In-year admissions help!

[InYearAdmissionName]

We are about to move back to the UK this summer, and the children will be primary in-year admissions (Ys 3 and 6). We will be in London, and will apply via the LEA for a September start. The eldest was briefly in a local primary before we moved away.

The question is this: One of the nearest schools is Catholic, and 2 others are CoE. We're not either - but should I apply to them anyway, as in-year seems to be a free-for-all of where the LEA has space for you. Would these schools reject us as we are not Catholic or CoE?

There are 2 local primaries that are not religious, and I'm happy for the children to go to these (in fact, I'd prefer it). But if, say, the Catholic school had space for both children and the more 'secular' did not, I'd prefer they went Catholic. (This is actually the closest school to our house.)

I have no idea how in-year admissions even work. If the LEA says a school has space, are the school and I just stuck with each other regardless of our preferences?

Just to point out that faith schools quite often manage their own wait list independently from the LEA. This just means filling out an admissions form directly with the school. Good luck

You may well have to appeal, so do prepared for that. It is pretty unlikely that any school will have a space for long, so definitely accept what you are offered and stay on waiting lists. Good luck!

Thank you all for your help. I'm not looking forward to the appeals process & waiting lists, which seems almost inevitable. Fortunately there are several options nearish, and if we throw in the Catholic and CoE schools I suppose it opens up possibilities!