In year admission advice

[driedapricots]

Hi,
Summary of situation: We've just moved a few miles down the road. DD1 is currently settled in yr 1 at a school close to our old address. DS will start reception in Sept..so we need to apply for a school place for him. We have a great school at the end of our road, literally 2 mins walk. Pretty sure thing he'll get in there. But DD is at the school 3 miles away. I thought I'd simply be able to transfer her across. BUT said great school at end of our road has no space in the current yr 1 and I have been told we'll go to top of waiting list. BUT.. what if no one leaves…how am I meant to get between 2 schools at the same times for each child?!! I wondered if anyone knew if there was flexibility on class sizes or if full simply means full? I really don't want to apply for a place for my son at my DD's school (where he'd also get in on the sibling rule) as I want both my children to go the same school, at the bottom of our road, but (sigh) that appears too much to expect. What should I do?!!

If there are 30 in the class there is no real flexibility. Unless your DD has SEN you won't get a place and it is unlikely you will win an appeal.

It is quite possible that someone will leave. You could ask the school what level of turnover they typically experience as that will give you some idea how long you may have to wait, although there are no guarantees.

If your daughter's school is more than 2 miles away by the shortest safe walking route you are entitled to free transport for her unless the LA can come up with a place at a school nearer home. The free transport will end when she is 8 unless the walking distance is over 3 miles.

DD1 is in year 1. The key therefore is whether the school has classes that are 30 and whether the admission number is 30,45 or 60. If it is the infant class size regs would pertain and you will almost for sure not get a place at an appeal as the only grounds for granting a place are a mistake having been made, which is highly unlikely. There is another set of grounds for winning an infant class size appeal which is around reasonableness but for reasonable read legally completely perverse. And no having a sibling at another school definitely does not fit the legal definition of unreasonable.

You need to check out the published admission number and see where that gets you. I would also ask the school for an honest answer of how often they have pupils leaving the school. Ask them when the last pupil left current year 1. If they say never then there is a fair bet you will not get in by going on the waiting list. If they say we have 2 or 3 a year then it would probably be worth the hassle of moving between two schools for a while but with an expectation that a place will become available.

Although the grounds for an appeal are restricted many panels do allow them so it might be worth a punt. Panels shouldn't but they do.

Thanks all. Really useful. I will make an apt at school to talk through.

So DD would need a yr 2 place for next September, until then you can commute to old school? If you put her on the waiting list now, without a sibling link, will she still be at the top?