What is the procedure to follow if you want your child to switch schools.

[FiveGoMadInDorset]

Just pondering, various issues with DD's shcool, she is in reception.

First find a school that has a vacancy in the year group you are interested in, your LEA will know. Easier said than done in some areas! Then phone any schools you are interested in and ask to look round. Be prepared for the Head to ask why you are thinking of moving and whether you have addressed any concerns with your current head ( and the prospective head will probably phone the current head for a "chat" as they all know each other!) if you find a school you like with a vacancy, tell the LEA you would like to move, inform your current head and agree a moving date with the prospective head. Job Done!

Hi Fanny,

We have to go through the Access Team at the LA.

You find a school you would like DD to go to, ring up the Access Team ask if there are any places at said school, if yes, then the wheels are put in motion.

The school that we would choose has places for 24 and only 16 currently.

Sorry huge dilemma, currently driving 35+ miles a day ferrying 2 DC's to different nursery/school, we have planned to move DS to preschool on DD's first schools site as they would both be dropped off at the same time and he can use to the breakfast club which would enable me to get to work at about 8.30/8.45. They want to move the breakfast club to their other site which he wouldn't be able to use as he wouldn't be allowed on the school mini bus, so we are back to square one.

There are a few other niggles, discovering DD's TA in Tesco's 12 miles away last Friday was one, and a few other things which they said would happen and aren't.

How do you know the TA wasn't buying stuff for school? We are always sending people out for batteries, baking stuff, etc. Admittedly, 12 miles away is pushing it...perhaps the school is v rural?

Because she kept going round saying you haven't seen us and the other one was doing her weekly shop, although very quickly

That's shocking!

I think they were doing something with the minibuses whoch had to go somewhere and they took advantage.

You apply for your preferred school through the LA. Some LAs try to tell you that they have the right to decide whether or not you can transfer your child. They are wrong. If your preferred school has places they have to admit your daughter.

All school admissions now go through the LEA, so once you've found a school you like with a vacancy, you need to apply to the LEA (for the vacancy or for a place on the waiting list if there is no vacancy). And it is standard practice for the new head to ring the old head, to check that you have at least attempted to resolve any issues there.

Thank you, it is mainly the mileage issue at the momnet which we thought we were solving but now seem to be back at square one which does seem a pretty pathetic excuse but with the price of diesel at the moment and the time spent driving a day then we do need to look at that seriously.

Sounds fair enough to me. I think what makes head teachers go is when parents apply to transfer to a new school because they have a catalogue of complaints about the first school, but have never mentioned them to the school. (And I've been wondering, since I posted, about whether the head-to-head phone call would happen now anyway, as the LEA has taken on responsibility for casual (ie not Year R)admissions).

I am actually debating the same thing for the same reason so they must have heard it before. Best to do it when they are only in reception I think

Even with the LEA being responsible for admissions, heads want to know what they are letting themselves in for

Five, we did this when DD was in yr 1. We found a school she/we liked and went for an interview and by the end of the following week she had started new school.

There was a little untimely haste on my part as it was the week her Dad walked out on me so I just did it.

But the school did all the leg work and we n notified the existing school. (They were aware we had issues.

Although I wouldn't have 'chosen' to do it like that it actually minimalised the trauma of DD getting worked up about leaving the existing school and we dealt with the fall out with the new school who were brilliant.

If you are unhappy, every chance she will be so trust your gut.

I have just rang a school about admitting my 3 dc.

For my reception daughter I was told I had to ring the city admissions line.

Spaniel is right - we're doing this at the moment, and the new headteacher wanted to meet me for a chat and I told him my reasons for wanting to move, which he appeared to understand. He checked whether I had approached the school regarding the issues first and I had.
I have now approached them again but tbh this is 3 years on from the first incidents and nothing's changed - it's getting worse if anything.
He said he would speak to the hT at our current school as it's courtesy between HTs, so anyway, we just need to decide, then fill in a form online or on paper, send it to the LEA, they contact new HT to make sure there's a place, then it goes from there.

It's not handled by the school any more, it takes a few weeks this way.