Moving from overseas - how do you get your kids into the same school?

[Twirl]

We will be moving from overseas in the next few years and I am trying to work out how on earth it is possible to get both kids into the same primary. We can apply for DS reception class place from overseas as we still own our house in the UK so that is ok (if we choose to go back to that house!), but my DD will be entering year 2. Will she automatically get the same school as DS or could they both end up in different primary schools???
I really hope someone can help me out!

She could end up at a separate one but if you can register the interest at the same time , on the same basis as the Reception place, you might be ok . If your ds gets offered a place then your dd could be treated as a sibling and get priority. We were lucky that dd would have been reception and ds year 3 so new applications were required for both for separate infant/juniors. In the end we went private as they could attend same site.

Depends on whether there are places in both year groups in the same school. No one on Mumsnet could possibly answer your question.

depends where you are going to live, how popular the school is. Would be no problem most the schools we have considered (outside London)

Wow, thanks for the quick replies.
ScienceTeacher, sorry, I may not have made my question very clear, I was trying to find out if there are any 'loopholes' or circumstances in which a sibling could get in even if the class is supposedly full (can an extra place be created if certain conditions are met?).

You'd have to appeal I think.

Hi - we are in exactly the same position. I am really keen for my two to both go to the closest school to us as it is only about 5 minutes walk away. However it is also supposedly the best primary in the town and almost always oversubscribed. We will be away for between 2 and 4 years; if 2 years then dd1 should be able to get into reception (due to close proximity to school) and if 4 years then hopefully dd1 will get a reception place - but if there's no place for dd1 in year 2 then I don't know what happens.

Someone who works in schools told me they always keep at least one or more places available for appeals; and also it depends on why you are moving abroad. I have heard that if you will be working for the Government you should have priority. But I don't know if that's fact or rumour, it's something I will be looking into.

Sorry claraquitetirednow, I've never known a school keep a place available for appeals. As schools are paid per pupil, they simply can't afford to keep places open.

Extra places cannot be made at Key stage 1 or foundation stage (Reception and Nursery. Classes are limited to 30 pupils max, or fewer, depending on the Pupil Admission Number (which is set by the local authority).

But Littlefish what is the point of an appeals process then? If you are allowed to appeal then there surely must be a point to it - eg if you win the appeal you get a place at the school? Otherwise presumably a waste of time and money for all involved?

Oh maybe crossed wires here - I assume they keep some places at Reception level open, after that if it's full it's full?

It IS unfair on people like OP and us who are going to work overseas though.

Although presumably there will always be families moving and therefore places coming available at all levels.

Clara, that is interesting what you say about the Government, where did you hear it from?

Twirl - a friend who works at GCHQ - said he understood they had an "arrangement" with Gloucestershire County Council. But I have not looked into it myself. We don't work for GCHQ but it is civil service. However it's a little way down the line before we have to think about schooling so I am in no panic to find out more just yet.

I think where there are groups of children who may be mobile (like around air bases etc) the schools/LEA take into account that the enrolments are fairly fluid but less so on a more individual basis.

2 local primaries each have (typically) 2 reception classes of 22-23 students each, for total intakes of 44-45 at each school.

In theory County LEA could order one school to have 2 classes of 30 each, the other school to have one class only of 30. This would be most economical solution. But it's unacceptable to all parties. So instead we have lots of flexibility at both schools in case new people come into the area.