Outside of any primary catchment areas

[Devro]

I know it's pretty early but I'm starting to majorly stress out over my child's primary admission in Sept '18.
We live in a catchment 'black hole', meaning we are surrounded by schools but are not in any of their catchment areas, with the exception of 2 Catholic primaries, which are not an option.
I have a preference but wouldn't mind getting into any of the non-faith schools, but I think it's not gonna happen unless we move into a catchment area.
I really do not want to move, and so at the moment the only thing I can think of is to move temporarily.
I know how people feel about that, but I don't think we'll have another choice, given the ridiculousness of our situation.
I suppose otherwise we'd risk being placed in an undersubscribed school miles away, and close distance is the most important thing for us as I'm a single parent, work full time and can't afford a childminder for drop-offs and pick-ups.
My question is now: What kind of repercussions do people face who move into catchment then move back to previous address?

Not that I'd have the energy for it, but I'm pretty sure being forced by your LA to have your child attend a faith school whose teachings collide with your own faith/beliefs makes for an excellent case for a successful legal challenge.

No, it doesn't. You can withdraw your child from worship, but you could be assigned a Christian school if you're not Christian. Lots of people are. Put them in order which you truly want, have the last school as a dead certain one, even if it is a religious one or a rubbish one. Better a rubbish one next door than a rubbish one 3 miles away. Then stay on the waiting lists, as pps have said, some schools in London have a very transient population and it is quite possible to get a desirable place by September or not long after. Most people did get a place in one of their wanted schools, this often gets overlooked in the panic around school admissions. 90% in many areas.

it really wouldn't be a successful challenge I don't think - you have options even if allocated a faith school (withdrawing from worship etc) I do hope you are able to list your preferences and that you are successful if not immediately then via waiting list.

Sadly not, Devro. How many Muslims do you think go to state schools? Jehovah's Witnesses? Hindu? All state schools, unless they have applied for exemption, must provide a daily act of collective worship which must be of broadly Christian nature. Parents can withdraw their child.

It might be worth your time reading the Admissions Code. You can download it on the .gov.uk website.

It makes no basis for a legal challenge at all.

The LA have no responsibility to provide you with a school of your choosing. Their only responsibility is to provide your child with an education in a school. It doesn't matter whether you have a preference for faith or no faith.

I've got a feeling this has been challenged legally and it wasn't successful.

I see. Could v well imagine that this would have been legally challenged before, might look into that.
So, one last question - in case you've accepted a place and your child has started school and then another place becomes available that you were waitlisted for, what happens then?
Can one switch mid-term?

Yes, you can.

Ok, thanks everyone! May the games begin

Yes, you can even switch on day 2 and children sometimes do. A call can come in to say that term has started and Johnny's parents have just let them know that he had in fact started at X school, so a place will be available from the next day. Mad scramble to pick up uniform, school labels a tray and a coat hook, and the child starts the next day.

Could v well imagine that this would have been legally challenged before, might look into that

There have not been any successful legal challenges. Any parent thinking of mounting such a challenge would be advised that it would be very expensive with no realistic chance of success.

I would strongly recommend taking a look at the faith schools. Some faith schools are not very religious. Indeed, some non-faith schools are more religious than some faith schools.

lambeth seems to have several reasonable schools, now I know rightmove isn't 100% accurate but what do you find unacceptable about them, just the faith aspect? just about all of them seem rated "good"

Legal Challenges? What on earth are you hoping one will achieve? You will be offered a school for once your child is 5, which unless you have a deferred summer born will not be September 2018. Not one that is local, outstanding, convenient and in line with your ethos, but a school. It doesn't even need to be in your LA as most have reciprocal agreements.

So please spend your energy investigating admissions codes and getting to know all local schools. As PP have rightly pointed out, better a shit school on your doorstep than a shittier one 4 miles and 3 busses away. There is always a tonne of movement on waiting lists right up until September and beyond as people genuinely move. Look at in year admissions too.

I have no problem with your wishes for a good school, but have huge issues with how you plan to achieve them to the detriment of the taxpayer and everyone else. If you have enough cash for moving and a legal challenge, why not just go private?

Sorry I read and ran last night and didnt take on board that you have 2 primaries in area that I presume are within (is it 2 miles or 3 miles) of your home.

