Moving and changing schools - any advice

[vbob]

I was planning on moving over the summer for financial reasons. DD will be going into yr 3 in September. My problem is that the receiving local authority are refusing to tell me whether any of the schools in the area I'm planning to move to will have year 3 places available. They've also told me that they can't process applications over the summer and that my child will therefore miss the first few weeks of term. Has anybody else been in a similar situation? Have you got any advice?

Have you already applied? Do you have an address? (Eg rent agreement in place, mortgage in principle and offer accepted on a house?).
Summer doesn’t start for another 6 weeks (if you’re in the U.K.), so they have time now to process the application.
We were in a similar boat going into year 4. We didn’t know from the LA where had places and ended up being placed in the only school that had a space. I think we applied when our house offer was accepted and were offered a place in July. It’s unnerving and unsettling because you’re not in control.

Sorry - missed s but if that out. We applied late May.

I would try and get house sorted first, you can’t apply without doing that.

If you are able to move your child immediately the LA should be more co-operative. However, if you can't move your child before the summer holidays they are being sensible. They don't know what the situation will look like in September and, with many schools handling their own admissions, they won't be able to deal with your application during the summer holidays.

If you can move your child immediately, the LA should tell you which schools have places now. You can then apply to them through your current LA.

It is difficult because until you have an address you cannot apply to a school. It helps talking directly to the schools themselves as they have a better idea of how many places they are likely to have.

I can't remember the exact sequence of events but we moved in May half term and DCs started school for the last half term. I spoke to the schools and knew they would have places for them

We’re going to be renting and haven’t found anywhere yet. And I don’t really want her to miss end of term at her current school, which is why we were going to move in August.

IME the system is a joke. We’re moving from overseas, needed to rent a house (fine) but didn’t want to rent a house in an area where the schools were full for the age groups we needed. Local authority was distinctly unhelpful, wouldn’t even give a vague idea, eg that school is upping its reception intake from 45 to 60 this year so you’re in with a chance. (Conversely I rang the local authority where I grew up and they were a lot more helpful, told me how many places were available in a year at a number of schools.) Ultimately it came down to one extremely helpful school secretary and head who went out of their way to help us, told us their figures and sorted everything out.

Hi
I appreciate that you want your DD to complete the end of term at her current school with her current friends.

What is worth thinking about though is the transition in July vs the transition in September.

In July she will be one of a group moving into a new class. All the children will be new to the class teacher who will treat them as a whole group. Moving earlier would mean the current teacher is more aware of her as a new starter - making sure she has someone to sit next to, buddy at break etc

Class size rules may also make this tricky (up to 30 in year 2; more in year 3) but as you are discovering, being in an area means you get more answers.
Good luck with your move :-)

Thanks squiggletea. It’s not necessarily about July vs September - I don’t want to move somewhere and find out we have to travel 30 mins each way every day to get to school as we currently do - one of many reasons I’m thinking of relocating. Moving is beginning to feel like a stupid decision.