Need advice on Bucks in year school admission!

[Suzanna123]

Hi everyone,

Would love some advice!

We are in the process of buying a house near to Wendover, Bucks. Relocating from Surrey due to my work! We are 4 weeks in to instructing solicitors, now awaiting searches etc Completed chain on either side selling our house and purchasing the new one.
We are working towards exchanging at some point in July (expect this to be mid-late July!) and completing August (we hope as early as possible)

We’ve decided on an Infant and Junior school in Wendover which has multiple vacancies in the years we need to start in September.

I am getting really panicked that once we submit the in year application to Bucks county council (once we have exchanged) that it will be the school summer holidays therefore our application won’t be processed / school place confirmed. Bucks council says this:
‘We often can't make offers over the summer holidays as schools are closed. It is very unlikely that your child will be able to start their new school at the beginning of the autumn term’

Has anyone had any experience of successfully having had a school place confirmed over the summer??

Both the infant and junior school have told me they WILL be checking their emails over the summer, not daily but enough to hopefully pick up any update from Bucks.

my other question I would love people’s thoughts / advice on - should I just submit an application now - our solicitor has prepared a letter that states they are instructed on the house with address provided and we have our mortgage details on the new address too. Would this at least get us in the ‘system’ to start the application? Likely bucks council would not confirm until we show further evidence (exchange confirmation)
or do I just wait until we exchange end of July and hope for the best?!?

I can’t decide what is best! Annoying there is no number to call for bucks council to speak with someone, and I can’t see an email address just an automated form to fill in. Grr!

thanks so much x

I thought that a school was obliged to offer a place to a child if they have one. I don't think you have to live locally to be given that place (though you can't live abroad). So can't you apply now/in a couple of weeks with your existing address?

What is the timescale to take up places? Eg 4 weeks? If so when it is less than 4 weeks to end of term, you could apply then (now?) and only take up the place in Sept.
If there is a space now and no waiting list you vould grab it from anywhere in the country.

We moved to Bucks (about 20 minutes from you) a few years ago. They wouldn’t accept a school application until we had exchanged. That was then ten days away from the start of the school holidays and they sat on it and we didn’t hear anything until three days before the school year began. This meant various uniform was out of stock, etc… but the school were very accepting of that as they know how it is. It was a bit of a rollercoaster and I won’t lie, it was stressful, but we got through it and all was well after a couple of rushed days. We did a lot of prep with the children beforehand as well so the uncertainty wasn’t a surprise. Good luck!

But the top two schools we wanted were full so it was a matter of seeing whether places came up in either of them - sounds like your situation may be different if they currently have spaces.

@Doireallywanttodothis thank you. Did you submit your application pre-exchange and it was rejected or did you just hold out until you exchanged?? That’s so frustrating they sat on it for 10 days..! Glad it all worked out in the end but sounds very stressful as you say x

What @Mayflyoff says. Apply right now, without delay. Some schools handle their own in year admissions, in other areas the local authority does it all.

If they have a space, and no-one waiting, you will get it.

@Mayflyoff This is what I was wondering. But wondering if Bucks council different because of Grammar schools? I.e you have to be in the county to go to a school in the county regardless of vacancies. I don’t know!

@Doireallywanttodothis that is actually unlawful if it’s as you say. Anyone can apply for a school place at any time.

It may be that if you’re a long way away, you stand no chance of getting a place because there are people with higher priority. But if a school is not fully subscribed - they give you a place. It’s a simple as that.

The fact it’s a selective authority at secondary makes no difference to primary applications.

Grammar schools can turn people away if they don’t make the minimum standard. All other state schools, whether primary or secondary and notwithstanding challenging behaviour or multiple permanent exclusions - nope.

@Gattopardo OK this is making me think to put the application through in the coming days (4 weeks mark before end of term is next week)
Slight risk in case we don’t end up exchanging of course..! But I know our current schools in Surrey have spaces so I would hope we could just re-submit to current schools if the worst happened and the house fell through…

There is case law known as the Greenwich Judgement which means, essentially, that school admissions criteria cannot be drawn up in such a way as to exclude or give lower priority to people just because they live in another local authority area.

