Exchanging contracts after 15 Jan. Where should I apply?

[LaGuerta]

Maybe there are some more experienced people than me on this. I have spoken to both LEAs this morning who don't have a definitive answer.

We are in the process of moving house due to a job move from one LEA to another one. DS is due to start school in September.

Our house sale has been tortuous and we are now looking to exchange contracts on 23 Jan (i.e. after the 15 Jan deadline). Luckily I found out in December that the LEA where we are moving to accepts late applications when people are moving house until 1 March. You need to provide proof of exchange of contracts.

What would the best course of action be?

A) I am wondering whether I should apply for a place now in our current LEA "just in case" something calamitous happens and we never end up moving. (we have to move because of the job so I mean DH hit by a bus scenario). Then I would withdraw that application once we have exchanged and make a second application in the new LEA sometime before the 1 March deadline.

B) Alternatively I could apply through my current LEA for the new LEA this week, but then we would be out of catchment for a very popular VA school so would be unlikely to get a place.

Having written it down, option (A) sounds more sensible to me, but then, I haven't done this before and both the LEAs sounded quite sketchy on the phone about what the right course of action is.

Thanks for your wisdom in advance.

Oh...the LEAs are Surrey moving to West Sussex in case anyone has direct knowledge.

I'm surprised that neither of your LEAs have a policy on this. Usually the LEA that you are moving to would only accept an application if you have actually exchanged contracts.

What is the situation with your house exchange? Are there likely to be any last minute hitches? We were all ready to exchange on our last house move when it suddenly transpired that the property our buyers were selling hadn't planning permission for some work that had been done in the house which delayed our move by 3 months. A friend was supposed to exchange and complete one Christmas and eventually moved the following July.

I suspect you have to apply for your current LEA especially given that your new LEA will accept late applications. A bird in the hand and all that.

I think that the LEAs do have a policy but trying to extract it from someone over the phone seems to be a bit hit and miss. In December the person I spoke to was quite definitive about the 1 March deadline, today one of her colleagues didn't know about it and I had to push her to go a check it whilst I waited on the line. Her advice was to apply through our current LEA, she hadn't thought that then our postcode would put us as out of area and at the bottom of the queue. Not to worry, I am sure this is a very busy week for them and they are dealing with lots of neurotic anxious parents on the phone all day.

I am all to aware about how house sales can drag on. Our buyers are FTB and all has gone very well so far. However we have been on the market since the Spring and messed around by other people...Sympathies to you hope it goes through soon.

If you can identify the LA's involved I'll see what I can find out.

Thanks - moving from Surrey to West Sussex.

You need to apply to your current LA, which is Surrey by the 15th January, that is the cut off date for applications.

If you put down schools in your current location, West Sussex will not know that you exist. If you then apply later between 15th Jan and 1st March to West Sussex I am not sure that they will accept your application as being on time, the cut off date of the 1st March quoted by West Sussex is for people, who have applied on time to get their new address in the system. Only the admission office at West Sussex can confirm that and make sure you get it in writing.

If you are absolutely sure this move is going to happen and it is just the date that is in doubt, then I suspect your better course of action is to apply to Surrey by the 15th january but put down three schools in West Sussex that are your preference when you have moved. Surrey will send on your details to West Sussex, so you will be counted as an on time applicant but you will have an address in Surrey that means you will in all probability not have a chance of getting a school place. As soon as you move you then need to confirm to West Sussex that you have moved, furnish the evidence before the 1st March and you will then be counted as an on time application using the new address. That does leave you with a major problem if the move does not happen before the 1st March but I can't see any other way around it.

Thanks for your thoughtful reply admission. I think I will be back on the phone to W Sussex in the morning.

Can you put down two west sussex schools and one reserve surrey school just in case? It depends on what you think your chances are of getting a preferred school in each place, that way if you don't move hopefully you will get your 3rd choice surrey school, but if you do move you contact w sussex, and hopefully get one of your two preferred schools there. You are narrowing your chances a bit, but at least then you have some options in both scenarios.

I called the new LEA yesterday and found someone who sounded more confident of herself. Her advice was the same as admissions, so that is what I will do.

Thanks for everyone's help.