School application

[Twinschoolmum]

Hello, looking for some advice! We have decided that when our mortgage comes for renewal (April 2026) we will need reloacte to move closer to family. The problem we have is our twins will be starting school in September 2026. The deadline for school applications is January 2026. How can we apply for a school place when we won't have an address? Where we live now is 1.5 hours from where we want to relocate, so not comutable at all. I know this is a long way off but I want to be prepared as much as I can! Any advice?

You could port your mortgage so move earlier, if porting isn't possible pay the early fees penalty which won't be significant if you complete late 2025. Finally if you are planning to rent you could take a rental out and move ahead of deadline day, this is probably the most expensive option.

Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately our jobs will also come to and end in April, so moving before then is not an option. Would I be able to apply for my current local school and then make a change to the application after we move?

You can apply for schools in new area from old area... if they are under subscribed you might get a place. Otherwise you at least start on the waiting list and can change your address as soon as you have it.

You can put in a late application once you've moved. It's likely the popular schools won't have spaces but you can remain on waiting lists. You'd be sensible to ask the council which schools have vacancies and check you'd be ok with your kids going there, so you can at least have some security while you wait for spaces (or one space as you have twins / the other will automatically also get a space) in your preferred school.

This.

You can put a currently local school as last preference, as a backup, in case the move doesn't go as planned, time-wise, or just leave it for your current LA to assign you your nearest undersubscribed school if you don't get an offer in the new area in April, which they will do, because you still live there. I

n the new area, any school with a place to offer when it gets to your DC on its ranking must make it available to you, wherever you live, but only the LA where you do live has the requirement to find you a place, if none of your preferences on your CAF van be met.