Does anyone have a good experience of moving to UK from abroad and getting their children into a school they liked and were happy with?

[CharlotteSimmons]

We are moving back from the US and I have 2 primary school aged children who should be starting school in September (years 2 and 4). I am so depressed - they will be on waiting lists, same school cannot be guaranteed, any school at all cannot be guaranteed, we won't know for ages etc etc
We and they love their school here and even though we are looking forward to coming home I am totally depressed and stressed about the school aspect of it - especially as I know it will have such a massive impact on their happiness (they obviously don't want to move, all their friends are here).
Please tell me if things worked out well for you, and how you kept your sanity through the process - please no more messages of doom right now

I think it depends whereabouts in the country you are moving to. There are loads of places in schools round where I live (Glos).

We moved from Dublin and ended up with a brilliant primary school and an outstanding pre-school. I admit it was daunting and schools are over subscribed in the area but we have nothing but praise for the school we were allocated.

There are some schools near us that are full but some that are just fine have spaces - varies by area. Are you heading to London?

We are heading back to North London, well that was the plan - to move back to where we knew and then make a plan to move within the next 3 years to somewhere more permanent, maybe further out for more space etc. I have been very resistant to the idea of moving to a new random place from here as we won't be able to look in person etc (although that is what happened when we moved here and it worked out well!) but I am now so stressed about school places I am wondering if we actually change plans, look for somewhere further out, commute in (I mostly work from home), and rent somewhere asap so that they can all start school in September and we just work it out from there. I don't think I want to stay where we are moving back to in the long run - I think I would prefer more space and my children are definitely more outdoorsy and not very streetwise so I think they ultimately would prefer living further out

I'd say that it's possibly easier in London to get in year places than elsewhere. Certainly at DCs very over subscribed school is a nightmare for reception but with every year it seems to get easier as people move out of London, go private etc. good luck!

Have you looked at Hertfordshire? Places like Hitchin are 20 mins on the train from Kings Cross. My DNieces are in primary there and DSis had no problems getting them in - she is every time I try to explain the monster population growth in London has created!

Someone else mentioned HItchin - thanks, I'll put it on my list. Does your sister like living there?

I would start by calling the LEAs in the North London and above areas and chat about availability and movement etc . You may find some areas not that far out are fine etc

Thanks - I think that is exactly what I need to do.
This has been a bit of a shock, I had no idea waiting lists were so long - the system is much simpler where we live in the US, if you live in the catchment you go to the school and the school has to add extra classes and teachers if necessary - so moving about with children is far less daunting as you can just move into the catchment of the school you want and your children can start school the next day.
One thing that is has really made me think about is whether we want to live in London or further out where there is more space. I cannot get over the changes in house prices since we have been away!! I am definitely feeling that we would want to move out more eventually so maybe we should do it in the next year and just accept a disruptive 6-12 months and then feel settled.
Sorry, I know I am rambling but so much going on in my head right now!!

Just want to say I sympathise as I will be in your position next year. We know that if we were to stay here in the US we'd get into our local 'in boundary' school, which includes PK4, and is a great school to boot. If we move back to our London place (which ideally we need to sell and then buy somewhere bigger) we'll have the stress of waiting lists and so on to come. I don't want my children to go to school here and standards differ so widely, but the local school here is a given, whereas we could end up travelling across the borough in London or with nothing at all. Good luck to you and hope it all works out.

Thanks Wibbly. It feels so unnecessarily stressful when you live somewhere where that aspect is sooo much easier. People move a lot here for work and maybe one reason they are more flexible is that the school placement system is more certain and you feel you have more control - in some areas anyway (non-city).

"any school at all cannot be guaranteed"

You will get a school, and the year 4 may be more quickly placed than the year 2.

When do you move back?

Yes she likes it OP. I am less sure about the secondary school situation, however.

We move back late July. I am not really sure what I do if one of them gets a place and the other doesn't. I assume I keep them with me. I don't think I can get them to different schools. Or if neither gets a place - I don't think I am particularly well suited to Home Educating them - I am not the world's most patient person, I could probably do it for a limited time if I had an end date in sight but it sounds as if we could just be waiting and waiting. Ugh! All so tricky.