Primary reception - late applications, please could someone explain?

[weedonleg]

We're going to be a late application (just relocated to new area) for reception 2012. The dates in the new area are 30th March initial offers made, and 1 May, reallocation.

I understand as a late application we will be part of the 1 May reallocation group, but what I am not clear on is whether there is any advantage to us submitting our late application now as opposed to submitting it after the 30th or even later. We would ideally want to wait until after the 30th so we know which schools have places available before potentially wasting our three choices on schools we have no chance of getting in to (we're currently renting so can be flexible on which village to move to).

Are the late applications dealt with in a waiting list fashion (i.e. you gradually get further up the list with places offered sequentially during April), or do the late applications pile up until the 1 May when they are all looked at and ranked on oversubscription criteria?

Many thanks in advance!

Number of questions in your post that need answering.
After the initial allocation on the 30th March there is a short period where parents are asked to confirm or reject the initial admission allocations. The Code on admissions is very clear that as soon as a place becomes available that it should be allocated. It is realistic to have a couple of weeks to allow parents to get their decisions back to the LA and for the LA to put together all the replies but I am little surprised that the date of 1st May is being quoted, that is nearly five weeks!
So my first reaction is to say get your application in as soon as possible. Even after the 30th March individual schools will not know whether they are full or not as they do not get the acceptances, it is the Local Authority. They will obviously learn fairly quickly but all admission arrangements are via the LA so the schools are going to be of limited help to you.
Admission to fill all available places is using the same admission criteria as for the initial allocations, it is not by when you applied (or certainly should not be). Given the requirement to fill places ASAP I think that I would not take the 1st May as sacrosanct as the first time that any other admissions will take place.
That does not help you in knowing where there are places I am afraid. However what you need to know is that whilst you might be asked for three preferences on the application form, you can actually appeal for a place at any school, you are not limited to those three. You could try asking schools now whether they expect to be full and seeing what reaction you get - they will know now what level of preferences they have received but not who or in what order. That might give you an idea of what school may have places. The other information that you need to know is the admission number of the school. If it is 15 or 30 then any appeal is likely to be an infant class size regs appeal, which is much more difficult to win. My inclination is to name as soon as possible three preferences on schools that you like, that preferably have an admission number that does not mean an infant class size regs appeal and see how you get on. I don't think there is any way of ensuring that you can name three schools that have places.

Thank you so much for the comprehensive reply.

The website says the notifications are 30 March, then places have to be accepted/refused/on waiting list by the 19 April and reallocations on the 1 May.

Regarding late applications, it says "Applications received after 27 January 2012 will not be considered for places on 30
March 2012, but will be included in the re-allocation of places on 1 May 2012 as defined above. Details of these applications will be forwarded to each school expressed as a preference for them to apply their over-subscription criteria."

Does that sound about right?

We actually spoke to two (historically undersubscribed) schools this morning and they both indicated they thought they would have places (based on the preference spreadsheets they have received). One has an admission of 60 and one of 45 (what's the implications for appeals of the 45 admission?). Both said to call back on the 30th and they would be in a much better position to guide us (with the usual caveat that things can change very quickly and it's down to the LEA and not them etc etc).

I'm still not clear why you advise we should apply asap, if you say "Admission to fill all available places is using the same admission criteria as for the initial allocations, it is not by when you applied (or certainly should not be)".

Thanks so much, sorry to be so dim!

As admission says, the waiting list is ordered using the original admission criteria. Applying late does not put you at the back of the list. However, until you apply you aren't on the list. Any places that come up will go to those who are on the list, so you may be missing out on places you could have got.

The LA could be challenged over the length of time they are taking but what they are saying is broadly right.

Aha - lightbulb moment! The "until you apply you're not on the list" suddenly makes it all clear!

One last question, if we apply, are offered a place and accept it, then end up getting our permanent home in the village with the other school (and in this hypothetical world this other school still has places), can we go back to the LEA and ask for a place at that school instead? Part of my reluctance to set my priority order early was that our current lease doesn't end until end of May, so we don't know exactly where we will buy our home until that time. Thanks in advance

Yes, you can apply for another school at any time, even after your child has started school.

what's the implications for appeals of the 45 admission?

Depends how they organise their classes, but this would typically be 2 classes of 23/22 in YR & then three classes of 30 spanning Y1/Y2. If it is like this then it would be an infant class size appeal in the same way as a 30/60 PAN.

can we go back to the LEA and ask for a place at that school instead?
Yes

x-post with PRH

Hi Betsy!