Moving house and reception admissions

[Allegrogirl]

We're reluctantly planning on moving somewhere quieter than our current city centre location but I'm a little confused about primary admissions for DD1. She is due to start in Sept 2012. What do we do about getting her a primary school place as we won't have moved when we need to apply for her reception place? Even if we have picked our catchment area we wouldn't get a place until we have an address.

I'm concerned than when we move the local primary may be over subscribed. Part of the reason for moving is to be part of a community where the DDs can go to school with the local kids.

You won't need to apply until mid-January. If you haven't moved by then you will have to apply from your current address. If you move after that you will probably find that the LA will treat you as a late application, which means your daughter is likely to end up at an unpopular school which could be some way from your home.

Unfortunately schools can't keep places open 'just in case' someone moves into the area. If the schools in your chosen area are popular there is a strong chance that once you move the places will already be allocated. The LEA will then send you to a school which could be anywhere in the borough that has a space. Is it not at all possible for you to move before applications have to be made? If you haven't found a house to move to but have sold yours then it might be best to rent and secure the school place and then take your time to find a family home to buy. Alternatively make the late application to be put on the waiting list and then she could stay at a nursery/pre-school setting until she is 5yrs and then just hope a space becomes available.

We are in a similar situation (long story) and based on our horrid experience, although a lot of it is down to the LAs inability to do anything right, I can only emphasise what tinytalker has said. I would make every effort to try and move before the application deadline even if it meant renting until the sale/move went through.

Would be worth finding out if the schools have been over subscribed in previous years and also if there are current waiting lists for the schools in the area as this would give a degree of indication as to whether you would get in on a late application. Of course every year can be different so it's not set in stone.

Good luck.