Well, to update (and sorry for the essay)..... I moved to Brighton in November, which wasn't ideal timing but how the job went. I found B&H admissions useless and giving really misleading information. I couldn't find a 3 bed place I liked in the stringer catchment area, but found a house just outside it. I spoke to admissions and they said not to worry and that you can still apply for places outside your catchment area and that if the schools you like are full they can ask a school to go over its numbers for someone moving into the area with no school place. We were told to put down schools we liked so choices were made and the wait started. After weeks of waiting a place was offered for each daughter that wasn't on our lists. I am actually happy with the primary place although its not that near to the school, however there were no spaces in any of the schools near. I asked the admissions why they wasted my time asking me to make choices when it would have been easier for them to just tell me where there was a space but they harped on about parental choice (oh the irony).
Secondary has been a massive pain. We applied for Stringer, Varndean and Cardinal Newman (although we are in Blatchington and Hove Park catchment area) as they said to put down where we liked.
After calling frequently to enquire I was informed that they would likely approach the schools we had put down and ask for them to go over maximum numbers. After further waiting I called back and was told my daughter has been allocated a place at Hove Park - I asked to speak to the manager as I was really annoyed that from day one we were obviously going to be offered that as Hove Park is the only school in the area with spaces (not a great sign). The manager could not give a damn sadly and gave a half hearted apology for my experience. He said I can appeal, however I clearly have no grounds and he also said they are not allowed to ask a school outside your catchment area to take you unless they have a space, which was completely different to original advice.
I've looked round Hove Park and although I'm sure there's some lovely kids there and our guides were really sweet, I felt it was tatty and the children looked bored and unchallenged and there were quite a few classrooms with children standing outside having been ejected. There was little practical going on even in art and science etc which made me think the teachers were taking the easy route. The deputy head was pleasant but seemed to lack time to talk to us and so it was very rushed. I asked the boy who showed us round if there was any bullying and he clearly struggled to answer as he knew he was supposed to be encouraging us to come, but said it was "better than it used to be". Did not come away feeling very confident and my daughter said it felt like Waterloo Road.
I made enquiries about the waiting list for Stringer and Varndean in year 8 and was told that Stringer is 16 children over their published numbers in that year and has 18 pupils in the "reallocation pool" (is this some new term for waiting list?!), 8 of which are in the catchment area. Varndean are 4 over their numbers and there are 13 on the waiting list - 6 of which are within the catchment area. Am waiting to hear back from Newman as they have their own list. Blatchington Mill is also over set numbers. Given this, I cannot see how anyone in either of the main catchment areas and therefore travelling distance, applying for a place beyond year 7 would get any offer other than Hove Park as they are clearly needing to fill up the spaces and distribute them more in that area. In fact when I called Hove Park to arrange a viewing I said I had been informed that they had allocated a space for my daughter and I was told by the secretary she had been given a place in yr 9......I said, well thats not going to work as she is yr 8 (apparently admissions made a mistake), however the lady said it wasnt a problem as they have spaces in yr 8 too! I am currently in contact with West Sussex admissions who seem much more efficient and helpful, however the dilemma then is whether to send my daughter to a school that's better, but quite far away and a long train journey - she wants to make local friends but also wants to be challenged in school and not spend her whole time being disrupted. Anyone I ask about Hove Park usually pauses and looks uncomfortable before answering, like they want to spare you the truth!
What to do eh?!! Otherwise we go with Hove Park and maybe get a tutor or something - or leave her in London for longer and take the chance that she might get something decent before year 11. Quite tricky as she is currently in a really good school.
Anyway 'Impossible', hope that doesn't fill you with too much fear!!!!!! Also, 'Javo', I was constantly ringing admissions saying that I thought newcomers should have priority as it would seem silly for a space to come up for someone in the area who had a school place but wanted to move, when you had someone moving into the area with no school place, but I was told they do not give priority to newcomers and just deal with applications as they come in. (Although frankly I think they do not know the policies or information themselves - when I was given the place for my daughter in yr 4, I asked where the school was and the lady said she didn't know and that I could look it up!)
Good luck!!!!!! 