2 schools for siblings

[Thecat19342]

Hello,

We've recently moved house along with our 3 dc - 3, 4 and 7 year old. We have applied for both school age children to go to the school next door to the house (0.1 mile).

My reception age child has been offered a place but they cannot take my year 2 dc.

We have been offered a school 0.5miles away from the house (10 minute walk I don't drive) for my eldest which I've accepted and requested both dc to be put on waiting lists for both schools. How do I get both children at school for the same time?

They start at 8.40 and both finish at 3:10. I could possibly pay for one to take up breakfast club to ease the morning rush but not afterschool club too.

Has anyone been in this situation? Are you allowed to be ten minutes late to collect your dc or would I need to pay for this? And how do you keep on top of all the school life admin?

In their current school pick up can be either straight away or take a good ten minutes I'm fretting it's going to be horribly stressful every day esp if they're late coming out.

Thank you xx

That sounds difficult OP. Hopefully there will soon be a place for both at one school - if there is a sibling rule in place they must be towards the top of each list I would think.

One option might indeed be breakfast club, in the short term. Another thought is to find a friendly mum with a DC in your child's class who is willing to wait with one child for 10 mins before school while you hare up to the other school? Obvs this means you need to make friends quickly! but I know I would happily have done that with a friend's child before or after school, even taking them home if need be - it would literally be 10 mins by the sound of it.

Failing that you may need to flag your situation to the school and tell them your reception-age child will be 10 mins late every day. That's a big pain for the school tho as I am sure you are aware.

Good luck and I hope you get a place soon!

Appeal the local one for year 2 child, they can legally go over PAN and admit.

Do Infant Class Sizes not apply throughout ks1? Pay for breakfast club then see if there is anyone with similar issues who could share pick ups or after school activities for your y2.

Thank you all its very stressful It would of been easier if my eldest was In year 3!

I was/am considering asking the school(s) if it would be possible to collect one of the children early (ie ten minutes before) at the end of the day I don't know if they'd allow this?

Thank you againx

Is there room for the reception child at the further away school? 10 minutes isn't too bad and at least then they would be together.

Unfortunately not. I did enquire and have asked for him to go on their waiting list.

If they have 30 in a class, they are still bound by the infant class size regulations, so no, they can't, not in the easier way a Yr 3+ class could. OP is highly unlikely to win an ICS appeal simply on these grounds I'm afraid.

Talk to the schools, they may have other parents in this situation and have some suggestions. As siblings, both should be pretty high on the waiting lists too I should think.

I really don’t think it’s fair to expect the school to let you do a late or early pick up. It’s fine as a one off but every day would be very disruptive. There might be some teachers that wouldn’t mind but as a TA who regularly has to dismiss a class despite not being paid beyond 3.00, I’d be extremely pissed off at a regularly late parent. You need to pay for after school club.

Okay I wasn't sure if that was a reasonable ask or not to ask for early pick up as I am aware it is incredibly annoying to be late every day but I can't be in two places at once. Both schools have a waiting list for the after school club and the childminders in the area are fully booked. I'll keep googling for ideas!

Do either of the schools offer activity clubs separately to after school club that your children could go to? Sometimes there are free, teacher led clubs or others run by specialists that you might have to pay for.

I wouldn’t fret. Contact the admissions officer at the local authority to work out a solution with the two schools concerned.

Our school regularly lets kids leave 10 minutes early for various reasons; SN, disabled parents, appointments. I twice a week pick up 30 minutes early, it's never an issue you just have to go to the office not the classroom to get the child. So I'd ask about that for the Reception child at least.

10 minutes late they'd be sent to ASC and charged for it.

Speak to the schools. I have known schools hold a child in reception when siblings have ended up at different schools. The other option is to pick up your reception age child early. Hopefully you might get to know parents of children your children are friends with and maybe someone walking back in the direction of the other school. It makes moving house so difficult for families once children are at school.

We have two in different schools in year 2 and 4 - they both have SEN but the same school wouldn't have worked for both. Luckily they finish at different times. For the admin side they both use a different communication app which helps though inset days are a pain as they are often not on the same day 😭

Is it gates open at 8.40am and they have to be there by 9am? or literally 8.40am drop off at both? I would clarify that, because that could make mornings a hell of a lot easier... all walk to the further school for 8.40am, then drop off at the school close to home for reception child afterwards.

Id arrange a chat with the schools. Work out a plan. It's not uncommon

That is a tough situation. Stick it out on the waiting list. I really wouldn't ask for an early pick up though - this would be so disruptive for the class and teacher and chances are it would fail. Speak to the school and explain your situation - they know young kids can't be left unsupervised so they will have to meet you half way in some way.

If your younger child isn't 5 until after Christmas, you have till Easter for them to go full time anyway.
I would tell the closer school your child will be attending part time (they can complain, but they can't fine you) and then bring them after you've dropped the older one (they will mark you late every day but who cares).
For pick up, are there any free clubs at either school that they can attend? We've had cooking and junk modelling offered in Reception, and other things for older children - currently DD goes to Karate which is paid but quite cheap, and has been to multi sports, DS used to go to music etc.
Does either school have a short stay after school club (usually cheaper)? Homework club?
If not, then you would also be within your rights to ask to pick up the younger one early (as again, they don't have to be full time yet), they may moan but if you are there at 2.50 every day they can either moan every day or just do it.