school places - oh no not again!

[vintageteacups]

Here we go again!
Have just had a letter from school admission team saying that as we've applied for ds (will be in yr 2) so early, we won't find out if he's got a school place until summer term (didn't say when in the summer term).

Is this normal?
We are moving counties and have a posting order and DH has written a letter explaining we're moving over next summer and ds will start in yr 2 in september

When I rang and asked why they couldn't say if he would get a place, she was so nonny about it, I got really stressed!
She said there are currently 15 spare places in that yr group.....someone tell it will be okay and he'll get in? We have only applied for that one school as it's his catchment school and not normally oversubscribed.

they can only usually confirm places (even with address etc) 6 weeks before anticipated start date (they are only allowed to 'hold' a place for that long) in most areas.

we had the same thing - the school sec gave us the option of mving our yr 2 (who would obv have been yr 1 at that point) early so that the place was taken but oddly we didn't feel she was ready to go it alone at that point...

so we got our confirmation 6 weeks before the end of the summer term to the day (the school hols don't count, it's only term time that matters) for the september start.

Thanks madwoman - that makes me feel more calm about the whole thing.

I have also had the same thing happen, it doesn't seem to matter how early you get the application in they only have to tell you 6 weeks before the end of the summer term. If you say there are 15 places then you should be fine especially as you are most likely moving to an area where there is a transient military community. I had this when we were moving from overseas back to the UK so in addition to not knowing which school would ultimately be allocated I had no opportunity to go and visit any of the schools anyway.

Just be grateful knowing that you have submitted the paperwork and there is nothing else that you can do about it for now.

do I know you englishmom?

Wouldn't know about that! But I know several other people who have been in the same situation so I guess it's not as uncommon as you might think.

The worst thing about it is the waiting game, but you have no option on that! Also if you say they are not normally oversubscribed then perhaps you should relax a little about it, there's plenty else to worry about when you are moving

Sorry englishmom - a friend told me the other day that she goes on here sometimes and I would know her easily from her name. She has just come back from the states so I thought she could be you!!1

have also just spoken to someone else who said that their kids go to the next closest village school and it's lovely so at least I have an option b) to fall back on.