Wilmslow schools!

[positive80]

Hi,

Does anybody have any experience of school places in Wilmslow?
We are looking to move there from the south, all schools are full and not sure if anyone ever has any success with the appeals process?

Any advice or experienced greatly appreciated !!

Wilmslow is a particular problem because of the level of new houses in the area both at primary school level and especially at secondary school where there is only one school with over 2000 pupils.
The chance of it getting much better in the near future are not strong, given that another 900 houses are being built between Wilmslow and Poynton.
If you move into the area then Cheshire East LA have a legal requirement to find you a school place but it does not mean it has to be near to where you are living. You can appeal and you may be successful at appeal but obviously of your child is still in the infants then your chances of success are significantly reduced by the infant class size regulations.
Does it have to be in the Wilmslow area or are Congleton or Holmes Chapel possibilities, where there potentially might be more spaces available?

Thanks Admission,

As we relocating from the south we need to settle in the right place and be close to my family in Knutsford, generally all the schools are full, in Knutsford, Alderley Edge, Wilmslow ( minus one which I'm not sure about) and Congletons too far. Goostrey & HC are too quiet for us. Just wondering if appeals tend to work as I know the 3 we like are full in the year groups we require, 2 kids in years 1 & 2.

Problem is as well...
We wouldn't buy or rent a house in a location where we can't get the kids into the schools but you can't apply for places until you've an address to give! So you could get buy the perfect house somewhere but then end up having to ship the kids to a not so good school or one miles away! Defeats the point of choosing a location for its good schools, it's a gamble

I am afraid your problem is the case in many situations, the LA and Cheshire East will definitely do it, only accept an application when you have moved in or are about to.
You also have a major issue in that your children are both infants and therefore the class can only have 30 pupils to each school teacher. The infant class size regs create this limit and it effectively trumps everything that you can say to get a place at the school at appeal. The only way to win is if the LA have made a mistake in the allocations, which is simply not possible for an in-year application.
I think your only reasonable course of action is to decide where you want to live, find a house and rent for a period then hope that you can persuade Cheshire East or an admission appeal panel to overturn the infant class regs restriction because there are no places within reasonable distance.
By renting that then gives you the option when you know the school you are allocated of looking for a suitable house.

Rent a house. Try out the area. Ask the LA what schools have places: Im not sure any of the schools are a total disaster in Wilmslow.

Thanks for the replies and sorry for the late response!

Does anyone have any insight into the possible prep then grammar route later on? What are the prep entrance assessments like and how hard is it to get in?

All the primaries are full in the year groups we need, feel nervous about putting them in a school we aren't 100% and then possibly moving them again if places become available.

Thanks again. X

Stockport Grammar, Cheadle Hulme, Manchester High (girls only), Manchester Grammar (boys only and from year 3) and Withington Girls (again from year 3) all have primary sections. If you want to/are able to you could try to get your children in to one of those. That would mean that your address would not matter since they are independent schools.

Would you consider living in South Manchester? We faced this problem a few years ago. We looked at Wilmslow/Cheadle area but then decided to rent a house in Withington as there are a number of good schools in Withington/Didsbury and at least 1 had space. The space at our 1st preference school was taken by someone else moving to the area a few weeks before but then we got a place at another, equally good school which had initially said it didn't have space. We really like the area and can both get public transport to work so no getting stuck in traffic from Wilmslow.

Yes I agree. How ties are you to Wilmslow and where will jobs be etc?

Ladybarn is not too far away

What about Hale / Altrincham?

Not too far from Knutsford - on the same train line.

Good state primaries plus the Grammars if you want or Wellington or Knutsford High if you don't. There are preps too if you want.

Thanks all,
We just want to have countryside on our doorstep and feel we will get this more in Wilmslow and Alderley Edge, we love muddy dog walks and getting out there, my brothers in Hale and although I know schools are excellent, they are preparing my niece for the grammars, I feel it's abit too suburband and built up. Knutsford is my love and hometown but as we are moving up from the south we want some here new and fresh for us both to settle, within reach of knutsford though!

Husband will be commuting to Milton Keynes in the week, one trip each way so
we want to be on the Crewe line, I'll be looking for local teaching work so flexible