36 hours left - help!

[onthemoveyetagain]

Hi there,

We are abroad at the moment but will be returning to the UK in the summer. I am desperate to apply for a junior school place just in the remote chance of having somewhere to send our children when we get back. We will be returning to either Surrey or Hampshire but will be renting - so we have no address. We only have the address where we used to live - post being sent there. So, obviously I can't use that. Does anyone know if I am able to apply on-line for September junior admissions even if I don't live there? And how does this work - do I apply on the Surrey/Hampshire site or through the Medway admissions (where my parents live)?

I know my chances are slim of finding anywhere but you have to be in it to win it, I guess : ) Any information would be greatly appreciated.

When you come back you'll get a place.

The LEA can tell you all schools that have a place in her year and then you can decide which one you like the most.

It's madness to apply now.

I agree with IndigoBell, I am really not sure if they will consider an out of country address without even an in country address to use and even if they did you would not get a place at any school that was oversubscribed, you would get a place at a school that had places left after everybody else had a place.
The best way to do it is to find a place to live and once you have either signed contracts for letting or exchanged for buying you can apply for a place then and the LEA are legally obliged to find a place for your children, it may not be at a school you would choose but you do have the right of appeal and with it being junior school you have more scope to put forward a successful case.
The only time the above wouldn't be correct/the right plan of action is if you are a forces family moving for a posting, there are special rules in these cases that allow families to apply for school places from out of the country and before they have a fixed address in the UK.

Thanks for this. We would be using an in country address - one we live at when we are in between places (quite often at the moment). You may well be right - but we have such an open mind on where to go when we come back that a school place might actually help gear us towards a course of action. Do appreciate what you are saying though and thanks for posting.