In- year transfer - how long can you hold onto a place for?

[Hollyhocks7]

I am hoping to be offered a place for an in-year transfer. Does anyone know how long before my dd would have to actually start? Might we be able to accept an offer and then delay the actual start date for 2-3 weeks?

Probably depends on LA. A friend was offered a place recently and had to accept in 24 hours and move within a week.

It does differ from LA to LA.The most draconian are as bordersmummy describe, many will say within 4 weeks and some only allow pupils to start every half term on set dates!
I would hope and expect any LA to be sensible in terms of people moving schools and that if you say you will be starting in 3 weeks that would be OK with the school and LA, but then not everybody is as amenable! You need to ask the school and LA.

I had to accept within the hour and the start date was two days later. Just enough time to purchase a new uniform. A friend had to accept on the spot and also started a day or so later. It really was a mad dash to get new uniform.
Why do you want to delay the start date by 2-3 weeks?

Just various things going on at her current school that dd doesn't want to miss.

I think there is an argument that a deadline of less than 4 weeks is in breach of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 but enforcing this would be difficult and time consuming so personally I would accept whatever the LA/school say.

Its down to the school or Lea if you applied through them whether they hold a place for you.

Ive just moved 3 of mine this week. I visited 4 schools through Monday and Tuesday.
They all confirmed them had places and were happy to take them but they waited for us to decide which school we had chosen.
I telephoned the Head of our chosen school on Tuesday evening and she suggested my children start today (Thursday) giving us time to get some new uniform and giving the children a short week to start off with. They were adamant they couldn't really hold a place much longer as they had received several enquiries about places.

Hope that helps

I got a call on a Thursday morning 3 weeks into the Autumn term, had to accept on the spot, go in and sign the forms and meet the HT with DD the next day and she had to start on the Monday morning.

I rang the school she was at on the Friday morning to say she was moving schools and wouldn't be in that day, or returning. Surprisingly, I didn't even need to sign anything, they just said 'thanks for letting us know, we'll go and phone people on our waiting list'.

Spent the weekend in a mad hunt to find a navy pinafore.

Not sure what would have happened if I'd tried to delay. It was made very clear that they expected her to be there the following Monday. Partly because that was the day that bottoms on seats were counted for funding I imagine.

If she were with my LA, she wouldn't be able to start until beginning of January now anyway, so you may find for your LA it is the same.

Thank you all - in the event the school were very reasonable about it. They looked through the diary to see what events my daughter's new class would be involved with to see if there was anything she might want to miss or be included in. We agreed that she'll start 2 weeks before end of term with a day visit the week before, and on a no- uniform day. Ideal really.