Applying for schools without local address

[Grinstead]

I am moving into new area and looking for new schools but don't have new address in new area yet. If there are places in local primary schools and no waiting lists, am I entitled to apply from my current address and is the new school obliged to offer me a place on the basis that it's up to me to make sure I have somewhere to live nearby by the time September arrives? Can the school refuse to offer me the available place?

Yes and no

Great thank you

I think they can refuse if the address you are applying from abroad (unless you are Forces/other govt service), but any address within UK is fine as moab said.

Hi Grin

Are your children already in school?

The school can require you take up the place immediately, or within a few days. They certainly don't have to keep it for you until you move into the area in September. A child joined my DD's y3 class just last week. The mother said they were told on Thursday that the place had come up, they were top of the waiting list, but they needed to take up the place, I.e the child to start by the following Monday else it would be offered to the next child on the waiting list.

That seems an unreasonably short timescale Now (two working days!) but they can certainly require you to take up the place quickly.

Are you forces? If so you can apply with the assignment order if you are still waiting for SFA.

If not I dont think you can. I am having this dilemma at the moment as I am moving 300 miles back home over the summer (still to find a house) and want to get DS3 into a school for September for the start of Yr10.

So far, no one wants to offer any help, advice or info without a local address.

It could differ from place to place maybe. I would suggest trying, they can only say no.

Good luck and I hope you get sorted ok.

Turtle, you should be able to apply from your current address; at this stage of term you might not need to take the place up until sept (there's only about 10 days left of term) - however, places might not have spaces.

Thanks Yonic. I will try again. The person I spoke to last time, really was very cagey and unhelpful.
I dont want to space until September but would have liked some opportunity to discuss the probable changes to current GCSE options already made at current school.