moving schools, moving counties

[pigleychez]

If we do decide to move then DD1 will need to move schools.
She is just starting back into year 1 at the mo. Also DD2 is due to start next year.

What is the protocol in moving schools? How easy is it? Can you start at any time during the school year?

Any any experience anyone. Also how did it go? When we broached the subject of moving schools to DD1 she was almost in tears. :(

You can move whenever but an in-year application will only gain you a space at a school with a vacancy at that time, not a preference of schools. As she will be in KS1 you are facing infant class size restrictions. Once you have exchanged or signed a lease the LA can check vacancies for you. For Reception applications the deadline is January so you really need to be in situ by then for dd2. tbh it probably isn't worth discussing again with dd1 until it becomes a certainty, otherwise it is just unsettling for 5/6yo.

Agree with do not discuss again until you have something certain sorted. Most admissions team will be able to tell you how many are on the waiting list/how many vacancies there are at any given school.

We did moved when DD was in Y1 and DS was due to start the following September. We moved over the county line and as we were offered the direst school imaginable for DD I just drove them to their old school/nursery for 15 months.

Exhausting but we kept an eye on the "vacancy" list and grabbed spaces in a fab local school as they came up. Was not one we had put on out list of schools as never dreamt we would get in...but 2 spaces in the right year just appeared (Herts have a vacancy list on line - see if your destination do the same)

Did not tell DCs until got a place offered.

Get the In-Year application in as soon as you can and find out the ins and outs of the local admissions process.

Good luck.