My apologies if this is out of order, but after posting this in the general Secondary Schools forum some thread searches for specific schools revealed the Barnet local forum. I'll delete the original if that's best.
I am an American who moved to the Barnet area last September after getting my MBA at Oxford. I have a two-year post study work visa, and will bring my 15 year old daughter over in September. Terrible timing I know, but we'll make the best of it, having to do this at last minute with the visa having taken so long to come through.
I'm currently devouring all the information I can find on the council web site, trying to set up an in-person visit with the council, searching/readind the Mumsnet forums, and generally trying to give myself a crash course in the (complex!) British system for school applications.
We're looking for a non fee-paying school, and that's why we chose to live in Barnet (on the rationale that even the "last choice" secondary in Barnet won't be that bad). My daughter is extremely bright across all subjects, so if tests are involved she'll do well.
I guess I am looking for pointers for someone new to all of this - good threads to read, good online guides, and in the best case, someone willing to give me a few specific pointers about the Barnet area - schools to avoid, advice on applications for Year 10, etc. At this stage any advice is good - I am here to learn.
One particular question is about "vacancies" as listed by the individual school web sites. Some schools say they are full, but there seem to be extra places that get allocated later. Other schools don't say whether they have vacancies at all. Should I just ask the council and that's it? Is it worth contacting each school? How fluid is the vacancy situation (especially for non Year 7s) at this stage?
Thank you very much for your help,
Chris