Best time to apply for an In Year admission Y1?

[bonjourlondon]

Hello Dear all,
After spending a lot of time on the web searching (and finding lots on Mumsnet, thanks!) I'd like to ask for some advice, or opinions, as I find myself stuck with this unanswered question. We're about to move from France to Bromley, and I have posted this on the local forum.
My main question is regarding In Year Admission for a place in Y1 for our son. We're planning to move around or during Christmas break, but could easily change that if it was to increase chances to get a school place... I haven't checked with the Council yet, but last April I spoke to their Team Admissions and all schools where full. If classes are all full in the Borough, what can be done, can happen? I understand that Infant classes can't have more than 30 children, that a reasonnable distance to travel can be up to 45mn and/or 2 miles away...so what can we be offered? My biggest question is when is the best time to apply to the Council, before, during or after Christmas break? When is there more places (leaving children) made available?
Any thoughts will be very welcome!
Thanks

tbh it is the luck of the draw. Children could move at anytime but that doesn't mean a space would automatically be yours. You won't be able to apply until you arrive and by then any space may have gone to another child on a waiting list. There may be a place in another borough or you could try appealing for a space at school closer to where you live or going on a waiting list, but there are no guarantees he would be able to start anywhere immediately. If allocated school is over 3m away he may get transport provided. It could be difficult to get hold of the right people over the Christmas break

People often time moves to correspond to the end of term so will hand in notice in the last week, but this may be affected by people not wanting to move just before Christmas. It really is just luck when a person hands in their notice.

thanks for your thoughts. We won't apply until we've moved, we know that the application will need to prove that we do live in the Borough (tenancy agreement etc...). It's mainly lunck indeed, but if there is no school place in the Borough, how far can you be send then legally? And for the timing, good point indeed that families might not want to move just before Xmas. Thanks again for your thoughts, helpful!

Hi- I think it's just luck as to which schools happen to have places. If you are Christian, some of the church schools will require evidence of baptism and worship and can help you go to the top of a waiting list. Please also be aware (you might already know this) that there is a current initiative to open a billingual French and English primary. Google Bromley Billingual School. They are aiming to take Year 2 from September 2014 and you might be able to apply online before 15 January 2014. I don't know if you are French or not, but there seems to be a large French community in Bromley. good luck

Hi Totallyrandom,
Thanks, I did know and posted on Mumsnet about the Bilingual School, in fact we have applied. I am french so that would be absolutely fantastic if our DS could join that school. In the meantime we think it's important for him to get a better command of English, phonics, numeracy etc...which is why we believe it would be good for him to attend a primary school before even just for 6 months and therefore we'll apply for an In Year admission.
I just spoke to the admissions team, they are very nice and helpful, and they did advice to apply before the Christmas break so that the application can be processed, then wait for schools to respond as there will be delays because schools will be closed, hoping to get a school place by the start of january. So that's my answer then, I thought it could help others to share it!
Thanks for your contribution Mumsnetters.