Moving house - school waiting lists

[Marvin6418]

We haven't received our pack/letter as yet but I was wondering if someone might be able to offer some advise as I have held for yesterday for 4 hours for the schools admission to answer and an hour today to ask them but still no luck.

We have just moved house and the schools admission was for my previous address when we applied for the school places. My child didn't get into any of the schools we wanted and was offered a place too far to go to. The house we have moved to is a stones throw from a school (one we didn't apply for previously). Is it possible to get added to the waiting list for this school and what would be the chances of meeting the schools criteria, does the criteria come into play at this late stage?

Yes, if you apply to join the waiting list for the new school you will be placed on the waiting list in line with the admissions criteria. Presumably by this stage, all the siblings etc will have been offered places, so the waiting list is likely to be made up of children applying under the distance criterion (assuming that is how the oversubscription criteria are drawn up). So, if you live a stone's throw away, you're quite likely to be near the top of the waiting list.

You can also appeal for this school. If it is an infant class size appeal (search other primary education threads for discussion of ICS appeals) you don't have much chance of winning, but you could emphasise that your child has no local school place and the appeal panel may stick out their neck for you.

You also need to look for other options - join waiting lists and think about how you would get your child to the allocated school. If it's more than 2 miles away you should be eligible for help with transport costs.

::waves to SchoolsNightmare:

What would be concerning me would be the delay in getting your childs name on the waiting list and places being given out before he joins the list. I would therefore email school admissions with your new address and request to go on the waiting list for the school and any others so you have a 'paper trail' with dates. Then if they give out any places in the meantime and you can prove the date of your request - if your child would have received a place if they had been on the waiting list you should have a strong case at appeal.