In year admissions - three choices, but no places?

[leafinthewind]

We're moving back to the UK this summer and hoping to get the kids into school before the long summer holiday - one is KS1, one KS2. I have been ringing round our local schools but haven't found a place for my younger one. What happens if I apply to the three schools closest and don't get a place? Do they just pick the next closest school with space and offer that? Can I keep my application for the other schools open? What happens if I don't accept the offered place?

And why is moving so stressful?!

I'd be grateful for any suggestions. Has anyone done this recently? My LA is Hampshire, by the way.

If you don't accept an offered place you will need to home school or go private...

Yes you can stay on waiting lists though.

If there are no school places anywhere near you then you could appeal I presume, especially if not a reception place...

Thanks Random. My youngest is in Y2 right now, so I'm hoping for a little wiggle room once the infant class size rule no longer applies once she's Y3 in September. I'm not intending to home school or go private, just... maybe... wait until September. I don't want to put her into an inconvenient school for a couple of weeks, and then move her in the new academic year, if you see what I mean. She'll already have finished the academic year here, so I'm not too worried about the last few weeks of term. I just thought it would be nice if I could get her in.

I am wanting to do a in-year transfer, my LA has advised that I can't apply for a September place until mid-June so it might be at that time you could apply and there is a space as there will no longer be the ICS.

Potentially there could be someone like me that moved a year ago, yet kept the dc at the same school and are now moving them at a more convenient time (I currently have one in yr 6 and one in yr 2)

I am messily trying to say that by the beginning of July there may be a bit more movement.

I'm hoping so moon. Thank you! I guess I just have to keep calling and keep an eye on where we are on the waiting lists. I don't want to piss anyone off, of course!

In case anyone else finds themselves in this spot, I'll update a little...

It turns out that my LA allows you to make two simultaneous applications - one for a month ahead, and one for September.

Also, the processing time is based on school working days, so watch out for school holidays.

Finally, if there are no places, the ball is then back in the parents' court. It's not like the initial application where you could be allocated any school if you don't get your three preferences. For in year admissions, my LA puts the onus on applicants to get back to the council to talk about an alternative school.

Not sure who in the LA gave you that advice but in most LAs, any application for an -in-year admission would now be treated as an application for a September start. There is a rule that says you can only make one application for an appeal in any academic year, so if you applied now for a place in year 2 to start 1st July and the appeal failed, then you would certainly not be allowed for what are the same circumstances to apply for a year 3 place starting September 1st.
I suggest that you apply for places in year 3 and for elder sibling in KS2 in the middle of June. Apply for the 3 preferred schools and see whether you are offered places at any of the schools. If rejected then you can immediately appeal and that appeal will be held before the summer break.
The LA are required to offer you places for both children but that could easily be in separate schools and some distance away. It is usual to accept these places in the interim whilst you look to get places in one of your preferred schools.

I don't think I'd have strong grounds for an appeal, though, would I? Maybe I'm wrong!

I've done what I've done. I made two applications per child, to the same schools, for two start times - one this academic year, one next academic year. I guess that my elder child will get a place in July - two of the schools said they have a place available in her year. I think the younger one won't get a place, though. I wasn't planning on appealing in June, though. I was planning to wait on the September application and appeal THAT one, if necessary. Or figure out another school, I guess. Do you think I'm making an error here, admissions? The way I read your (excellent, helpful) comment is that I can appeal once for July and again for September - once per academic year. Is that right? Or is it one appeal only, because I made both the applications in the same academic year (actually at the same time!).

You need to appeal by mid June if you are looking to get appeal completed for a start at the beginning of September. If you leave it much later than this then there is not the timescale to arrange the appeal before schools break up towards the end of July. There are not normally appeals in August.
Some LAs may allow you an appeal now and then another for September but most would not, there has to be a convincing reason and material change in circumstances to allow two appeals in a year. I would assume that you will not be given that possibility and that any appeal is for a September start., because there is not really a material change in circumstances.
Any appeal is for the school you would prefer not against the school offered. As september start will be in year 3 for your youngest it is not an infant class size case so it is about the strength of the reasons for the preferred schools. You need to be looking for clubs that child may want to attend, anything different about the school. Things like they are Ofsted outstanding are not good reasons.
It would appear from your posts that your eldest can get places in a couple of schools so you need to be pushing the LA to allocate a place for youngest for September, which they legally have to do but this may be much closer to the end of term. If the LA do not allocate a place then that is also a good point to raise at appeal. If they offer a place then if you decline that place then you are on your own in finding a place for youngest, the LA have done their legal duty by making you an offer.

admission
Sorry, hijacking here. We are doing pretty much the same as the OP. When you say an application now would be treated as Sept admission, does that mean I couldn't start the kids at a school at say the end of June? Or just that it might not be expected that's what I'm after?
I need to do some serious thinking about what to do with the kids if I'm facing a 14 week summer holiday!

Thanks admission. I'm hoping to hear by 10 or 11 June, so I'll soon know where I stand.