Want to move primary school for next Sept - when do I ask the new school?

[VivaLeBeaver]

We're moving DD into the primary school in our village. I'd quite like to move her now while I know there is space but she says she doesn't want to move till she changes year which makes sense I guess. So when do I approach the school and let them know that we'd like her to be there in Sept? June/July? Or can I "reserve" her a place earleir than that?

well you ought to approach them now and get your name down.

Bear in mind that there may not be any spaces for next september, so you might have to take one earlier, or wait until possibly much later.

oh and no, you cannot reserve a space. They cannot have an empty seat, just because you choose not to start when they have one.

Placement is now done through the Local Authority, not the school. Usually as soon as you are offered a space you need to take it, or you lose it (well, that's how it works in my London borough!).

It is usual that you would need to take up the offer of a place within a few school weeks. Obviously that would mean for September that you should be agreeing the school place a few weeks before the end of the term in July, say the beginning of June. There is no way that the LA, who now control school admissions will allow you to reserve a place now for September.

However you are taking an awful risk of the place not being available when you want it. I would strongly advise that if you want to move your daughter you do it now when you know there is an available place, rather than pander to her wishes of the end of the school year. Are you sure that your daughter is not just trying to put off the move because she really wants to stay where she is?

She does want to stay where she is but she can't and she know she can't. Not if she wants to go to the secondary school that she wants to go to.

She's made the decision. I told her she can either stay where she is and go to the secondary school that her cuurent primary feeds into. Or move back to the village primary school and go to the secondary school that the village school feeds into.

She's had a look round both schools and decided she likes the one that the village school feeds into best. She won't get into that school if she stays where she is. She knows that and has said she's prepared to move primary school but I think is hoping to put it off for as long as possible.