Spalding Primary School

[Letsassess]

I am planning to move to Spalding by end of July 2024. My son is joining Spalding Grammar School however the challenge is with my girl schooling. She will go to Year 2 and I am looking for a good primary school in Spalding. Based on threads there are a number of primary schools which seems to be good (St Johhs, Monkhouse, Wygate etc) while enquiring there are no places available. I widened the search and no primary school in Spalding seems to have places for Sep 2024 based on my enquiry. I am now deliberating about looking further out of Spalding for primary school and let my son to travel to Spalding by bus. I am not sure is it my over thinking but any thoughts on considering alternative locations or anyone encountered on primary school allocations, please guide.

Look at Bourne, the deepings or maybe even north Peterborough

All the primary schools in Bourne are good, there is a bus between Spalding and Bourne but you would need to check timings, they are not very frequent!
There are also schools in some of the villages around Spalding, St Bartholomews to the west ( towards Bourne) , Pinchbeck East, Gosberton Clough and Quadring to the north ( clough and Quadring are small!) and Donington a bit further north! To the East are Holbech, Moulton John Harrox, Weston Hills. All are commutable to Spalding Grammar and most are on a school bus.

Whaplode primary, Weston st Mary's and Spalding parish might have spaces . Whereabouts in Spalding will you be living ?
Maybe contact the council re transport as if they choose a school they will provide transport for year 2 child, very common in Lincolnshire for primary school children to travel school bus/taxis.
Plus there will be movement between now and September

As of now my preference is within Spalding any areas which could potentially gives under a mile travel for my kids and it seems to be not practically possible I believe. I will keep expanding with the suggestions given to check the suitability for us.

The options would be
Live in central Spading/town area so your son can walk to the grammar and either go on the waiting list for your nearest schools or see if Fair Access Protocol can be used. You can appeal,but, because you need a yr 2 place, you are up against Infant Class Size rules.

Live in central Spalding/town area and accept a place at the nearest primary with spaces, if it is over 3 miles away you will get transport.

Live in one of the surrounding villages where the primary school does have a space and your son can catch a school/service bus to the Grammar. Many of the children do, I once counted over 20 buses collecting from the town schools!

Ahhhh my neck of the woods as a child and teen @Letsassess

I don’t know about primary schools now -where has a space? The LA is obliged to offer you one.

Speaking as someone who lived in a village all her life from 2-18, I beg you to live in Spalding. I spent my teens begging lifts and not seeing friends. Bear in mind the area is rural and the catchment of the grammar is huge. If you live in Donington, your Ds’s best mate could live in Sutton St James, 20 miles away and no buses. How I longed as a teen to live in town.

Move to Spalding, accept a far flung primary place, go in WLs for town schools and appeal in year 3.