urgent advice needed on schools - stressed!

[lotti37]

Hi

I have 2 children aged 6 and 4 and are currently out of the country about to return next month. my eldest completed reception in england and then for year 1 we went abroad for abit. second child will start reception in september (awaiting to hear which school). I have applied for an inyear place for my 6 year and he is on the waiting list are all 3 schools were full. i am gutted a wanted him to go back to his old school which is at the top of the road ceva school so close and all friend are there and it is likely that my 4 will get it there. I rang the local council and they have told me that my 3rd choice school has a place available. we have 3 options:-

1. take the offer of the 3rd choice , keep him there and maybe look at changing him to nearest 1st choice school if place comes available but noone know when. keep 4 year old at nearest school. 2 different school drops

2. take the offer of 3rd choice and switch youngest child to this school as well

3. keep youngest at nearest 1st choice school and my 6 year old has private tuition for this summer (paid for by work) and then hope space is available in september for 1st choice school.

i am pregant with no 3 as well due in summer. I really like the 1st choice school at the top of the road, all friends are there and ceva school and we are so close to parish.

has anyone appealed if they have not got a their choice of in year place. feel really stressed about it all. he has had a tought time out here and been ill and needs to be with his friends. don't know what to do. my husband want to go with option 3 and hope space becomes available but you never know when it is. advice help please. thank you so much. i need to let the council know if we want to take the 3rd preference school in the next couple of days. any advice?? thank you

Presumably if the 4 year old goes there then the 6 year old will be top of the waiting list with sibling priority?

Is it a big school with much movement? There would be more chance of a place coming up in a 90 intake school than a 30...Maybe the school can give you an idea of how much movement there is generally?

I'd be tempted to go with option 3 too, if a place looked like it might be on the cards. It would be more messing about to put them in a school you are not so happy with and have to move them both again.

Are you absolutely sure your 4yr old will get a place at your preferred school? If you are currently out of the country, you are unlikely to meet any of the specific criteria for admittance - you almost always need to be living here for that even for a CofE VA school. Of course if you return before allocations are made you'll be fine, but it doesn't sound like you will.

Also check on sibling priority; it may be the case that the 6 year old will go to the top of the list, but some schools only operate that for the younger sibling so the 6 year old won't be covered by that.

What would you do in scenario 3 if a place did not come up?