Moving towns with DC in years R, 1 & 2

[DevaWalls]

I know that class sizes are limited to 30 per teacher in the earlier years, how does this work if you are moving into an area with children in those years?

The chances of a school having places for 2 children in those early years seems pretty slim, do you just get placed at whichever school is nearest with places?

I've got visions of trekking across town to a less than great school just to get them in (or worst, 2 different schools) , whilst being on a waiting list for the local schools. Does that happen?

You would be allocated places wherever could accept them with infant class size rules. Yes you could have them separated while you go on the waiting lists and/or appeal.

Three children in the three infant year groups is a logistical nightmare for you and for the Local Authority. The LA can and will allocate places but the probability is that there will not be a place in all year groups in most schools. So you are likely to end up in a school that is less than desirable and quite possibly a long way from home. And yes it might be that you are looking at two different schools.
Sorry but that is the bald truth of the matter.
If you have a very "nice" LA they may see your predicament as meeting the criteria for an "excepted pupil" if you are moving into the area and there are no available places within reasonable distance. But that is not the case in many LAs

Its only two DC, but depending on when we move they'll either be in R and yr1 or yrs 1&2. We have to relocate so there isn't much I can do about it, we'll just have to accept going on the waiting lists!

You may be worth looking at village schools just outside your home town. Often the town schools are full (or those that are not you may prefer not to attend) but a close (eg 15 min drive) school village school which is better has spaces. This is the situation we were in. Our town no in-year spaces, offered a dire alternative in the next town but luckily could continue to commute to their old school (40 mins away - was exhausting) for a year. Then spaces came up at a village school 5 miles from home. No we cannot walk, but the village school feeds into the same secondary in our town so is a pretty good outcome. We are very happy with the village school. We would never really have considered looking - just someone in DD's ballet class mentioned it.

JoMunro thanks, I wouldn't have thought of that, I'll keep that in mind.