Mid year transfer nightmare

[Raaraaboonah]

We are about to move house and have children in Y1 and Y4. The very local school to us had places in those years so we merrily applied only to find out today that another family has already applied and been allocated those places.

Currently Y4 has a place at a good place but Y1 has no place as our back up school was also full. After a frantic ring around this is our situation:

• we can appeal for the Y1 place at both the school that declined us and the Y4 school but as it would be under infant class size, its very difficult to win. although the school the Y4 has been allocated has had 31 in Y1 previously and the school that we originally wanted has a Y4 space and blended years in KS1 so we might be able to make a case, or
• find an alternative school but we are finding that all schools either have a Y1 or Y4 but not both.

my head is spinning with what to do. Assuming the appeals fail, do we:

• Keep the Y4 place add Y1 onto the waiting list and hope a place becomes available but if not, class sizes increase in Y3 so would be 18months of two different schools, or
• get Y1 a place somewhere and then appeal for Y4 to get in as then its not on infant class sizes and there are broader terms for appeal so it could be easier to get him in?

anyone got any thoughts? i'm feeling sick with anxiety and the council aren't much help

I'm afraid the fact they have had 31 in Y1 previously won't help you in an infant class size case. It is likely the additional child was excepted, i.e. did not count towards the class size limit. Even if the child was not excepted it does not establish a precedent.

Regarding your options, I would say it really depends on which schools have a Y1 place available. If there is a school with a Y1 place where you would be happy to send your Y4 and there is a realistic chance of a successful appeal I would go for that option. However, if the only schools with Y1 places are not ones you really want I would stick with the Y4 place you've got.

Why not do both? Take the Y4 place and put the Y1 on the waiting list; find a Y1 place and put the Y4 on that waiting list.

That is what I thought prh47bridge when you can see the problems with your own appeal it a bit tricky... we'll appeal to ensure we've done our best to get the best result for our children but are realistic about the chances of success.

I think we'll need to do what eddie suggests. its not great in terms of resettling them after we move as they might end up with two school moves but i think its the only option we've got. urgh i hate moving house!