Moving back to the U.K - How do I manage Primary School Admissions?

[Katixie]

Hi!

I’m an expat, and have been living in Sweden for 7 years. I have two small children, going on 4&2. My eldest will be due to start Reception in September 2026.

We’re aiming to move to Kents Hill in Milton Keynes, because that’s where I grew up. I know schools in that area are competitive.

Because of the timelines surrounding my husband’s visa (which is a long and complicated process I won’t bore you with), he won’t receive his visa until around March of next year (2026). This leaves us with a couple of options:

1: We move late this year (2025) to guarantee that we get a place at a school in the area, preferably one where my son could also attend nursery. This would mean that our family would be separated for at least some of the time, because as an EU citizen, my husband can spend 90 days in the U.K as a visitor, but no more.

2: We move in Spring of next year (2026) when my husband has received his visa, so that our family doesn’t need to be separated. This does mean that we miss the cut off for School Application Deadlines.

Does anyone have any experience with Primary Admissions, either after the Deadlines or within Milton Keynes specifically? How likely is it that we won’t get a place in any reasonable distance of where we live? And which option would you choose if it were you?

Thanks! x

I used to live in Kents Hill but didn't have kids at the time so don't know much about those schools specifically.

The good news is that birth rates have been falling so it's less likely that you will have problems than it would have been a few years ago.

You will definitely be guaranteed a school place, the local authority must offer you a place, but it may not be your closest or preferred school.

Primary places allocations happen across 4 "rounds" and you will only miss out on round 1. Although the majority of places are awarded in round 1, you may be fine to get a place in the later rounds.

The important thing to understand is that (a) not all places awarded in round 1 are accepted and (b) your priority order for allocations in round 2-4 are not affected by the fact you joined the process late, and you could end up as #1 priority for a place allocation in a later round quite easily.

Each school will make offers up to its PAN number in April. If you move in march you will not get one of these. If one or two places aren't accepted, and you have put a late application in before the April/May Round 2 allocation, and if your new address is very close to the school, you will likely get allocated the spare space.

Are you sure it's only 90 days? I thought EU citizens could stay for 6 months (though maybe different rules if there is a pending visa). In any event, the primary school application deadline would be mid January 2026, not long before he would get his visa in March. If you have your heart set on a certain school or area, I’d probably try to move before the deadline, and hopefully it would only be a few (if any) weeks of separation.

I do this for a living and my advice is usually
State school
Move here, find a rental within striking distance of a few schools you wouldn't mind. If its an in year application keep your fingers crossed that you get a place you are Ok with. Be aware that if your H has no Right To Rent you will have to do so on your own so if you have no salary or substantial savings you will struggle.
Private School
Find a school you like and get a place there. Then look for a house to buy/rent within an ok distance of the school. Same issue with Renting as above though

Check to see if the area has a later deadline for those moving into an area. Some do, which might give you an extra month or so.

Also, find out if the schools you like are "oversubscribed". Due to falling birth rates, even some very popular schools only have 27/28 in a class now.

Also check what the council will accept as proof of residence... some will be happy with a rental contract or after you've exchanged contracts on a house purchase, but not yet completed, to give school places.

Apply on time.

You can apply from where you are currently. Yes, your distance from any school you named will put you at or near the bottom of that school's ranked list, but if one of the schools you have applied for is undersubscribed, then place will be allocated. Once you have an evidenced local address, your DC's position on any waiting lists they are on will be reassessed.

If you wait to make your application when you arrive, assuming after the deadline / movers in deadline, yes, your application must now be ranked with all the on time ones for a school who were initially below the rank of the last offer, but equally, you might find that a school you would have applied for on time is now full only because it had spaces at the end of the first allocation and then filled up with pupils who could not be placed at one of theor preferred schools, who were offered it as their 'nearest undersubscribed' school.

www.gov.uk/guidance/schools-admissions-applications-from-overseas-children#local-authority-responsibilities

It’s 180 days your husband can stay.

Hello fellow Admissions officer (or are you an education consultant).
I'd agree with this for state schools. Also not every LA does 4 rounds. Mine does three rounds (April and then May then end of May/early June) and then weekly "top up" offers as late applications trickle in or we get preferences changes or people moving away.

Birth rates are dropping but this is mostly impacting the less popular schools. The local authority should have a list of how allocations were made for primary schools giving you an idea of how many applications and how many children were offered places. Depending on their oversubscription criteria you might be able to get an idea of how far away they offer places if they aren't faith schools.

The critical thing is that you need to submit your application by 15 January 2026 for an on-time application (to be considered for that initial allocation of places)

Thank you for the information about 180 days visiting! I’d read 90 in 180 days and didn’t know you could take 180 days in one go - that’s very helpful.
Even though there will likely still be some separation for a few weeks (because of other steps in the visa process), I think we’ll move late this year and meet the initial January deadline.
A short discomfort vs. Fighting the council for months sounds like the better idea, haha!
Thanks all ❤️

On here is the allocation profile for 2024.
https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/schools-and-lifelong-learning/school-admissions/starting-primary-or-juniormiddle-school-september

(The 2025 one will be out in September)

Over all there is a falling birth rate but some school lile Glebe farm buck this trend due to all the building nearby.

In Kents Hill you may want to think about which secondary you will prefer (i know a long way off) but there is the all through Kent Hill School or they head to Walton High. (Walton High was recently taken over by the 5 Dimension Trust - who run 2 other secondaries in MK. They are in consultation to de-almalgamate the 2 schools so that Walton and Brooklands are separate.) If you want your child to go to Oakgrove you need to be close in catchment.

Happy to help with any questions. I personally would move in before the January deadline.

This might be useful too https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/schools-and-lifelong-learning/schools-and-early-years-place-planning-forward-views