Moving to London part way through primary. What's going to happen?

[Mrsfrumble]

We're currently living in the US, and planning to return to London in the summer of 2016. DS turned 4 in October, so will be starting year 1 in the 2016/2017 school year.

We're hoping to return to Islington where we'd been living for 11 years previously and have many ties, but we were and will be renting, so are not exactly sure where we'll end up. As we would have done our application for DS's reception place last week had we not moved here I've been thinking about our return and how it's all going to pan out with regard to schooling. Does anyone have any experience of moving to London (specifically Islington) between academic years? How does it work in terms of contacting the LEA and being allocated a place?

DH thinks it's daft to worrying this far in advance, but I think we need to consider the worst case scenarios of them having no places at all, or being given a place at a school that's inconvenient for us. I have a horrible feeling that there was bit of "baby boom" in 2010 so may be a bulge year...

Yes, there is a high chance of a school that is inconvenient to you.

London schools are generally very full and in reception, year 1 and year 2, there is a infant class size (ICS) restriction of no more than 30 per teacher (which usually means per class)

Having said that, there are some obligations on the LA to find you a place somewhere within a reasonable time and I think to pay for transport if it's more than two miles away.

Where we were in southwest London in a similar type of area to islington, there was a huge scramble for reception places, lots of people on waiting lists, disappointed with what they got etc. but then at the end of reception and through yr 1 places opened up as some families did the big move out of london.

So, yes I think demand is high in that area but you may find getting a yr 1 place is not too bad.
You can enquire to the local council before you move but can only formally apply once you're there and have proof of address.

I wasn't in London, but had to do this in Surrey ( bordering Croydon) with a Y8 and a Y4, mid term. The whole thing was a complete nightmare, your husband is right to be concerned!

Sorry, you're right to be concerned!

Friend has just returned to London from overseas. Got both DC into her first choice school no problem but couldn't apply until here and had address.

She has moved to East Dulwich don't know how this compares to Islington but I do think fact both her DC are KS2 so infant class size limits don't apply helped. Obviously no good to you unless you stay another 2 years overseas.

I know that getting a place at the opposite end of the borough is not the end of the world. At least Islington is not very big!

It's been suggested that once we arrive we can put DS on the waiting list for our preferred school anyway and hope that we can benefit from families doing the big move. The potential problem with that idea is DD starting school in 2017/18; we'd probably have to apply for her place before knowing for sure where DS will end up, so not benefitting from sibling priority and possibly having them at different schools.

Anyone know anything about private schools in the borough? God knows how we could afford it, but if the alternative is no school place at all we may have to find a way. I know my limitations and I am in no way cut out for home Ed!

The closest school with a space may not be in the borough.

So Islington LEA can allocate a place outside the borough? How far out can a school potentially be?

Maybe we'll just move to East Dulwich instead!

I don't know exactly but if the distance is over two miles (unless that was the parent's choice) I think they need to provide transport.

I think a reasonable travel time is something like 45mins-1 hour but hopefully PRH or Tiggy will post soon.

Lots of London boroughs have very full schools!

It will be deeply shit - but at least London is a great place to homeschool if it comes to it!

It will be a case of doing your best with the initial allocation - and then sibling priority will move the DC up to the top of the waitlist for each others school - so you hang on to get them placed together.

Iirc correctly - 'free transport' in London is a bus pass for the child. (Oh, wait, kids travel free on buses, you're in luck (!) )

Choose the school you want and rent on the doorstep. You may have to wait a while but you'll get a place eventually - it's London, people move. Try and move before the end of the previous school year as that's when most people give notice and IME the council won't even consider your case until you're actually in situ.

Not sure London boroughs typically provide school transport, as all kids get free travel on buses and (I think) tube anyway so most consider that covers their obligations.

We moved from one side of London to the other, btw, and got Y1 and Y3 children into an outstanding primary school.

Oh, I didn't realize that sibling priority worked both ways! So if we were to get DD into the school of our choice - we were very active members of our parish church which was affiliated with a CofE school so that would have been our first choice for DS had we not left London - then that might bump DS up the waiting list there?

I was hoping to go back to work once we got back and can see that horribly complicated school runs will bugger that right up!

Ah, thanks Rue.

Not all schools have both way sibling priority! But many do
So if DD got a reception place, DS would move up the waiting list for year 2, but a place would still need to actually come free. Or DD could apply for whichever school DS was at.

We moved to Balham when DS1 was coming towards the end of Year1. It was difficult. We applied as per the rules (forces family) a month in advance of move...ordinarily I think you have to be resident. No places for 5 weeks, and the LA was useless. I rang constantly, was offered a place in a school the other side of the Oval, got pipped at the last minute by children in care, and had no certainty that he would ave a place for months. Had the impression that as a middle class mummy I was at the bottom of the priority list. I emailed everyone, and that probably helped.

To be fair, all is well that ends well. He got a place in our nearest primary school, some 3 mins walk away, which is now outstanding. He's been there nearly 4 years, is very happy and doing very well.

Good luck. I think you'll need it.

... Should have mentioned that the church is one of the main reasons that we want to go back to our old neighborhood, not just for the school but because the congregation were our support network and looked after us when DH was ill and the children were born. We miss them!

I'm aware that otherwise our desire to live in such a crowded and expensive borough may seem a little crazy!

Check the church attendance requirements and that you will be back in time to meet them for DD (could be once a month for two years or something!)

I'm in Islington and have been dealing with primary school applications etc and have knowledge of the local private schools too. The schools are very full, but it's a London wide problem.

We spoke to the vicar before we left London, and he said that he would vouch for us as long as we also had a letter from a church here in the US to say that we've been regular attendees (which we are).