be ok for a place. This is unlike trying to get a place at any other stage.