Missed the deadline for reception

[TheCollection]

We realised today that deadlines for reception class application was Jan. There is a school literally opposite us (one of the reasons we moved here, ironically) so like idiot I was pretty relaxed about the whole thing. Now I realise that we missed the original deadline AND the late applications deadline, which was 15 Feb. reading the brochure there is pretty much nothing I can do. Has anybody else had a similar experience? If so, was there any flexibility on part of the local authority? (I suspect I know the answer to this one) Also, we never received any correspondence about this at all - not a letter, not a booklet, nothing (today my husband went over to the school to ask about it, and they gave him a booklet saying that he missed the deadline already). Is that normal? Any advice appreciated. Thanks in advance

In both of the LEAs I am looking at you do contact the school directly for in year admissions. It will all depend so much on the area. There are lots of areas where the schools are not over subscribed at all.

There does seem to be some difference with allocations of in-year admissions in some areas.

We are very unlikely to get a place at our first choice school in the initial round as we are outside the usual distance accepted by a fair bit.

However the school has very high mobility levels and we are likely to get a place through in-year admissions.

I contacted my LA about who to contact to keep an eye on waiting list movement and they said that with that school, the school itself would be managing waiting-list places. The school confirmed this and told me to ring at least once a week to check what was happening.

So definitely make sure that you know who to contact after initial offers are made and definitely accept the school you are offered - doesn't affect your position on the waiting list for other schools, but if you reject the offered school the LA is not obligated to find you another.

If you're not in the pre-school/nursery system and don't go near your GP, it can be very hard to work out when you need to apply. I do understand why a mail-out would be too expensive though.

I only found about the nursery places at local Primary schools through sheer luck.

Lol at HVs helping or pre-school booster reminders for where I live. You're lucky to see a HV when your child is born here such is the pared back service :(

Round my way (London borough) it is a very transient population and also quite an affluent area so we're expected to pay for a lot of private services ourselves inducing some healthcare and schooling. I also can't imagine GP surgeries cooperating on a list when they won't even agree to some really important public health stuff going on their internal intranet.

Sorry, bit of a tangent there but quite interesting who does/doesn't contact parents and how.

I have applied for in yr places three times. Each time i contacted the schools i was interestex in to check on spaces and spoke to the ht and then got in touch with the council. The ht when ds1 changed high schools last oct also got in touch with the council to say she had a place and he coukd start asap. She did this to help speed the process up. She also warned me the council would try and make me wait til after the xmas break to move him. She was right! But ds1 started at tge new high school after oct half term...then about six weeks later i got the letter from the council telling me there was a space at the school! I had already informed them of his start date as agreex with the ht etc. We had numerous email.conversations...

Our schools will put you on the waiting list and you can phone and check and then if there is a place call the council asap to get them to process it as they take an age otherwise! Apparsntly they look at in yr applications/changes of school twice a term?!! they really did not like us doing a mid term transfer!

Tiggy I bow to your greater knowledge. Maybe we are lucky to live in an area where people are generally helpful. I too wass just trying to be helpful and it will do no harm to visit the school first.
By the way, to be pedantic, the word is 'sitting' and not 'sat'.

You are too scary and I'm going to hide.
Good luck OP.

zipbangboom
tiggytape has merely stated the normal, expected protocols, as opposed to giving potentially mis-leading advice that schools themselves can somehow get a late applicant a place. Why is that scary?

The only way we knew (other than knowing they would be due to start school) was through the pre-school as schools send posters and flyers to all pre-schools/nurseries.

Does your DC not go to a pre-school or nursery? The staff at ours made sure that everyone knew about the deadlines.

I don't always find the LA particularly helpful but it is only them that can make the decisions although I know the my DCs infant school put a case forward for someone who was on the waiting list and missed the deadline (in spite of their elsest child being at the school already)