Can I move my child from private prep school to a primary?

[naptime]

Hello,
We have got our 5th choice primary school for my DS to start Sept 2012, which we are not feeling happy about. I feel so depressed every time we drive past it, its in quite a deprived area, not our closest school etc. We are on waiting lists for our other schools but I am not holding up much hope as we are not so high up on those lists.

We looked around a private school and I may be too late anyway now to get him in there - however I was wondering if we were lucky and got him into one, can we still stay on waiting lists for our preferred primaries? The thinking is that we can afford for DS1 to attend private for a while, but not as a long term option (DD2 to think about too.) Does anyone know? Thanks for any help!

As long as there's a place you can move your child at any time.

BUT be aware that at the prep school you will have to give a whole term's notice and will still have to pay whether or not your child is there. Check the small print carefully.

Yes, you can still stay on the waiting lists. Check with each school or LEA - you often need to phone them regular to keep your interest int he place so you don't drop from the lists.

If a place comes up at your chosen school you will have to take the place at very short notice. This will mean removing your child from their current school within a week or so quite often.

A private school generally requires a term's notice. If you leave at short notice you will still be expected to pay for the term's notice even though your child is not attending.

Agree about terms notice on fees - that seems standard.

In reception at a private school he will still be entitled to his 15 hours EYFS funding and you can pay with salary sacrifice vouchers eg computershare - until legal school age term after tuns 5.

Often means private reception costs same or less than nursery.

Thank you for your help everyone on this. Sounds like we'd def have to prepare to pay a term's notice. I had heard that you can 'drop off' the waiting lists if you're out of the state system, but I will ask the LEA and hassle them to keep us on it if we do get him in to private.
dixiechick - thanks for tip about the vouchers. He is really old for the year so sadly the funding wouldn't last for long.

Could he stay in his current pre school until age 5? Give you a bit longer to see if an acceptable place comes up.

If the pre-prep isn't oversubscribed you could give a rolling notice, basically giving notice at the beginning of each term. That way you won't be liable for a term's fees if you then move mid-term. Of course if the pre-prep has a waiting list then this doesn't work. At ds's current school a few parents who were planning on moving did this with no problem.