Where can I find it?

[Hael84]

Is there anywhere that lists primary/infant schools with places at the moment?
For example if I wanted to find out if so and so school has used all of its year 1 places this year how do I find out?
Is there anywhere that lists the class populations?

You need to talk to the local LEA for the area you are interested in; they should be able to help you.

Most LAs will have an online booklet that will list the PAN (published admission number) for each school and some will also include data on number of applications for that school which can give you an idea of how oversubscribed the school is and therefore your chances of there being a place.

I haven't heard of anywhere that lists school places available. In my area the only schools that seem to have places in Y1 are the free schools that opened recently with more than just a reception class and so have a couple of smaller classes further up the school.

Thank you il have a look on the LA website.
Ideally I want a place in year 2 for September this yeah but just want to get a rough idea of which schools may potentially be able to offer one based on their places at the mo.

We are in Surrey and here is our example of info available online

www.surreycc.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools/school-admissions/apply-for-a-school-place/primary-infant-and-junior-school-admissions

If you scroll down the page you can find "Admission criteria and how places are allocated" section with 2016-2017 info (PANs, longest distance etc for each listed school)

Hope this helps

Hael,

E-mail your local Admissions team. I have done this in the past and they replied very quickly with an up-to-date list of schools and places, given my address.

Of course, all those places may be gone by September.

Because you want a place for Y2, how the places were allocated for reception won't necessarily be helpful - some under-filled schools will have filled up by people moving into the area, others which were full may have had pupils move away.

The only thing to be aware of is that the situation can literally change by the day, so don't make any firm plans based on the information you receive so far in advance.

Thanks for your helpful replies everyone!

Receptionmum we will be in Surrey to so thank you that's a handy document!

We won't be completing till August, however if a space was offered at one of our preferred schools for the start of the summer term I would be happy to commute for a few weeks to secure it (I would need to try and get my little one in the same school for reception this year too)!

When we moved recently the admissions authority said they would find out for us and came back to us with where the spaces were. However their info was incorrect. I knew from speaking to school that our nearest one had a place and the admissions people said they had a waiting list of 1. So I'd say start by calling schools nearest to where you're moving.

Having seen other threads on MN be think carefully about keeping the old school place and being prepared to commute as it can mean the LA don't see you needing a school place in your new area.

Pettswoodparadise sorry I don't get what you mean?
If I commuted to the new school for the summer term with ds1 he wouldn't be keeping his old school place? Or have I misunderstood?

For Surrey the places that become free can go pretty fast.
The best thing to do is to look at schools you like (and don't forget those which are either: more rural or in the less desirable parts of town) and apply.
If you are offered a place you have to take it within a certain amount of time.

There is always movement. Lots of people though might put off until the end of the summer term, but places can appear during the summer term as parents are moving abroad.

Hael, sorry I misunderstood you. I thought you were referring to moving then staying at old school until a space was found closer to your new location. However it might be tough to get to top of a list of you haven't got the new address. You'd probably need either a school with places (rare in SE) or a faith based school that fitted your criteria. Just going on a waiting list isn't often enough as you can go down the list if the oversubscription criteria is for example distance.

No worries!

We are hoping to exchange in the next couple of months but won't complete until Aug (new build) so am hoping I can use my new address with the exchange documents when applying

Hael,

If you look at Surrey's In-year application forms, linked to from
here you will see that:

• proof of residency for your new address must be "current council tax bill/tenancy agreement and a recent utility bill"
• they will not even process applications until 4 weeks before the school place is required
• the child must be in residence in the address you use for the application on the day that the offer of a school place is made

If I read this correctly, you won't be able to use your exchange documents as sufficient proof of new address - you would have to wait until you pay council tax or utility bills at that address, and also you would need to be resident at the new address for your child to get a valid offer of a school place.

You would therefore have to apply from your CURRENT address, which will only work if there is a genuine space and no waiting list.

So, for example, when we moved here:

• DS got a place from 40+ miles away, because there was a vacancy in his year and no waiting list. We applied from our old address and he got that place, but had to take it up very quickly - I think within a couple of weeks. You MIGHT be lucky and find a school with a genine vacancy and no waiting list ... but there might well be a reason for that, as schools are in general VERY full these days, due to the rise in numbers of children.

OTOH:

• DD did not get a place for Reception from that September, because it was full and there was a big waiting list. She was placed 42nd, because we were so far away.
• On the day we moved (and showed tenancy agreement and proof of transfer of utility bills), DD moved up to 8th on the waiting list.
• The next day, DS started school, and DD therefore became a sibling. She moved up to 2nd on the waiting list, and we booked an appeal hearing.
• About 3 weeks later, before the appeal, a couple of children got into another school on appeal, so DD got her place for the September.

That's interesting... Mmm will have to wait until nearer the summer, try and apply for schools without a waiting list and then if not wait until we actually move in and start from there.
We may be able to get in to the new house by July but it's early days so I suppose the best I can do is do some school research and wait it out for now! The school move is more stressful than the house move!

You will end up with a school place, but schools tend to be very full. However more rural schools are more likely to have space. Some schools are also increasing in size.
If you are going to live in a town, having both your DC at the same school maybe unlikely - you may need to get some help with doing a double school run.

I am assuming you will be living in the County of Surrey and not just somewhere with a Surrey address.

Il be in Hurst Green near oxted X

It is probably worth a call to the In-Year team - some areas will allow you to using proof of having exchanged on a house as proof or your intended address - ie you have exchanged and therefore unlikely not to move!

I'd also call now ish, before allocation day, as they get very busy then.