Got a place in a school nursery based on catchment, now what?

[somehelpplease38]

Posting this here as it's a school nursery.

We have planned our move for ages and have been offered a place in the school nursery close to what was going to be our new house (based on letter from solicitor.)

The chain collapsed and it all fell through after almost a year. We are now in a position where we are still aiming to move to this address (found our new buyer.) But there is a small chance we will be in by september now of course, probably more October - November.

What can we do now? We had already given up our other nursery. If we rent in the catchment area do we get to keep the nursery place? Do we have any other options or will we just loose the place? We obviously dont want to do anything illegal, but wanted to check here before we inform the nursery.

Thanks in advance..

School nurseries don't have the same issues as school reception year as having a place in the school nursery usually has zero effect on whether you get a place in reception. When will your dc have their 4th birthday?

Unless the nursery has a specific policy about this which would be unusual you should be fine. If you want dc to continue into reception once they are 4, make sure you have moved by the December of the school year before.

That sounds reassuring.

Yes, it doesn't guarantee a place in reception as I've understood that is a whole new application process. It would just be for the nursery class from September this year.

Am I required to notify them that we won't be living in the address when DC starts nursery this September? (Born April 2015 so should start reception next year.)

Well they obviously need to know your actual address for correspondence, but I don't suppose they will be bothered where that is unless there is a massive waiting list and priority is given based on address but that would be very unusual for nurseries.

@Imchlibob oh, but it is indeed.. We got it as we were on the waiting list and were offered it on the basis of moving just a couple of streets away from the school..

Hmm. That does make it trickier. The thing is that with the reception place allocations there is a whole legal process which makes it an offence to lie about your address and requires that you must apply using your current actual address. The legal framework for nursery places isn't the same.

Q1. Were you entirely honest with the nursery in your application? Did you tell them your current address and add "but we are expecting to move to (address of hoped-for house) within the next X months" - or did you write the address of the hoped-for house on the application keeping fingers crossed?

Q2. Do you have copies of all paperwork connected with the application? - if not, ask for copies from the nursery, you don't have to say why but if they can ask you can just give a tinkly laugh and say you just love knowing that your records are all complete. Read through the paperwork in minute detail - does it say anything about places being withdrawn? If so, what.

Thank you so much for your advice, I really appreciate it. Don't want to do anything too hasty here and loose childcare for the next year(!)

Q1: Yes, I first rang them before I applied to tell them our situation and ask if we were even eligible to apply as we live miles away. They explained a letter from our solicitor with the address of our new property was sufficient. We did genuinely expect to be in by April at the latest this year. We were offered a place in May and weren't prompted for another proof of address.

Q2: This is a really good idea, I have read through what I have - but couldn't find anything about this. Asking them for the paperwork is probably the way forward.

Thanks again!

I think you need to read how the nursery actually allocate places. You just may have been next on the list. I don’t see how they could have allocated based on a possible move unless they stipulate this is s condition in their admission policy. If it’s not written down that moving shortly is a criteria, then it’s not. If it says it’s in waiting list order, then that’s the sole criteria. What does the published policy actually say?

You were open and honest with them, the solicitor's letter they asked for and got was presumably truthful, so I don't think you've done anything wrong. As bubbles says, unless there is something written down somewhere saying that you lose the place if the planned move doesn't go ahead, I don't think that's something they can impose without warning.