In my situation the nearest schools were in a different catchment area. My catchment area was quite a distance from my home. Which is why I was able to demand the taxi. It would have had to be a taxi because train and tube station station is miles away and doesn't run anywhere near the school and there is no buses.

If both the catholic primaries are similar and if push comes to shove you have no preference for either I would just put down the schools you really want to go to with the knowledge you more than likely will get one of the local catholic schools. If you are more comfortable with one than the other then it is up to you to decide if you want to take a chance by not putting that school down on the list. But knowing that you are more than likely going to end up with that school if you do. IYSWIM
If you put down a school on your list you are not 100% happy with if you get that school you have no come back.

All schools are expected to have an act of worship so that argument unfortunately won't work. You can withdraw them from worship, but that will include nativity show.

Depending on when your ds turns 5 you might be able to accept a place but then defer until the term after they turn 5 or Easter. Some nurseries will keep your child until then or he gets a place at a more desirable school. This saves two transitions. You need to consider 'would I prefer him to go to a poor school nearby or a potentially worse one far away.

i've just gone through the primary app process in lambeth. what area of lambeth do you live in?

OP, also check schoolcatchment.co.uk - not gospel sorry but will give you an idea of where your DC would have gotten in this year, last year etc.

Pastafairy you need to chill, woman.
I can do whatever I want. No need for you to be hostile.
As I've said before I wouldn't have the energy/time for a legal challenge, but it interests me.

I don't have to accept any school, and I won't.
My daughter will not go to a school that doesn't suit me, period.

The school system is unfair from start to finish, everyone knows that it's in favour of people with money who just buy next to a good one while everyone else has to put up with what's left.
Well, I'm not someone who puts up with stuff like that, like it or not, and I have challenged lots of 'rules' in this country successfully, eg hospitals who thought they could decide what's best with my child (was a case similar to Ashya King, I won), and I surely won't be bullied into sending my child to a faith school I don't agree with.

Why don't you invest your energy into things other than talking down to me?

Lambeth has lots of good schools but not in the right areas, population has exploded in certain areas and the school offering hasn't adapted.

My issue most likely won't be about whether the school is good or not, but about distance.

Interesting! I didn't know you could wait until the term after a child turns 5, is that common? I assumed everyone starts in September.

My daughter will turn 5 in October '18.

But you are in Lambeth, an area with lots of wonderful schools. All parents want an outstanding school, and most non-Christians probably don't want a Christian one. The primary school allocations in Central London aren't that unfair, I agree there are areas where a lot of money makes a lot of difference, Lambeth isn't one of them.

When you visit schools (and you should visit as many as you can), ask for their after school clubs, some don't have them and quite a few don't allow reception children in ASC. Lambeth has external providers of after school clubs, too. If you work full time, you will presumably need them. They are not free, but then neither are the school run ones, so factor this in.

You can defer until 5, but your daughter will then go into year 1 and all her classmates will have been in school for a year together. You will also only get a leftover place of course, they won't remove a child on roll already for a new joiner.

Nobody in our school did it.

Paxillin sorry, I'm not sure I understand this right:

You can defer until 5, but your daughter will then go into year 1 and all her classmates will have been in school for a year together. You will also only get a leftover place of course, they won't remove a child on roll already for a new joiner.

My daughter will be 4 in Sept 18 but turn 5 shortly after. I wasn't really planning on deferring, but just to understand this: what would deferring mean in our case? A local friend of mine whose child turned 4 this July was told its against the law in Lambeth to keep her in nursery after Sept this year, and that it was either home schooling or school.

You can defer until January 2019. You would apply for a place as if she was starting in September 2018 then inform the school you wish to defer. If a place comes up at a school you would prefer you can start her at that school straight away. If not, you will either need to home educate or send her to the allocated school starting in January 2019.

Your friend was misinformed (or misunderstood what she was told). Lambeth is subject to the same laws as the rest of the UK. The advice she was given would be correct if her child turned 5 this month. However, if her child turned 4 this month she does not have to start full time education until September 2018 (i.e. the start of term following her child's fifth birthday). She can defer until later in the 2017/18 school year then take up the place at the school she has been offered, or she can wait until September 2018 in which case her child will go into Y1. She does not have to home educate until her child starts school. She will not be breaking any laws if she continues to send her child to nursery.