Moving and applying for a reception place before having an address

[Goingcrazyimsure]

Hi! Has anyone been in this situation?
We are moving out of London to Kent next summer and need to apply for our daughter's reception place now. We know roughly where we will be living (it will be with my parents in the same area if we don't find a house instantly) but we obviously don't have an address yet. So we need to apply through the London borough. Now I know that Kent has to give us a place but the website says a place 'in Kent' and that they will allocate the closest possible school to our address. This is then very likely to be over an hour away from where we will actually live! I can't give my parents' address as we are not there yet so what do we do? Just apply and then reapply in July? I am aware we won't get our preferred schools in this situation and that we might need to look at moving her the following year or something if we are not happy - but it seems mad to not be not be able to give a rough idea of where we will be living?! Surely it's just a waste of everyone's time if they allocate us a school there is no way we can attend?! If we really once we have moved does that then mean she will have to start school late? Seems a bit crap she won't get to settle into school with her peers 😩 Ergh.

You need to read through the primary admissions for Kent. In my borough you can not apply until you live in the address and have proof of address. You would have to make an application in your current borough and make an in-year application in Kent.

They can place you anywhere with a space, again in my council, if over 3 miles they will provide transport. If you turn the initial place offered down they will not look for another. People are caught out by this every year.

Best bet would be to speak to Kent admissions team and try to complete move ASAP.

Thanks for replying. KCC have told me to apply through our current borough. I guess all we can do is apply and hope they at least work out where we are going to be based so we don't get offered a school hours away in Rochester or something! We then just make a let application/reapply I suppose?!
We can't move any more quickly as we are teachers and I need to be working until July ...
So bloomin' complicated!

@Goingcrazyimsure Had a quick look at the admission criteria.
www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/school-places/admissions-criteria

If I am reading this correctly.
If you make an in-time application in London Borough naming Kent schools.
Kent will use London address. This would mean you would only be offered a place at Kent school if there were any distance spaces left, as you would not meet any of the admission criteria aside from distance. If Kent finds no school with spaces your London Borough will offer a place in London Borough that has space as they will be using London addy.

Kent would only look for schools once you had completed move to Kent.

Thank you! I just clocked this this evening 😩 I think (although it's possible I have got this wrong too!) Our best options are:

1. Apply for Kent ensuring we include several schools that were unsubscribed last year so there is more chance of securing a place - there are a couple of decent village schools which would not be ideal location wise but that would mean we had something we could accept. One of the ones on our original list was undersubscribed slightly last year too. We could then get on waiting lists etc. There is a risk that we won't get any of these though and be left having to reject a London school.

1. We don't apply at all and wait until the summer or sept. and apply late/do an in-year application once we know where we are. This option would mean we wouldn't have to move her once she settles somewhere but is annoying for childcare if she doesn't get somewhere for the beginning of September and would be a shame for her not to be able to start with peers. It also means we could shop around a bit more and see what places open up in September. She's relatively on the ball so I'm not worried academically about her starting school late particularly but socially it might be harder to fit in perhaps?

I think you are right - worse case would be to be assigned a school in London and have to turn it down so not be entitled to any more offers!

Thank you for your help!
I understand why it is the way it is - but it's so difficult for people moving! We are not moving for school catchment areas so just feels unfair 😭🤣🤣

Maybe I can rope my mum into home schooling her for a bit ... !

Xx

Definitely apply for places now - you can always still shop around later. It doesn’t work to your advantage not having a place all, you’d be treated the same as someone else with a place that was looking to change it.

This. Please correct me if anything I say is wrong, but it is my understanding that it is true that technically if you reject an offer then the LEA have done their job and don't have to offer you another school, but that is more aimed at people who think that you can reject the offered school in order to get something 'better'. In practice, if you move, you will be found a place at a school within reasonable travelling distance, even if it isn't a school you would have chosen yourself.

Ok thanks guys! Yes I guess once I move I will be applying again through Kent CC instead of London Borough so it will be a new application anyway!
Ok - I feel more confident now!
Thank you xxx