Private and state school waiting list?

[jerdavies]

Hi,

I'm struggling to get my daughter (Year 1) into state schools in the Surrey area. We have only just exchanged and completed on our new property, meaning we were late in the application process (even though our application was in since the start of August).

Our three primary choices are filled and still waiting to hear from the council regarding an alternative.

Not overly optimistic...

However, I do have a potential place in a nearby private school which we may have to take. I don't really want to send my child to private school but it may become necessary.

My questions are:

1. Are we still able to remain on the state school waiting list even though we are attending a private school (the view being that we can move her the following year).
2. My younger daughter is 2.5. If she were to get her into our preferred state school would we have a strong case to move our elder daughter back to the same school.
3. Are we able to appeal against the state school decision whilst our daughter attends private school.

It's a pretty awful situation and never expected it to be so tough to get a place. So far my daughter has missed ~2 weeks of school.

All help advice and really appreciated xxx

When are you hoping she will start?

I'm not an expert but I believe the answers are

1. yes
2. yes but that may not be successful anyway. One your younger daughter has actually started reception you will meet the sibling criteria (not enough to be just on the roll to start next Sept so you would have to wait until September 2017)
3. yes

Bear in mind that you will be expected to take up any state place immediately if offered and will be expected to give a term's notice on the private school so you will definitely be paying for at least one or up to two terms of fees for a private school place you aren't using if you are successful in getting an acceptable state place. Could be as much as 2 because many school's t&c say that a term's notice must be given by the first day of term so if you give notice on day 2 of term you have to pay all of that term AND all the next. The state school will not hold a place while your child stays at the private school for the notice period so that will be money down the drain.

1.Yes you can, but you wouldn't be able to hold the offer of a state place while she finished the year. It would be available to take up in the short term and private schools usually demand a full term's notice or payment in lieu if you leave. Be prepared to leave partway through one term and also pay for the next in lieu.

1. In theory yes but you'd still need a place to come up in dd1 year or a successful appeal.
2. Yes but see 1. above.

Surrey have a duty to find you a place. It may not be a in a school of your choice, but they have to offer something.

You can of course use a private school; but as the others state, this is likely to result in you having to pay for a term plus a term in lieu of notice when you leave, so bear that in mind. A state place normally has to be taken up within a few days of offer.

You can appeal, but your grounds are very very limited assuming you are appealing for a school with 30 children in it's KS1 classes - you can only appeal on grounds that the LEA made a mistake/the admissions regulations don't meet the admissions code or the decision is perverse. These are very unlikely to apply for an in-year admission I'm afraid. It's slightly easier from Yr3 onwards though as the appeal would no longer be ICS.

You can stay on waiting lists when your child is in private school, yes.

Thanks all. That's as I had hoped.

It may be the case we do this for 2 years and then look to get them both into the same school. As someone mentioned there is a stronger case for appeal in Year 3 due to the larger allowable class sizes.

They say moving home is stressful and they are not wrong.

Thanks x