In year applications. Do the council have to find a suitable school WITHIN your county?

[Coffeeandteevee]

Thinking of moving before the end of school year (fingers crossed) and we will be moving to an area that is within one county but is right next to a whole different county.

If our council could not find a suitable school place within our county are they allowed to try to find a suitable place in the neighbouring county?

I am aware I would be able to approach the neighbouring counties schools but I'm wondering from a legal standpoint if the county is able to do this themselves or do they have to find a school within their own jurisdiction?

Normally within their jurisdiction, but you can apply for schools in the other County if you wanted one of them.

The LA can come up with a place for you in a neighbouring area, but it is unlikely they will do so.

Yes, they can and it will depend very much on the distances involved.

So if you live very close to a borough boundary, they should look much more readily at schools in the neighbouring one. It would be perverse to send you 15 miles to the nearest school in the borough, when you live 400 yards from the border and less than a miles from a school with a vacancy.

You can help this along by finding out which of the schools nearest to you have places. And when you apply, you can list schools in any borough.

I found the councils useless in terms of giving information - but I think YOU can ask schools in the neighbouring county and then put them down as preferences (we live under a mile from a county border so have jumped across for schooling at times).