Move Primary schools - Info needed please!!

[Cara3023]

Hi,

I have moved about 5 miles form my old house and would like to move my daughter to a school near to our new house.

At present i am dropping her to school on my way to work but come April time i will be starting Maternity as i am expecting in June, so it makes sense to move schools from after the 6 weeks holiday.

I only really want to apply for one certain school in my new area. The school she is currently at is very good so i would rather keep her there and travel than go to another school in the new area that i didnt choose.

So, my question is:

If i apply for this other school, that i like... and do not get a place, but am offered nother school for her in the area (which i do not like) - Can i decline the offer and keep her at her current school?

Any information would be greatly recieved. Thank you in advance!

Cara

I'd suggest contacting the school and asking if they have any spaces in your DD's year group. If they do, then there is no issue. If, however, the school is full in your DD's year group, then you can ask to go on the waiting list (and it would be worth doing this asap). You can be on the waiting list and keep your DD at her current school for as long as it takes. No one will be offering you any other schools as your DD already has a school place.

If you are offered a school you don't want you are entitled to reject the offer and keep your daughter at her current school.

And I disagree with redskyatnight's final sentence. You may be offered an alternative if you don't get a place at your preferred school. If your new home is in a different LA you almost certainly will be offered an alternative.

You can formally ask for a place at any school, which should be to the LA admission office. If the school has a place then the place is yours. If the school is full then the LA will tell you that and give you the option of going to appeal for the school. The possibility of success at an appeal will depend to some extent on which year group you are talking about. However the good news is that even if you go to appeal and are not successful, you will not loose the place that you have at your current school until you make a clear decision to accept a place at another school. You do need to be careful about timing. Most schools and LAs expect pupils to start at a new school fairly quickly, so if you really do not want to move them before September then I would suggest that you do not ask for a place until Whit. There is of course an obvious potential problem in that there may be a place now but it could get filled before Whit. You will have to decide the right decision on that.
As redskyatnight says you can also go on the waiting list for the school and see whether a place comes up, over the next few months.

Hello
Many thanks for your messages, i have now sorted the school out and providing they accept my daughter, she will be starting in June.