Late admission from abroad

[Russianmother]

Hello, we have just moved to the UK because my English husband's company needed him urgently in London. We are currently in temporary accomodation and have not applied for school places for our children, aged 5, 2 and baby. Is there any chance we could get into a good state primary for our 5 year old? What does one do in these situations as it is going to take at least a month to find even a permanent address? I am a little bewildered by it all so sorry for asking such a naive question but the move was incredibly swift leaving me in a foreign country with three young chldren and no school place. confused

There should be places somewhere, and if not you will fall under "fair access" rules and then one of the schools near you should be asked to take an additional child over the normal limit of 30 for an infant class. When will the 5 year old be 6? If it is before 1 September he/she will be year 1, if it is 1 September or after then you are looking at a reception place.

You should ask your local council which schools have spaces in the year you need and then decide which of these is the best for you.

If you can say roughly where you are you will probably get someone on here who can suggest some schools too. Or come back on with the names of the schools suggested and someone will help you out.

Thankyou for your reply. That makes me feel a little better, though I fear the schools where we are looking are very oversubscribed. We are thinking to live in Hackney, hopefully near Victoria Park, or Tower Hamlets.

will your husband's company pay private school fees for a while. My DS's school is full of children in your situation, whose parents have been transferred from abroad and the company ends up paying the fees. Worth asking, in case you end up not getting into a state school you like.

I don't think so, certainly not until we get a clear statement from local education authority. Does anyone know of good schools in Hackney?

Silverstreet, I am also moving to London from abroad and I have just got my daughter, who turns 6 in November, in to year 1 class staring September-12. Should she be in reception from September 2012? This is making me nervous but the school clearly accepted her as a year 1 kid.

Russianmother,

Call or email around to all the schools in the area you want to live and ask if they have any places left. If any of them do and you like the look of the school then narrow your house hunt down to that area.

Silverstreet, you start in Reception in the September of the year in which you turn 5. UK starts school a year or so before many other countries.

So, September 2012 entry will be for children with birthdays between 01/09/2007 and 31/08/2008.

A child who is 6 before 01/09/12 will be going into Year 2, if after 01/09/12 then Year 1.

SwedishK - Year 1 is correct since your DD turns 6 in November. If she had turned 6 this August then she would be Year 2.

All of the schools are full to the brim apart from the terrible ones. We have still not applied as we do not even have proof of address yet. I wonder if there is any sort of contingency for this sort of situation.

There is a contingency - it's called the Fair Access Protocol. The local education authority of the area you'll be moving to should be able to give you details. It means that if there is no local school which has a place for your child, they can be admitted to a school which is technically full. Remember, though, that in England infant class sizes are limited by law to 30 pupils, so the LEA will want to place your child in a class which is below the legal limit of 30 and will not put him in a class as the 31st pupil if there is any alternative.

Primary school admissions for most schools are controlled by the LEA, not the individual school (unless the school is voluntary aided or a foundation school), so you need to make contact with the LEA to establish where the vacancies are and to make a formal application. The LEA should be able to tell you how far (or not) it will proceed with your application before you have proof of address.

Thanks Phyrra for the clarifications. Good to k now we got her in to the right year:)