Reception Placement / Moving homes

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Hello all

I have a question regarding our relocation from Tower Hamlets to Newham, which will take place next week. My son has been accepted to a school in the old borough, but we only signed the tenancy agreement for the new home last Friday.

I met with the current school last Thursday, but I did not mention our move. I feel a really bad because the head teach was really nice person and the other teachers also seem really nice and motivated. Its a new school so I was looking forward to my son starting here. I didnt tell them because I was worried that he might lose his place if our new landlord changed their mind before the agreement was signed.

Now that the tenancy agreement is confirmed, I am wondering how to proceed with the school application in the new borough for my son and should i inform the old school what has happened.

I assume it will now be a late application in the new borough, I fear the chances of him getting a place nearby and walking distance are slim. If he does not get a place, can he still attend the school in the old borough or will they find something in the new borough but we may have to travel a bit?

Any advice would be really appreciated. Its our first child going to school and the tenancy move came because landlord increased our rent by nearly 50% (we were on monthly periodic tenancy). It also came at a time when we had another child in June. So finding a place had been really stressful and now we have to go through school admission a second time :(

The existing school place is yours, it cannot be taken away simply because you move boroughs. If you can get him to that school, he can go there.

If the distance is too great, then apply for a place in the new borough, but as you say this is a late application, so a place will be found in the nearest school with spaces, which may not be a school of your choice. You can go on waiting lists for other schools; lists are held in order of how you meet admissions criteria, not time on list.

Yea its about 30min to get to by train + 11 min walk. Its doable. So rather than applying I can ask to be put on a waiting list for a nerby school (only1?) and until he is accepted I take him to the old school? he doesnt start until September.

I also think i need to let the old school know the change of address.

You can go on multiple waiting lists, if there are several nearby schools. So yes if you prefer, you can apply and if there is no near space you can continue at the current school from Sept until a place comes up (that may not be soon of course).

Yes you should give the school your new address.

Thank you for the advice. Another Question are late applications considered higher priority than waiting list? If its a long wait then travel costs could become prohibitive. 4xDLR (drop/pickup and return) a day would be about £36 a week. Would it be best to contact each school and ask about their waiting lists?

Alternatively would making a late application and being offered a place at a school that we dont like and wasn't on our preference list (in case this happens). Can we continue to send him to the one in Tower hamlets or do we have to choose from the one that is offered by Newnham council?

Contact the LA for the area you're moving into. They should be able to tell you which schools have spaces for Reception. Your child doesn’t actually have to legally start school until the term in which he turns 5, so if his birthday is next summer you dont need to send him til Easter.

The waiting list is ordered by the admissions criteria, rather than how long they've been on it. If your new address is near the school, you may well go straight to the top of it, or close to the top, as those who live nearer and applied by the deadline will likely already have places.