need advice on in year admission (Year 2) from abroad

[mosteff]

I just got a job in central London - very excited - coming from abroad to live in UK for first time so excuse the naïveté. I've been getting advice on neighborhoods where I might find a good schools (w/o tuition...), but I'm trying to form a timeline and a plan for getting DS over as smoothly as possible - big move for us. Seems as though doing it over the holiday break would be best, to start after the new year if possible. Should I start calling some of my preferred schools to see which might have a yr2 spot open and locate there, or to just find a place in the best possible affordable area and trust the process? What are people doing for years with a kid in a sub-par school if we don't have best outcome? I'm a bit worried. He has bilingual, with a bit of visual-processing difficulty but is doing fine where we are currently with some targeted strategizing with his teachers now.

The first important question is whether you will be looking for a state school (no fees) place, or if you can afford a private (fee paying) school. Or will the for both.

The entrance systems are totally different!

OP: Sorry, by "w/o tuition" I meant "no fees". I won't be able to afford any kind of an exclusive/private schooling.

THe biggest problem you have is that most LAs will not allocate a place at a school until you have an address and your child is resident at the address. So it is quite difficult to pre-plan this too much.
Also schools in London are generally full, so it will very much be a case of where a school has a vacancy, rather than just getting a place at the local school. A further issue is that as a year 2 application, schools have to abide by the infant class size regulations and keep the maximum number in a class with a qualified school teacher to 30.
I suppose the best way of approaching this is if you decide the kind of area that you want to live in and then look for an appropriate place whilst at the same time applying to the LOcal Authority for a place. The alternative is to rent for a period of time before you find a house to but.

Where is your office?
Do you want to commute?
Use the website www.commutefrom.com

Do you have family in other parts of UK you'd want easier access to?
London is basically huge!

Thanks. I will only rent a place as I'm just starting out. Office is in Clerkenwell so I can do rail or tube. I am willing to commute a bit: ideal maximum would be about 1/2 hour but would do a bit more to guarantee a good opportunity for DS (knowing well there are never guarantees!!). Am looking for a quiet street in an urban area or simply a residential area with an urban atmosphere. DH will follow on during the year so I don't have to worry where he is living at the moment...