Is this too risky?

[Theknittinggorilla]

We are applying for schools for ds1 for September. We moved house in Jan this year so did lots of school visits in various areas before deciding where to move to, including our closest school, which we really liked.

Because we did all the school visiting then we have been a bit lax this year about visiting alternative schools in the area we now live. We saw one alternative school this month which we also liked, in reality we will end up in one of those two schools all being well, with the school we saw last year being likely first choice and the other school second.

Challenge is - we haven't been back to the original school this year (which has had an extension in the meantime) and can't now get an appointment to see it until 11th January. Which is very very close to the deadline.

Obviously missing the deadline is an absolute disaster, but ideally we would see the school again to compare to the alternative and get an idea of the changes made.

Would we be crazy to leave the application until the 11th? Has everyone else already applied by now?

It doesn't matter if you apply now or on the 11th/12th, provided the application is in by the deadline. The only risk would be if something we're to happen to prevent you doing it, like a personal emergency or (more likely ) issues with the post or website. Is it online? When I did ours, we could submit it online but still make changes and resubmit it at any point up to the deadline. If that's an option, I'd do that.

As the deadline is the 15th why do you think doing it on the 11th will be a problem? When you send your application makes no difference to the outcome, as long as it's before the deadline.

Thank you. It's online. Issues with the website is my worry, though we would have 4 days.
That's a good point about resubmission, I'll check. I've registered and filled in most of the info just not the actual choices.

Some online systems will
LEt you amend applications before the deadline

I don't see the issue as long as it's done by the deadline? Doing it the evening of the 11th will make no difference to doing it now.

I would see the school again, not just for the extension but they may of changed heads, policies, teachers or anything in a year.

As long as you are happy that you can apply on the web and get confirmation of the application being accepted, then wait till after the school visit. It is however getting tight and you are not allowing for any hiccups.
What makes you think anything will have changed at the nearest school? I wonder whether you would be better off actually applying now with the two schools you want as 1 and 2 preferences. Then you have more time to confirm that the application has been accepted.
You could then still visit the school on the 11th and if after the visit you need to make a change to your preferences then you can do that before the 15th Jan. But at least you do the visit with the comfort of having confirmed your preferences.

Don't worry! It isn't a first come first served basis as most LAs have a criteria that are all very similar (looked after children, even those who were in LAC, and those with statements are generally first, followed by catchement and then siblings and then geographical - some LAs put siblings before catchments)
If you submit on the evening before the deadline it will be accepted.

I went through this last year and it isn't nerve wracking on the day offers are made. And I KNEW my DS would get in because it has a PAN of 50 and highest ever intake has been 40 with numbers between 27 and 36 likely. My son's year has 32 children.

Thanks all. I know it doesn't make a difference when you apply, just feeling uncomfortable leaving something so important so late in case of some unforeseen glitch.

I didn't realise you could amend after submission so will take the advice to submit now but still have the option to change in the unlikely event we change our mind about school 1.

I applied at 11pm on deadline day as wasn't sure if I would HE or not till last minute. I was still looking at potential schools earlier that morning!

Just make sure if you want to amend that it is before the 15th Jan. If you ask to amend after the cut off then you will be considered as a late application and go to the bottom of the list and not be considered for a place until after all on-time applicants have been offered a place.