Anxious about getting school spaces when we move

[EmmyJo]

My family are moving from London to Gloucestershire this Summer as I have been offered a new job in the area. We want to rent to begin with and our main priority it to get our 2 children (age 3.5 and 6) settled into a new school this Sept which this late in the day we know will be a challenge, particularly for our eldest who is in the 2007/2008 birth year where spaces are generally scarce. I have heard that if you are renting rather then buying a property then your postcode might make no difference in enabling you to appeal for a place in the school you want. My hope had been that our youngest gets a nursery place at our preferred school. Can anyone advise me on this? I don't want to go ahead with a move only to find that the house we are living in is not taken into account in our school application. My main concern is that we don't get forced to send them to a school we are not happy with. Any suggestions on how to manage these issues? Has anyone else moved in these kind of circumstances and managed to make it work? Thanks

Of course a rental is as valid an address as an owner occupied property - LEAs really can't discriminate against those unable to buy their own house!

I think you maybe getting confused with the scenario where a family who already own a property also rent somewhere so they are nearer to their preferred school. In that case the admissions authority SHOULD disregard the rental address, although often they don't.

Very reassuring titchy and thanks for great advice tiggytape - those were the lines I was thinking along too. Fingers crossed I guess...

Also, getting a nursery place at your preferred school is no guarantee of a reception place, and does not place the child in a higher oversubscription criteria unless explicitly stated.

It might be worth reading up on the school's admissions criteria.

Slightly different situation but my colleague didn't get his DS1 into any of his preferences and didn't like the one offered. He looked round for schools with spaces, found one he liked about 5 miles from home. Lease was soon up however and they moved into a rental property nearer school. Their DS2 has also been offered a place despite being out if catchment but they were prepared to use childminder for school run if need be.

Whilst you will be restricted to schools with spaces for DC2 you will not be competing against other families in admissions round so hopefully may know a bit more quickly (feel free to correct me Tiggytape).

Glos schools are not as jam-packed as London ones (on the whole). We moved last year, chose an area, rang round schools to find out where the spaces were, and had a choice of three with spaces to visit and were pleased with two of them. We then narrowed house search to suit the school spaces. It was all much much easier and more civilized than the reception place bunfight.

Ring round the schools to ask about spaces before the summer hols though, as no one will be there to answer your call...