Applying for a school place Sept 2016 and childcare issues

[murderedbystress]

Can't believe I am asking this as a teacher, but we don't deal with admissions so forgive me for the ignorance!

When do applications for September 2016 primary begin?

I know people have been in the unfortunate situation of not getting any of their choices (London!) but I am concerned that DS won't get in to the first 2 of his 3 choices.

We are rural. 1st choice is our village school. Large intake but the school numbers have swelled to near capacity and the rumour mill has begun saying there are more children than the school can accept (50). The school is quite central to the village but we live in the last lane - quite literally!

2nd choice is an outstanding school some 5 miles away. It's a choice because our CM does the school run to this school as well as our 1st choice (she has assistants!) and I thought if DS doesn't get in to 1st choice, 2nd choice would be the best choice. BUT the school is oversubscribed as the only school in the town and of course, being 'outstanding'.

3rd choice is a toss up between 2 schools; another outstanding school about 7 miles away and a good tiny village school in the village where my DH works in another county and about 15 miles away. The outstanding school, if given, would have huge and catastrophic consequences for us as a family whereas the tiny, good village school would not be ideal given the location but wouldn't have the same consequences as choice 3a! Keeping up yet???

Basically, if DS didn't get into the 1st 2 choices as well as choice 3b (tiny village school 15 miles away), we would have absolutely nobody to take him to school and pick him up for 2/5 days. We don't know anybody in this village and there are no CMs there either.

Has anyone been in the position of being offered a school place but due to job commitments (DS and DD are at CMs from 7:45am - 5pm 3 days per week) not have any way of getting them to school at 8:45am and picking up at 3:30pm? I have no flexibility (obviously) and DH may have but it would be tricky considering he was asked to change his work times!

How on earth do people manage this situation when a school place is offered but they have nobody available to drop off and pick up?

If DS is not offered either of his his 1st 2 choices, I would literally have to give up my job which would mean not being able to afford to live where we do because the margin of bills and mortgage and not going into debt is miniscule! DH has only just agreed to me going part time so I would feel at least some involvement in the nurturing and bringing up of our children!

Firstly, you need to find out the criteria and distance offered for school 1 and 2 for the last few years - find out if you have a realistic chance of being offered a place.

I know my county allow others from another neighbouring county to attend school as it happens a lot. However I am not sure if 3b school's county would do the same (it's a different county to the one neighbouring us that we take pupils from, IYKWIM!)

The LA have to accept your application and treat it equally to any other applications they have received. You will apply through your own LA, though, and they will forward your application to the relevant LA.

Someone asked, but yes, we get three choices. We can give reasons for those choices too (apparently!)

You can state reasons but, unless those reasons place you in a higher criteria than you would have already been in, they will make no difference to your application. Reasons that would make a difference are things like your DC has a sibling at the school (in the absence of being able to put it elsewhere on the application), or that your DC has a statement naming the school, or they were previously in Local Authority Care (LAC). Childcare issues do not class as reasons.

Do rural schools often do bulge classes (is that what you call them?) when the intake is particularly high?

I think you mentioned somewhere that one of the schools has a PAN of 50? If so, then they may be running 5 classes of 30 from reception to year 2. If this is the case, then admissions and appeals would be subject to Infant Class Size (ICS) regulations.

You definitely need to do your research and at least one of your choices has to be a school you have a very realistic chance of being offered a place at; otherwise you risk being in an even worse position than you perceive you are now.

You have my sympathy - we live rurally, but only 10 miles away from the nearest small city, and there are no childminders, breakfast clubs or afterschool clubs at any of our nearest school(s). DH works full-time, I am about to start my 3rd year at university (2 hours' commute daily) and our DC are about to start Year 4 and Reception - every day is a finely balanced juggling act!

What was distance for school 2 last year?

Don't give up your job!
Contact the local authority for school 3 and ask for a list of registered childminders. Contact the childminders and ask if any of them do pick ups from school 3.
Also put an ad in childcare.co.uk saying pick up needed from school 3.
If there are no childminders who do pick ups from that school it's worth asking the school what working parents do w.g there is a school near me that has no after school club, but the community centre across the road does, they pick up the kids from the school and take them there.
If there is no childcare available then consider an after school nanny, nanny share or similar
It's well worth researching all the options for school 3 now even though you may well get school 1 or 2.
Are there any private schools in your area with after school clubs, going down the private route would work out cheaper than quitting your job and it would only be till a place came up at school 1 or 2.
Good luck

This year, the YR stands at 40. 13 over the average size for the past 8-10 years and only 10 below the maximum.

I am sure I am over-worrying. I think it is because as a teacher, I have seen my own school intake (60 admissions) go from the usual 32-36 to a sudden jump to 56 then 60 the past 3 years and this year we have a waiting list of 18! Also because we live on the literal outskirts of the village.

I will have no childcare in 5 years; my CM is retiring! So giving up the job may be necessary but not yet - hopefully!

There is a day nursery with an out of school club and recently has been able to do drop offs and pick ups at choice 1 despite being in the town of choice 2 but is over subscribed - I can see why!