In Year admissions and primary school waiting lists in West Midlands - South Birmingham / Solihull / Sutton Coldfield

[PMizzy]

Hi, Looking for experiences please from people who have moved to these areas and done an in year admission to primary school. We're looking to move into the area but not sure what to make of the waiting lists for most good schools. The main reason for moving is to find a school that will support DD1 (age 6) with SEN and school anxiety (but not currently eligible for EHCP) better than her current small under resourced rural primary, but I'm nervous about moving and only being offered a place for her at a requires improvement primary the other side of the city, thus defeating the object of the move. The waiting lists can sound daunting but I'm struggling to get a sense of the reality of these. For example, I was told that a 3 form entry primary in one area had a waiting list of 8, but if we moved round the corner from it and with the size of the year group, perhaps we'd move to the top of the list and get a place quickly? DD2 age 3 is starting school in Sept 2025 so we need to be in situ by Jan for applications and obviously when she starts her older sister would move up the waiting list if she hasn't already been offered a place. Worst case scenario perhaps I could consider home schooling for a short period which I think would be better for her than starting a school where she's not well supported then moving again when a place somewhere better becomes available, but that definitely wouldn't be ideal and isn't a long term plan.

I've started to look at other locations where schools don't seem so oversubscribed (eg I've been told there are places immediately in various good schools in Bromsgrove) but these locations may not work so well for us for other reasons and I don't want to find us compromising on location if the situation in Birmingham isn't as bad in reality as it seems. Nonetheless very happy to hear suggestions for other places in the W Midlands with good schools that may not be so oversubscribed.

How have people got on with waiting lists in Birmingham and around? TIA x

Btw it’s state schools we’re looking at if that wasn’t clear.

I’ve worked at schools primarily in Sutton Coldfield, yes children get in, I had one year where quite a few children left for different reasons - nothing to do with the school itself, a lot relocated etc. it’s the luck of the draw, some people on the waiting list are put on there at the start of the year and settle in a different school so don’t take the place when it becomes available.

Thank you @MalibuBarbieDreamHouse, I suppose that's reassuring to hear. Do you have any recommendations for areas of Sutton Coldfield where we'd be near various different good primaries so if we don't get into our first choice we have options? Or any you know to be particularly good for SEN support?

Honestly, there isn’t any primary school in the area… I would consider a bad one. If it’s within your budget, Four oaks would be my top pick, Little Sutton, Coppice, moor hall, hill west all fantastic.

For SEN support, Coppice is fantastic. They are attached to an SEN school - Langley, I believe.

My daughter goes to moor hall school. It’s a great school. Both of my older boys got into mere green school as in year admissions for year 5 and 3. I’m going back a few years though.
mad the previous poster as highlighted, I don’t think there’s a bad school in the four oaks area. They are all pretty much the same. I like moor hall and have friends with children at all the other local schools. I don’t think anyone had any issues

not sure what to make of the waiting lists for most good schools. The main reason for moving is to find a school that will support DD1 (age 6) with SEN and school anxiety (but not currently eligible for EHCP) better than her current small under resourced rural primary, but I'm nervous about moving and only being offered a place for her at a requires improvement primary the other side of the city,

I mean, obviously a school a long way away is no good to you but be wary of thinking that "good" or "outstanding" school = good SEN provision.
If you are looking for a correlation, it tends to be the opposite.

To be really clear, I don't know anything about the schools in those specific areas, but do know that the SEN support provided by schools is variable and, as a 'generalisation' the SEND provision does tend to be much poorer in the 'nicer' schools.