anyone know if a child can attend a school in another county???

[becaroo]

...we live on the border of 3 counties. Ds1 has been home schooled since Jan as he was very unhappy in his last school. We would like ds1 to attend a school in the next village which is in a different county (its only 4 miles away though)

Can he do this?

thanks!

Yes he can, if they have spaces they should take him. If they are full, then no.

I grew up in Switzerland, at the border with France and I cannot remember any french people coming to our school or any Swiss one going to a French school but on the basis that "frontaliers" from France work in Switzerland I suppose it could be feasable. I do ot know where you should ask though and maybe it would not be free to have your child schooled in a foreign country as you do not contribute taxes there IYSWIM?

Which countries are you in between? I suppose that if they are both in the EU it might be easier?

I should say both in the EU or any other group of countries whith common legislation.

gory counties not countries!!

GRRR read Coutries instead of counties, please ignore me!

you have made my day gory!!!

thanks for the info though!!

am very that you lived in Switzerland!!

yes is the answer.

If they have places and will take you it can actually work out better for your child, especially if there is any SN or extra funding required because the school will ask for funding direct from the LEA where your child should go to school rather than just dipping into the pot that is for everyone (iykwim)

We live in a small town where half the town is under one Local authority and half is under another. So there are streets where literally some people live in one authority and some in a different authority, pay different council tax and have their bins collected on different days etc! Likewise the schools fall under different authorities and plenty of people living in one authority have children going to a school in the other local authority. It used to be that you had to make separate applications on separate forms for each authority and would therefore end up with two offers, one from each authority. With effect from this year thouigh all admissions are managed by the local authority in which you live, with them liaising with the other authority on your behalf, so that everyone only ends up with one offer. So the point of telling you all this was to say that yes, you can definitely go to a school in a bordering county or bordering local authority etc provided they ahve places and you would obviously be admitted according to the usual admission criteria so would probably be behind quite a few people given not being in catchment. Actually it's just occurred to me that in our town there is only one secondary school (we're still at primary) and it comes under the local authority that we do not live ijn, so in that case we have no choice but to go to a school outside of our local authority.

Yes you definitely can - I know a few kids who do (we live very near the border between two counties so it's a fairly common situation really).

Thanks for all your replies....the schools in question do both have places - I am viewing them both this week!

The secondary issue could be a problem as we are not in catchment.....will have to check out their admission policy!

If the school has a place in the year group you need then they cannot refuse you the place no matter what their admission policy. The admission policy would however come into play if you have a younger sibling that has to apply for reception place.

You should also be aware that it is now the LA that is responsible for all school placements, so whilst it is sensible to visit the schools and confirm that this is a place for your son, the actual application for the place needs to go to the LA of the county involved.

admission well apparently not!!!

Even though I am applying for a place in Leicstershire, I still have to go through the Derbyshire LA!!!!

This only became policy last month though.

What a kurfuffle!

Sorry, Becaroo, you are completely correct, the application must be through the home LA which would be Derbyshire LA.
Kurfuffle is not the word I would use, it is just an exercise in wasting time,energy and getting parents upset when there is no real need.

Becaroo - I have sent you a PM

Hello lborolass I am sorry - I have tried to open your message but cant - I think its my blinking laptop!!! Sorry!

admission Its to do with funding I am sure (what isnt these days??) Just seems really silly....I have to contact DLA who then contact LLA who then contact the school who then tell them if he can go (he can.....have checked already!) who then tell LLA who contact DLA again who contacts me......LUDICROUS!!!!!

is there a way I can access PM on here??

Did you try it by clicking on the envelope at the top of the screen next to the log in/out ?

You click on envelope next to the inbox at the very top of your MN page.

thank you!

Have PM you lborolass

It's funny beccaroo cos the kid I particularly have in mind (I tutored them) who crosses the county boundaries is in Derbyshire - but goes over the border into Nottinghamshire, and did for both primary and secondary (and the secondary is a really really popular one).

yes, done it.

School admissions appear to be the biggest administrative dog's breakfast left in local authorities becaroo. They should only be approached after strong coffee or other fortification. Incidentally your situation is not very unusual in your neck of the woods - I know because my DB has kids there and they straddle two counties too. Best bet is to call the admissions dept at each council separately. They are quite tame apparently.

Every child in my road goes to school in a different LEA because my local Academy is better known as Yob Central

The reason why the change was introduced according to the DCSF, as it was then, was that too many naughty headteachers were letting in pupils above the admission number of the school. So they created the sledghammer to crush the nut!

The simple answer was to tell heads that if they illegally let pupils in over their admission number not only would they get reprimanded but they would also not get any funding for that child for the period they were in the school.

admission ah, so thats why!

I have been in touch with the Home ed dept of my LA (who have always been very helpful tbh) and they have talked me through the proceedure.

I am lucky as I know there are places at both schools for him so its a case of him deciding which he wants to go to then applying - waiting a million years for them to sort it out!!!! - and him starting.

Thanks all for your help x