Moved and struggling to get kids into school

[MedusasBadHairDay]

We moved last week, and thought we had school for both kids sorted. We'd called the nearest school, an academy so handle their own admissions, a few weeks before moving and they'd said not to worry as they definitely had space for both kids and that if we filled out and sent forms we'd get them both in before the end of term. So we did, and have been told today that actually they can only take DS and DD's year is oversubscribed. With no chance of getting her in even if we wait until September.

So now we've got to see if the council can get the two of them in anywhere, but they won't guarantee that we can get both into the same school. I know that in a few years time DS will be at a separate school anyway (he's currently Yr4) but I thought by then he'd be old enough to go alone.

Has anyone else dealt with 2 children at 2 separate primary schools? How did you manage drop off and pick up?

We moved last minute during the summer holidays so I would suggest ringing around all the school admissions administrators and talking to them directly. During the summer holidays not many staff are in and communication is slow.
Often parents don’t notify about a house move until the summer holidays and so find out how long the waiting list is for your DD’s year and get her on the list.
Sooner or later a child will drop out and she will be able to join her brother in the school.
That’s what we did in a similar situation and we were lucky, someone didn’t show up on the first day but we would have homeschooled him for a while.
Once one child in in our area it gave you a higher place on the list as they had a sibling link. Of the other 4 schools we applied to by the end of the second term 3 had got in touch offering a place, I don’t know whether it’s the same in every area.

In a similar situation two years ago I was given school transport by the council for the further away school for the child who couldn't go locally.
We appealed for her to attend the same school as her sister and won... but she was out of school for nearly two months (and had to start initially at further away school then switch after a few days when we won the appeal)

If you ask mumsnet to move your thread over to primary education there are a few specialists on this subject who can give you advice

PRH is one but others can help, they will need to know what years you are looking at as legislation differs between key stages

@TheBurmundseyIndustrialEstate

We moved last minute during the summer holidays so I would suggest ringing around all the school admissions administrators and talking to them directly. During the summer holidays not many staff are in and communication is slow. Often parents don’t notify about a house move until the summer holidays and so find out how long the waiting list is for your DD’s year and get her on the list. Sooner or later a child will drop out and she will be able to join her brother in the school. That’s what we did in a similar situation and we were lucky, someone didn’t show up on the first day but we would have homeschooled him for a while. Once one child in in our area it gave you a higher place on the list as they had a sibling link. Of the other 4 schools we applied to by the end of the second term 3 had got in touch offering a place, I don’t know whether it’s the same in every area.

I think we might have to do that. Annoyingly it's DD who has struggled the most with the move, lots of tears about missing friends, so think she'd struggle going to a further away school away from her brother, or not getting to go make new friends at the same time.

If it helps with advice DD is currently Yr 2 and DS is Yr 4.

To some extent it will be easier if you can get your DD into a school and then appeal for your DS to get into the same school, as Y2 is subject to the Infant Class Size rules. That would make any Y2 appeal almost impossible in this situation (if the classes are at 30). A Y4 appeal comes down to the balance of prejudice, so is more achievable, though by no means guaranteed.

Having typed that - if your DD is moving to Y3 in September it will become easier to win an appeal for her at that point. You may be able to appeal now for her Y3 place from September.

@EduCated

To some extent it will be easier if you can get your DD into a school and then appeal for your DS to get into the same school, as Y2 is subject to the Infant Class Size rules. That would make any Y2 appeal almost impossible in this situation (if the classes are at 30). A Y4 appeal comes down to the balance of prejudice, so is more achievable, though by no means guaranteed.

Having typed that - if your DD is moving to Y3 in September it will become easier to win an appeal for her at that point. You may be able to appeal now for her Y3 place from September.

Oh that's interesting, so maybe if we assume that she won't get in this term, and try to get her in to Yr 3 for September?