Are we nuts thinking about moving when our daughter is due to start reception in Sept?

[MelissaClaire]

Help, I am wondering if we are doing the right thing. We currently live in Chiswick, and we are planning on moving to South Buckinghamshire in the next few months. DD is due to start school in September, so of course I will be trying to find her a school place after the application process will be complete.

I have spoken to schools (state) and LEA and they won't really tell me anything until I have actually moved, but essentially say that we probably won't get into the catchment area school.

Has anyone any words of wisdom?, don't schools have to normally keep places for children who move into the area?

Thanks!

if you have an offer on somewhere/a letter of contract/or a rental agreement that shows what your new address will be then you will be able to go on a waiting list for a place for schools in south bucks.

otherwise, no, the schools don't save places although children do leave for one reason or another - but you would go on the waiting list for one of those places, along with anyone else interested.

Moving and starting school is pretty full on for a little one - if you can Id move as soon as possible even if you go in to rented.

Also, some schools will also except deferred entires into year R (e.g starting after Easter), particularly if your DD is in the younger range for the year. So even if there is not be a place at the start of the year, one may become available later on in the year. Therefore you could go onto the school waiting lists and educate your DD at home till a suitable school place becomes available, whether that is later in year R or the next academic year where she would go straight into Year 1. It could be worth discussing this with potential schools to see if they would consider it. If the idea of home educating her for a term or so is of interest to you try looking at some of the Home Ed threads in the Home education section to get an idea of whats involved.

Thanks for the responses.

Newgirl, as we have not yet found a new house we don't have any of the documents to go on the waiting list.

Playingthewaitinggame, her birthday is January so she is not a young one. I would consider educating her at home, but with an 18month old at home, it won't be feasible.

Hi Melissa, not sure what else to suggest then really! Is there any family member living in the same area so you could use their address to at least get an application in? Naughty I know, but if you were planning to move into that catchment it could be an option.

I do suggest you at least have a peek at the HE threads, plenty of people do it with babies (and kids of various ages) and it would be nice to know your options in a worst case scenario e.g you can't get your child into a school at all. You might be able to find a way doing it for a term or 2 if you have the right information, even if you knew it wasn't for you longer term? Of course it is not right for everyone and may not be suitable for your needs at all, but it wouldn't hurt to arm yourself with the facts and give yourself more options?

i movd house in june last year and my dd started school in the august

we ddint have any major problems. i jsut contatacted the local school as soon as we knew we were moving

she nearly didnt get a place in the local school (i sweated about this cos we liked the house becuase it was in the catchemnt of this great schhol!) but she idd in the end

we are in the same boat exactly.

The way I see it, it would only be worse waiting another year or more.