In-year admissions Fleetville, Maple, Oakwood primaries

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Hi everyone!

Our family is planning a move (back) to the UK for next May and I would sincerely appreciate any tips/thoughts anyone can provide on admission to any one of these three primaries: Fleetville, Oakwood and Maple.

I have a ds who will be 4 in January and a dd on the way. DS will be the right age for reception, but we cannot move until May 2016 by which time the application process would have closed. From what I gather, we can submit a late application but it would only be added to the pool of applications during the 2nd round of continued interest. That means that if we end of living anywhere close enough to see the school gate we would have a tiny, tiny chance of ds being admitted to the respective school before September in the unlikely event that a kid already accepted decides to go to an independent school (for example) and we are first one the list etc etc. Is my understanding correct?

What happens then if he doesn't get in? I wouldn't want him to go to any other but these three schools for a number of reasons I wouldn't want to bore you with. If we are lucky enough to find a property within say 400 metres of one of these three schools, how long could it be before we are offered a place. Is there a possibility that we live very very close and yet we wait for years?

I tried to get my hands on some stats about how many kids were granted a place during in-year for reception over the last few years, just to get an idea, but the Hertfordshire Council did not have any such data.

I feel we are truly stuck in a rut. Moving before May would cost the family my entire salary for a year and then some - is it worth doing anyway?

Please please help. I am desparate.

Both my children go to Fleetville. For the eldest, 7 children have left his class in 7 years, at a rate of about 1 year (but the first one to leave was half way through Year 1). My other son started reception and there was one name on the list who never turned up. So it's not hopeless.

I am not sure there is any point in putting down all those 3 schools on your form. You would only stand any chance with the one of them that is your nearest school. No one child from any round got into Oakwood or Maple last year unless it was their nearest school. 3 people got in to Fleetville from 400m away.stats I can't see it being any different for in-year admissions (same rules are applied).

My feeling is you need to plump for 1 of those 3 (I would recommend Fleetville because it has 90 places per year rather than 30 or 45) on my form and look at other choices where your child could go until a place became available and aren't too inconvenient. (St Albans traffic is terrible in the morning). Most of the schools round here are just fine.

Allagory, thanks for your input - much appreciated! Yes, it seems that our best shot would be to find a place very, very close to Fleetville Infant School and hope that someone leaves. When you say that for your eldest 7 children left the schools for 7 years, do you mean in his class of 30 or in the entire year of 90?

Lastly, is there any chance that any of these three schools would increase their intake for 2016 and how would I find out?

Thanks again.

7 left who were in his class at the timE so you could expect 3x that number of plAces overall, assuming my son's class is typical.

There is a paper here that discusses the need for extra primary places in St albams. Extensions of those 3 schools have all been rejected. It does discuss expanding Cunningham hill school to 3 form entry. It is nearby to Fleetville & Oakwood and Is an Ofsted outstanding school. that might be good in that it is a good alternative and that it might lessen demand for the schools you want.

usually there is a admissions consultation paper published for each year but I couldn't find it on Maybe ask herts county council for a copy.