moving house, moving schools for 3 children

[manitz]

can anyone give me any advice on how to do this the easiest way possible? Have one in y5, one in y3 and one to apply for reception. Love the house but moving from an outstanding 2-3 form entry sch to a good 1.5 form entry sch. Have several issues:

• worried it will be a bit boring, new school smaller, more villagey and a far less diverse intake
• as it's smaller i'm also worried it will be a bit cliquey for my older kids and may not offer as diverse educational interest for them.

generally I think it's all a much of a muchness at primary school so not overly worried about the above. Lookds like I can get dc 3 in easily as it's through reception normal application. Wont get dc1 and 2 in at present. Does anyone have experience of getting their kids moved with a sibling link in the year through appeal? Any tips would be welcome.
I'd also appreciate advice to help the kids settle into their new lives quickly. Am I over thinking all of this?
thanks

I don't know, but interested in how you get on!
I was put off moving to a town because of the terrible problems we would have had finding any of the DC a local school place.
My best chance was to get the y5 child in, and then start appealing for the y1 child. In meantime my high school age children would be shunted to high schools in towns 5-12 miles away.
I could not put myself thru it.

But I have heard that all you have to do is burst into tears & the appeals panel will let 'em in. I can't do tears on demand, so not for me.

Check the admission criteria carefully. Some only give sibling priority where there is an older sibling at the school. If that is what happens here getting your youngest into reception won't give any priority to the older children.

Even if your older children do get sibling priority that is unlikely to win an appeal. It will put them at or near the head of the waiting list but that is all. The appeal panel will want to know how your children will be disadvantaged if they are not admitted to this school. Transport and childcare problems caused by having children at separate schools will not generally win an appeal. You need to look at features this school has that will be of particular benefit to your children and that are missing from the offered school(s).

It is a myth that bursting into tears will win an appeal. It will get you sympathy and a tissue but that is all.

I asked how did you win the appeal? At least three state secondary schools with places are much closer to their home (no reason not to attend those schools other than preference). She said she burst into tears & she was sure that's what swung the mood in the room. She's a very straight talking Welshwoman, I Think she would have told me if another factor had swung it. This is a woman who tells all & sundry about the time she wet herself due to prolapse problems. Why wouldn't she mention a solid reason for her child to get into that and only that school if there was one?

I don't approve either, but we both know someone else who has probably put that one up her sleeve as an option.

If you look at your friend's decision letter it should state the reasons she won her appeal. She may think that crying made a difference but all that matters is the reasons given by the panel.

Parents sometimes burst into tears during an appeal hearing. Some of those will win their appeal. Some of those will think they won the appeal because they burst into tears. They are never correct. The Appeals Code lays down the decision making process to be followed by the appeal panel. Whether or not the parent cried does not form part of that process. The clerk will make sure the panel stick to the process.

Sometimes the case for refusing admission is so weak that any appeal will succeed, regardless of how weak the reasons put forward by the parents. And parents may not appreciate the weakness of the school's case. I have advised many parents who thought the school's case was so strong they couldn't possibly win when the school's case was in fact incredibly weak. I have also advised parents who didn't realise the strength of their own case.

As appeal panelists on here have advised repeatedly, tears will get you sympathy and a tissue. It will not make any difference to the outcome of the appeal.

Thanks I'm not really the crying sort. The main problem will be logistics, so if I manage with the child due to start school in sept 13 - very likely. then there appear to be spaces coming up often in y6 so my oldest can also go. The child going into y4 in sept 13 will have to get to a school 15mins drive away. I suspect it might be a combination of breakfast club/taxis and favours. i wondered if going to appeal might get some funding towards breakfast club.

I am hoping that as it's a small school with 40kids per year so mixed classes of different year groups that if someone leaves in y3/4/5 my child may get prioritised but I won't hold my breath for that. Llijkk, i am not surprised you were put off - its the only thing I'm really worrying about in the move. The most annoying thing is that the school isn't better than the one i'm leaving, I just hate the idea of them not going to school in the community they live. I think it's really important for their friendship groups. We can manage but can't really afford 5 days of breakfast club and dd would have to get a train and walk on her own if I don't take her by car. In y5 I might consider it but i think y4 is too young.

prh47bridge thanks, I will investigate the appeals code as suggested. I am not going to try till I know which school my youngest has been offered as it would make little sense to apply for the older ones to a school only to find he has been offered the other one near the house. Thanks for the tip about sibling priority, didn't realise it doesn't necessarily go up as well as down...

My experience of Ofsted (trying to get a variation for local CM to have 2 of my under 5s) is they don't give a damn about problems of logistics.

County LEA said as much about school choices, too. And I know quite a few people who have had no sympathy about it with their DC local school choices.

Good luck, nonetheless :).

I've just come back to MN after an absence to ask some of the same questions as you. I have 3DC Yrs 1,3 & 5. We're moving 100 miles to new job in March. 2 huge primaries within walking distance - only one can offer one yr 3 place and only after we are in County. I did burst into tears on the phone - was so shocked, just assumed it would all be easy as we've never had any problems in the past!

I've been told by current and new LEAs that I can only apply 3 wks before we move to go on waiting list. I particularly like one of the schools as it's a non-church school. Can I put this down as a valid reason on an application?

It's not stressful enough moving 100 miles with 3 DC and husband working away Monday to Friday (and most weekends) as well as working full time - feeling very sorry for myself!! Off for another glass of wine - glad to have the excuse of christmas spirit!

It's really stupid when people move around so much now. We are lucky in that we are only moving a few miles so I can still drive my kids back to their old school whilst waiting for a place. I don't know how you do it otherwise. I did consider home ed but that's out of the question if you work full time. Have another glass. I'm starting on sherry...

I threatened to do Home Ed - DH thinks I'd last a week - my DC don't even do homework. They wouldn't learn much but we would have a lovely time .

The annoying thing is, after speaking to my current school burser, they will be reported as missing children if I don't give a school they will be moved to. But I can't get a school near by - seems like an ever decreasing circle!

I so should have stopped at one child!

When you move the new LA will find places for all three children. If there are no places within a reasonable distance for one of your children they will arrange a place at a school that is full. However, there is no guarantee all three children will end up at the same school. You can appeal for your preferred schools but there are no guarantees.

It makes absolutely no difference what you put down as a reason on your application. If the school has a place it will be offered to you. If it doesn't they won't offer a place to you. And they won't move you up the waiting list because they like your reasons. You might as well leave the space for reasons blank.

tbh home ed really appeals to me as a friend does it. but I think it's better for younger kids, apparently as they approach y6 it becomes more imp to put them in a school my prob is it's the y3 pupil who will have most trouble for the longest and who most benefits from the social part of her school so home ed might be a bit of a shock to her...