Moving house after applying to primary school

[Crispao]

Hello all,

We want to move house but have already applied to a school where we live. Unlike most other similar posts we actually want our child to go to school nearer the new house. Will we have problems or are we now tied to our first choice. Thanks so much

You need to phone the school that you want...the one near your new home and discuss it with them in the first instance. it will depend on whether they are over-subscribed. Your child may, in the worst case scenario, have to attend another school for a while until you get a place at the one near your new home.

If you are in England phoning the school won't get you anywhere. It is all down to the local authority at this stage assuming we are talking about admission to Reception. You need to contact your LA and find out if it they will treat you as a late applicant if you change your preferences. Unless they say you will be treated as an on-time applicant (get this in writing if they say that) you should stick with your existing preferences. Once you've been offered a place you can ask to go on the waiting list of schools near your new house. If they are undersubscribed you will get a place straight away. What happens if the local schools don't have a place available depends on how far you have moved. If the journey to school from your new house is more than 45 minutes each way the LA should find you a school nearer home. If it is less than that you will have to stick with the place you've got until a local place becomes available.

Phone the LA. They'll want a new address before the6 can do much unless new school is undersubscribed

The LA will need the change of address but the OP may be best advised to tell them to use her old address for admissions purposes and her new address for correspondence. She needs to avoid being treated as a late applicant.

Has the application deadline definitely passed? I may be clutching at straws but you don't say in your post - where I am you can change your mind and resubmit up to the 15th.

You are right that the deadline for applications in England is 15th January. However, the OP says she wants to move, which sounds like her plans are not very far advanced. I am therefore assuming that she won't move until after 15th January. If she does move before then she can simply re-apply based on her new address and preferences. In that scenario she won't have any problems.