Moving to Wallington from inner city

[paperoverthecracks]

Our DD is currently in inner London primary and we have accepted an offer on our flat and had our offer accepted on the new house, moving to sunny Wallington.

When we look at Sutton website all the schools with spaces for reception and Year 1, are shown ( we would need a space for Sep 2024 in Y1)

Sutton says for start of the year applicants , they can be made after 5 June (for Sep 24 entry) or in year before that.

I get the impression there are no 'bad' primary schools in the area, just wondering if its worth applying now and trying to wrangle a sep 24 start, using my legal correspondence that I'm moving.

My colleague moved to Sutton and moved her dc. I’m pretty sure she needed a CT bill, have you looked at the form? There are a number of excellent primaries but I think Sutton is one of the few oversubscribed boroughs so you may have to wait.

Sutton will not keep a place from now until Sept. If you applied now and your required school had a place, you would be given it, but you would need to take it up in the next couple of weeks.

For Sutton to have any obligation to you to find a place if the schools you want are full, you would need a local address - not just an accepted offer as that is not evidence. Proof of exchange would probably be enough though.

Thanks @Pollipops1 and @PatriciaHolm excellent advice.

The form (for in year) says council tax for CURRENT property, it also says I need headteacher report from current school. DD on very good terms with the school, I'm on PTA, so can't see any issues there.

But that's also the reason it will be disruptive to leave mid summer term, she's made lots of friends and would want that natural break of summer holidays to start new school.

I think I'll have to leave it till June, by which time we'd have exchanged and apply for Sep 2024 place then.

One last question, if Sutton website shows a vacancy for Reception now, (all things being equal) would that translate as a vacancy in Year 1 for that cohort next year?

One last question, if Sutton website shows a vacancy for Reception now, (all things being equal) would that translate as a vacancy in Year 1 for that cohort next year

Yes, assuming no-one applies for it before then. If someone wants a place asap, they could take it up now as a reception place.

Super helpful, thanks @PatriciaHolm

@paperoverthecracks I remember my colleague stressing over her CT bill! You could phone up some schools because the vacancy checker won’t be “live” and schools may be aware of pupils who are leaving. I would apply for a place as soon as possible tbh. If you get a place 3 weeks before the end of term the school may let you wait.

Your dd will make friends super quick at that age.

Thank you @Pollipops1 great advice!

This is the rationale for applying early June - by the time you have been given a place there will likely be not much more than 3 weeks of the year to go so you can hold the place until September. June is only a few weeks away, just hold off until then.

I live locally (name change for any local posts) - there are more school places than there were a few years ago so don't panic too much. My DD is junior age and her year rarely have spaces showing, but my DS is Reception and several schools have places. As you say, all the schools are pretty decent e.g. Beddington Infants has recently advertised places. My friend has children there and is happy with it. Reception spaces will become yr1 spaces unless someone fills it.

Thanks @CarshaltonMum , that's re-assuring.