How to get on a waiting list for in year/next year transfer

[stanski]

Hi! I'm clueless when it comes to schools so apologies in advance. We've just moved from Merton to Sutton and while I appreciate it might not happen this year (reception) as they start in 10 days I'm wondering how I go about getting on the list for the local (outstanding) school?
I have filled an in year transfer form but there is a page to be filled by current teacher which we haven't yet met, so I will pass this on when he starts. Once submitted do we then wait? Is there anything else we need to be doing? Local school has a 500m catchment and we come in at 430, a 6 min walk away as opposed to 15min drive to the old/current one.
Any advice truly appreciated as I'm lost with the process.
Thank you

The local school has had over 400 applications for less than 90 places so I imaging the waiting list would be long too, in case that makes a difference

It's good you have filled out the In year form. As this is for reception I would suggest giving the admissions team a call, they are very helpful to explain the process.

Find out how many others are on the waiting list and don't forget to renew at the end of each term by calling/emailing admissions.

The waiting list is not first come guest serve and when a place becomes available they most likely allocate order of looked after children, medical reasons, siblings and then distance.

Both my children are at our chosen school and when my daughter moved in year reception, I found out one of her class mates had applied for a place in August and got it as 3 children didn't turn up and had decided on another school instead.

Hope this helps & good luck x

Unless things have changed, in year transfers would be handled by individual schools rather than the council so I would contact the school(s) directly and explain the situation. Befriend the secretary/main contact and stay in touch so that they don’t forget you/assume you have found somewhere else you are happy with (unless that is the case). There may be some admin required with council but school should advise on that.

Unless things have changed, in year transfers would be handled by individual schools rather than the council

That depends on the council. Some deal with in-year admissions themselves, others leave it to schools.

@icriedsohard thank you for your golden nuggets. Had no idea has to be renewed each term. This is very helpful.

@sleepwhenidie thank you! I wrote them an email prior to exchanging on the new place and they said to contact the council who deal with it. Will try them both on Tuesday when they reopen and will try see who deals with admissions so can pick their brains.

@prh47bridge it's an academy. Does that work differently?

Thank you all !

An academy is its own admission authority but it doesn't make a huge difference. If the council co-ordinates in-year transfers you apply to them. If they don't you apply to the school. The council's website will tell you the correct process.

If the school to which you apply has a place available they must admit your child, regardless of the type of school.

Once you have submitted your application there is nothing you can do other than wait.

I am dubious about the page that has to be completed by the current teacher. Requiring that is likely to be a breach of the Admissions Code. Unfortunately, a number of councils do this kind of thing as a way of putting parents off applying for in-year transfers.

@prh47bridge I see your point. The page for current teachers purely delays our application as we need to wait for him to start school to get that filled in to be able to apply. It's a Sutton council requirement it would seem, unless I'm reading this incorrectly.

It's the third page of this form drive.google.com/file/d/1Lww7HccqZPDm2BtLk74CyUc-AQQ06Ku4/view

I've emailed the admissions team at Sutton just now to ask for more details and will follow up with a call post bank holiday. Thank you so much. Fingers crossed if not this year then next year we may be able to cut the journey time to school!
There is nothing wrong with the previous school it's just a longer journey and I'm also guessing if he was around the new house his new classmates might also be local so easier to arrange play dates etc

That form is clearly in breach of the Admissions Code. It asks for information which cannot be taken into account as part of the admissions process. The request for "other comments" to enable Sutton to make a decision on the placement is blatantly in breach. Some of the other information may be needed by the school if your child is admitted but that should be dealt with after the decision is taken. Insisting on it prior to a decision naturally leads to suspicion that they are incorrectly taking this information into account.

The biggest breach of all is the statement at the head of the page that your application will not be processed until this section is completed. You are entitled to apply for a place at any school at any time. This effectively allows your child's existing school a veto as they could simply refuse to fill in the page. I would tell the admissions team that you will submit the application without this page. If they insist that they won't process it tell them that you will refer the matter to the LGO as a clear breach of the Admissions Code.

www.sutton.gov.uk/downloads/file/4357/schools_in-year_vacancy_checker

That gets updated quite regularly and will let you know where the spaces are.

Depending on your commutes etc I’d also look at some other schools. You can’t go too wrong in Sutton really and plenty of schools rated ‘good’ are very successful and sought after too. Not sure if you’re familiar with the website below, but it has all the stats on schools.

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/schools-by-type?step=default&table=schools&region=319&la-name=sutton&geographic=la&for=primary

@prh47bridge thank you. Good to know, had no idea.

@JoJoSM2 thank you. In an ideal world I'd either keep him where he is (as he has some friends there) or move to the closest here to home; it's not an ideal world though so I'll take a look at what else is close and cross check against the list.