moved area what happens if all the school are full?

[fernie3]

we have just moved into a new area and have the form to apply for a place for my 5 year old (currently in reception but moving into year 1 in september).

We were advised to call the schools to ask about places before filling in the forms to give us a better idea of where is availible. I have phoned all of the school near us and they are all full. I am moving further and further away from our house but as I dont drive and have three younger children it starting to look a little difficult in terms of travellign as it gets further away (not to mention more expensive as i am now a good bus ride away from the ones I am calling!)

what happens if all of the school near us are full? does one of them have to provide a place or do i just need to travel as far as it takes?
I am not really looking for a particular school any school would be nice at this point (although the one right opposite our hosue woudl have been great lol!)

Appeal?

I'd call the council to ask them to help you. They must be able to help you find a place that isn't too far away. We're also moving house and our DS will be moving from reception to year 1. The two schools closest to us are full but luckily the third one isn't. We rang the council and the man on the phone was very helpful.
Good luck with it!!

If the nearest available place is some distance away, you might get transport paid for you. In the meantime, put yourself on the waiting list and eventually you should get lucky.

If the school is full then you have the right of appeal. If we are talking KS2 then this is more likely to get you a place than KS1 (where infant class size limit of 30 applies)

If you cannot get a place then the LA will have a "Fair Access Protocol" which covers (amongst other things) how it "makes" places for children moving into the area when there are none. Basically along the lines of making a place available at a local-ish school (not necessarily your nearest ones) which is best able to take additional pupil(s). Most LAs publish their FAP on their website. LAs have a legal obligation to find you a school place.

If the allocated school is more than 2 miles away (under 8yo) or 3 miles away (over 8) then the child is entitled to free transport & if the route is difficult on public transport etc then the LA often pay for a taxi/minibus for one or more children to travel together.

I would just add that, especially if you are in a city, you may also want to put your dc's name on the waiting list of your preferred schools, on the grounds that children don't show up on the first day of term, so a place may become free at a school near you that is officially "full" right now.

Agree, though, contact the LEA. Different areas have odd variations in waiting-list and application processes.

Classes are capped at 30 in KS1. If the schools are full, they cannot accept any more pupils.

The Local Authority will offer you a place at a school which has places. There will be one. It just may not be at a school you want.

Your options then are to accept this place or to appeal. If you appeal, remember to emphasise why you do want School A and not why you don't want School B. Among many other things.

We went through a successful appeal because of moving into an area late in the year, so I have some experience of this! 5 years out of date now though...

A place was made for our DS before we got to appeal because the council couldn't get him on a bus and a train in time for school in the mornings.(we moved between primary and secondary).

It would have been a nightmare journey and very frustrating because his nearest school was 500m away. Thankfully a sensible decision was made.

well there are 5 school within 5 miles who have all said they were full. There is a 6th school but it is a catholic school and we are not catholic I would really rather she didnt go there - if they have a place but no other nearby school do would she be offered a place here but nowhere else?
We have called up and been told to fill out our forms with our top choices and then if none of them have a place they will give us a place at the nearest school they can... I will just have to wait and see what they say it sounds like!

Check out your LEA's fair access protocol

An appeal for any or all of the schools you want may be your best option. The appeal will be under infant class size rules - so the bar will be set pretty high - but it will be open to you to argue that because you don't drive and have younger children to care for, the decision to give you a place in a school miles away (assuming that's what happens) is unreasonable. It's not easy to win an ICS appeal, but you may find a sympathetic panel.

I'm guessing you're in London or somewhere like Brighton if the pressure on places is that intense?! Definitely get your name on the waiting lists and keep calling the schools - there is still plenty of movement right up until and including the beginning of September. Round where I live (london) you're still in with a hope of getting in if you're in the top 40 of the waiting list (following the initial offers), there is so much movement.

You need to make a formal application for a place at the school of your preference - the nearest one if you are going to argue that the school has to be within working distance.

You then will go to appeal for that school and as it is an infant class, there is a fair probability that it will be an ICS appeal. The point though is that the LA has to make a place available to you. If it is more than 2 miles then they will need to provide transport but more importantly under the Fair Access Protocol if there really is no available places for miles the LA should admit to the preferred school.

The LA will not do anything until you make a formal application for a place, so that is the priority.