You do not need to remove your children from their current school before making the application for the new schools.

And if it all falls through… like you say, if the old school has spaces they must give you them, and if for some reason they are taken in the meantime, Surrey will eventually have to find you a place somewhere (although it may not be immediately)

Until you are offered and accept the places at the new schools you don’t lose the places at the old schools. If they have space they should offer regardless of distance - for applications at the set entry points (reception / year 7) you need proof of moving to use a new address so it’s different

@Glitterbaby17 that’s not the case. You need proof of address but you do not need proof of address in the borough you’re applying for schools in.

@Gattopardo Youve been super helpful, thanks!
am I reading this right. If I submit now (so between 7th June and 18th July) Bucks won’t actually confirm the place until 16th Sep??

Use this link to find out if the school you want deals with its own in year admissions: https://account.buckscc.gov.uk/service/In_yearschooltransferWhoyouapplyto

Here’s hoping it’s a school that hasn’t paid the LA to co-ordinate !

if Bucks LA deals with the admissions it does indeed look like you’re at the mercy of their painfully slow system. It’s a full four weeks till the end of term. I think that’s pretty poor they make you wait till 16 September for a response and I’d ask them why that is, if you’re making an application now in good time before the summer break.

I do suspect though that, even if is a school for whom the LA handles in year admissions, and that has places, and it is an application for year 1&2, or 4 to 6, you might hear back quicker than mid sept. Their website is confusing as it says if your application is accepted (to which I would read ‘acknowledged’) then you will receive a response within 15 school days. Pretty sure there are still 15 school days between now and end of term ;)

My experience of the In Year system (but not Bucks) is, if there is space in the school you apply for its quick. If there are no spaces it can take ages.

They are saying you will hear by that date. Its quite common for spaces to become free at the end of term, so if there isn't space now, there may be in Sept hence they hold onto the application instead if rejecting. It also gives time to work out "no shows" in September. However if there are places, its quicker.

(When we moved over summer holidays, one child got allocated a place second week of term, the other in late October!)

Thanks everyone for all your input. I’ve just submitted the application, eek! Fingers crossed we hear back before term finishes! x

I'm in bucks and did an in year school transfer just before the summer holidays a few years back and got our space during the holidays.

Due to how over subscribed bucks schools usually are, it isn't always easy to get a space and they do do it based on location these days. But I would join the Aylesbury Mums group and there are some wendover groups that can advise also.

There are some schools in that area i would avoid for sen but you haven't mentioned any, so I assume it won't be of relevance to you.

I'm in aylesbury, so know your new area well and attended w turville primary and j c for secondary

@ItssssAMeMariooo92 Yes it’s John Hampden and Wendover Junior we’re applying for so same campus as JC! Viewed the schools last week - was blown away by JH. Wendover junior was good (not as blown away as the infants but had a good chat with the head who answered my queries and concerns as it isn’t that well reviewed by the parents Ofsted report ) but sadly we need to be led by where the vacancies are and the one drop off/pick up is very appealing. No SEN but of course this could change. Do you have a view on the junior school?

All being well with getting the places my worries will then turn to DC not knowing anyone and will they be OK / find friends!!

I hope you’ll be all settled before September!

In my experience moves before around age 10 are a piece of cake for kids. Year 6 moves I do think can be trickier as hormones are starting to flow. But younger ages will slot right in.

Let us know when you get your places confirmed.

Almost all primary schools are absolutely fine (!). Secondaries, it can vary but generally kids who are well supported at home and don't have any SEND, will do just fine.

Hell, even the ones who do have SEND (especially with parental support) often do ok despite the gory headlines ;)

So the jh is a fab school but equally so is wendover junior. My friends daughter is there and is doing well.

I will say that please go with your gut feeling though as we opted for a school on our doorstep and is an academy but they were horrific and the school we then moved my son to isn't in the best area but it was a much better school in terms of kids being allowed to be kids. Ofsted doesn't really mean much. As mentioned, join the Aylesbury Mums group. You'll get some fab responses

I'm happy to send you the link privately :)

Oh and the Aylesbury Mums group has parents from wendover, Aston clinton and then the opposite direction too so don't be put off by the name