Moving back to uk after admissions deadline

[Rillyrillygoodlooking]

We are potentially moving back to the uk next year way after the deadline for applications to school.
DS will be 5 next oct so starts school In Sept 2012. We are moving in June and deadline for school admissions is jan 16.
Does this mean because we will be such a late admission DS will be put where ever there is a space?
I am having a mild panic about it as there is nothing I can do from the other side of the world.
DS is hard of hearing and had autistic traits. I feel like we have made his life infinitely harder by not staying in one place. Our nearest school when we move back doesn't have brilliant reports, and we can't visit any of the schools.
Does anyone have any advice please?

The big issue with moving back from abroad is not having a UK address - I know that was my catch-22 situation when I moved back mid-year, couldn't get a school place without an address, but didn't want to sign rental contract for a house unless I could get a place in one of the local schools - but it sounds from your post like you know exactly where you are going to be: do you have a property you are moving back to? You might be able to apply as from that address in time for the deadline (but I'm not sure of the exact rules).

Otherwise, yes, you will be at the mercy of the waiting list system. If your DS's issues are serious enough, it might be worth trying to get a statement, which would then put you at the top of the waiting list for whichever schools you like, but still wouldn't guarantee you a place if the school is full.

Yes we are moving to our old address. We have to be living there when we apply because they check to see if you are paying council tax.
We contacted our old teacher of the deaf and she said we have to be in the uk to be statemented. I am not sure it is serious enough though. They are really playing the possibility of autism down where we are now and we get so much help because of ds's hearing loss that had now been channelled towards his lack of social skills and funny use of language.
I hate the thought of Ds not having a school to go to of having to go to a crap one. I am so worried he will fall by the wayside and get ignored/bullied

If you are on Crown Service or in the armed forces you are in a better position. If not, I'm afraid you are right. By the time you move offers will have been made. You will therefore end up with a place at an unpopular school which could be some distance from your home. You will be able to appeal if you don't get your preferred school but Reception appeals generally have a limited chance of success as there is a legal limit on class sizes in infants.

If your son gets statemented that would override the class size limit and allow you to choose your preferred school.

If you and your son can move back to the UK before the deadline I would do so, even if the rest of your family can't join you until June.

I think I am just going to have to make the best of it. We can't move back before the admissions deadline because of DH's contract.
I think the school that we are in catchment for is unpopular so at least we would get into one that was close by.
How easy is it to move schools after the first year?

We moved our daughter after a term of reception because we were moving house. We were prepared to Home Ed her until a palce came up at the school nearest to the house (rather than moving her twice).

We applied as soon as we exchanged contracts (and therefore had our new address). We got a place straight away, she left her old school at Christmas and started her new one in Jan.

Would HE be a possibility for you until a place comes up at the school you want?

Oh and IME an in-year transfer (i.e. not in normal admissions round) was a relatively easy process as you're treated much more like an individual rather than just another of the thousands competing for a place.

We talked about HE, but I am such a procrastinator/lazy that I am not sure it would be a good idea!
I am not sure what I should be teaching him either. He can count to 100 and backwards from 100, he has started spelling words already, and can write his name and write numbers. Plus he might do as he's told more with someone other than his mother :)
But he has problems socially so I really feel it is important for him to go to school. Dunno if it would make it worse if it was not a great school though.
I appreciate your reply though - it makes me feel better!

If you already have a house in the UK can you not come back with your DS leaving your DH behind to complete his contract? Not ideal but might be a few months of separation for a much better start for you DS in school.

I suggest that you get in touch with your LA immediately and explain the situation. Because of your child's special needs they may be slightly more helpful than would be the case usually. If his hearing loss is severe enough to require a statement, then you would get the school of your choice. I am right assuming from what you say he's in a setting already and getting 1:1 help? But of a punt, but it can't be beyond the wit of man (and therein lies the issue) for professionals in another country to provide evidence for statementing here. In our LA statementing panels run all through the summer holidays so once you have evidence you are returning to the UK there is no reason why things could not be in place by Sept.

Think Riverside's suggestion is a very sensible one.

Also, do you have an proof that you'll be returning to a particular house before term starts? I have a friend who was planning to move a couple of months after the admissions deadline but because she could produce a tenancy agreement which showed her intention to move, and her new address, she was allowed to apply with everyone else.

If you have proof that your husbands contract ends and that you've got a specific date for moving back into a specific house, that might help.

Thanks for your suggestions. We contacted the LA and they said that he would be moved up the list with a statement. However we can't get a statement before we go back.
We are getting lots of help here, which is great. They are are very undecided if DS is officially on the spectrum. Its all very confusing, and the added thought of schooling makes me panic when i think about it.
Thanks for the info that statements can happen over summer. That's reassuring. And we will definitely look into proving that we will be back in June.
Although DH is now saying he wants to go to another country so I have no idea what's going on. I would like to be able to plan for one thing and know that that is what is going to happen.