Relocating & In-Year Applications - how did you do it?

[Tolivewhere19]

Hello, DD currently in year 1. We are relocating across country and original plan had been to move in Easter hols. Looking unlikely now because new job/sale of house has been delayed. Now looking at May half-term or Summer hols.

I am trying to get my head about logistics and time-frame of moving. It's complicated because places in ALL desired schools are currently full but places come up every now and again. Admissions team said we could make application where we are but obviously those living near school would get priority. I am worried about moving and DD being given a place at a non-preference school far from new house and then moving again if necessary to 1st choice. All the schools without current places happen to be the best schools and the ones with places further away all 'require improvement'. DD's current school is excellent and she is doing very well so would like her new school to be similar.

For those that have done In-Year Applications can you please tell me the time-frame for applications and moving etc and how it worked out for you?

What time of year did you submit your application?
Did you do application from original home or have proof of address in new town when making application?
When were you offered a place and was it one of your preferences?
Did you move before a school offer or after?
For those who moved before, when did you move exactly? Before Easter, Summer hols etc?

Sorry SO many questions! I know a lot depends on luck really - how many people moving out of the area as we move in etc but would like to hear from others who have experienced similar. Thank you!

We waited till we moved and then made an in year application but were happy with the area and potential schools to apply for from there. Admittedly the younger school years are harder to get into. Our child was older and there was more “move” at that stage as kids were preparing for secondary etc.
We were prepared to home educate until the right local place cane up but that was our decision. Oh and we moved in summer hols. Yes it’s stressful but it can work itself out.

I am worried about moving and DD being given a place at a non-preference school far from new house and then moving again if necessary to 1st choice.

well this is definitely going to happen isn't it? It's extremely unlikely that you move and suddenly someone leaves a very desired school. You were always moving after the applications deadline, so I'm not sure what you thought would happen. You just need to be very positive to her about whatever school she gets and make up for any deficiencies at home.

"well this is definitely going to happen isn't it?"

Erm, not necessarily no! It depends on whether children leave as we arrive. My DD is also at a desirable school and we will be leaving making a space for someone else. In-Year applications don't have a deadline.

Thank you @ItsalmostSummer! Did you put in an application before summer hols with evidence of future address?

Councils normally require proof of (local) address before offering a place, OP. We had to provide a letter from the Letting Agent about our rental and a council tax bill. I'm not sure what you can do about a house sale, perhaps after exchange the solicitor can write a letter?

We were only offered one school (moved in July to start reception in September) luckily we liked it even though it was in special measures at the time! I did it over email with the admissions team, sent them the agent's letter and they replied within days. Very quick. The school also wrote to me to confirm the place for September, all happened with only a week of the summer term left!

That's why I think without the new address you are stuck really. Good luck with the move.

Hi OP it's chaos.

Top tip: the LEA can give you the number on waiting list per year for each school you're interested in (within reason). Not always 100% up to date but you then have a feel of how long waiting lists are (varying by school) and get a clue about turnover rates.

Your flexibility is key. Are you prepared to homeschool for how long? Are you prepared to move to an area with a low waiting list? etc.

We moved and when I had the date I gave the council a call and completed the in year transfer for school he was then in reception which was July 2018 we are now march 2019 and he's still on the waiting list for the 3 schools closest and not looking like getting in anytime soon ! I'm hoping that as my daughter starts school in September that he will get sibling points and finally get a school place that won't be such a massive ballache to get to !!

I agree with DietCoke to be honest.

Unless you are willing to homeschool for a period as SeeYouLater has suggested, you may well have to move your DD to secure a place in a school you deem "similar" to her current one.

You need to talk to the LA where you are moving too and establish exactly when you can apply for a school in terms of moving into a house. Some insist that you have moved in, whereas others are more realistic and accept a confirmation of having exchanged contracts. It is also possible to apply for a school from your current address but it then needs to go via your current LA to the LA where the school is before it can be considered. If you are then talking about a school that is oversubscribed then the obvious answer would be no place, so I am not sure that this is a viable route unless you know there are places and that you know you are moving within a few weeks - most schools will not keep a place open foe more than half a term.
That then gives you a basic timetable but you need to also drive the timetable. It would be better to have moved and got a school before the summer holiday. Realistically nothing will happen over the summer holiday because the staff are not in school and able to answer queries around available places. For the same reason going to appeal to try and get a preference school needs to have been instigated by early June in order that the appeal hearing takes place before the summer break.
You also probably need to be thinking that your child might well be out of school in September for a number of weeks, so how will you handle that?

Apologies. I should have said extremely likely, not definite.

We moved from Scotland to England last year so needed a Yr1 place for DS to start in September. 6 months before we moved DH and I came down without the children to look at schools and areas. We ended up with a short list of schools we liked then rented a house in an area that would get us a place in most of them if there was space. We then used the address of the house we were going to rent to apply directly to the schools before the summer holidays (the ones we wanted were CofE so we didn't go through the LA). No one asked for proof of address.The original school that said it had a space suddenly filled up between Easter and summer but a school that had originally said it didn't have space suddenly had a space available.
We moved after we had the school place offer. We decided we would only move if DS had a school place we were happy with. We ended up not moving to one area as the schools were all full and it was going to be too stressful to get a place. We also considered renting a cheaper house in a dodgy area and paying for a private school but didn't need to in the end.
Relocating is difficult but it can be done if you do your research. We are really happy with DS's school and the area we have moved to.

We only put in the application once we got to the new address. They (council) wouldn’t accept it sooner. We moved right at the beginning of the summer break though.