Moving but no space in nearby primary schools for in-year admissions

[caffelattetogo]

We are currently moving and DC will need new schools. All the primary schools nearby are full for older DC’s year. It’s a long way to any school with a space and we aren’t sure which they will give us. I’m concerned about how we will manage drop and pick ups and still manage to get to/from work.

Also, the younger DC is due to start reception next September. We can apply - and are likely to get - our local catchment school. But if there’s no place for elder DC it’ll be two different drop offs and pick ups. I’m also wary of lots of upheaval from multiple school changes.

The admissions officer at the council suggested if we get the little one into the local primary we’d be more likely to get the older one in on appeal as a sibling. Does it work that way?

Does anyone have any advice please? Sorry, my brain is mush from moving.

Sorry, moving house. It’s too far to stay at current school and nursery.

My first question is how long is the waiting list at your catchment school?

The admissions officer knows what they’re talking about - having a sibling there will help the appeal. But you can’t be certain of it.

Develop a plan B - a school you like and would be happy to send them that your youngest one could get into so they’re all in one place. This may need to be quite far away.

How old are the older ones? If older than year 4 then I would just try and get them a place in a school within your secondary catchment or even just leave them where they are if you’re not moving too far.

If they’re all younger (say one in year 3, one in year 1) then them all being together is probably your priority.

You would only get sibling link, if there is one in admissions criteria, once dc2 was on roll in September and even then you need a space to come up. If you move earlier you need to accept whatever is offered at the time, which may by chance be a preferred local one, and/or go on waiting lists and/or appeal. Presumably until September it is no such an issue. Check if there are breakfast/after school clubs or find a childminder to do school runs otherwise.

We had this. It was quite frustrating. In the end we decided to send all the kids to the school that had places for them all and commit to keeping them there for the full time. I'm glad we did as the upheaval of a school move was much worse than I'd hoped and I certainly wouldn't want to have done it again with one child when a space became available.

Just one older one in year 5. Sadly it’s too far to stay at their current school. Looking back in the conversation we would either be third on the list or there are currently three and we’d be number four. Other schools locally are more competitive for places I suspect (others are Ofsted outstanding - the one we want is ‘good’ but for us it’s ideal because it’s walkable and the kids nearby all go so would be good for making friends in a new area). Outside the oversubscribed ones it’s a long way to the nearest schools with places, particularly in school run traffic (and would mean we’d need to buy another car, which isn’t impossible but a stretch).

That’s the gamble I’m trying to work out - if the little one goes to whichever school the elder DC gets a place at, we’d be doing a long commute for an extra six years, as we would be unlikely to get them into the local catchment school if not in reception.

If it's for a single year, I'd be very tempted to do 2 drop offs, the pain of that would be awful but short lived.

we went on the wait list and I home schooled until place was available

Remember the waiting lists are ordered by admissions criteria not length of time on the list. So you could go to the top of the list.
If no schools within 2or 3 miles you should be eligible for school transport.

If there is no schools whatsoever within a "reasonable" distance (definitions vary, it was 45 minutes travel time for the council area we were in) a school can be asked to take an extra child.

Theres also Appeals.

The admissions officer is wrong. Having a sibling at the school may move your eldest up the waiting list if the school gives priority to siblings, but it won't help at appeal unless you have evidence from a professional showing that your children need to go to the same school, which is unlikely.

As your eldest is in year 5, they will be entitled to free transport to and from school if the journey is more than 3 miles each way by the shortest safe walking route.

There used to be a national standard that a journey of more than 45 minutes each way was unreasonable for a primary school child, but this has been softened to allow councils to use different standards. However, whilst transport is not normally an issue that will win appeals, if the journey to the allocated school is taking much more than 45 minutes each way, you can argue at appeal that it is unreasonable and therefore your child needs to be admitted to a nearer school. I wouldn't rely on that as your only argument, but I would definitely use it.

If there is no school place within two miles you’ll get free school transport.

The child is in year 5, so the distance is three miles, not two.

What's your moving date? Are you hoping to start DC1 at a new school in January??

I understand that having the children at different schools would be an absolute PITA, but as it would only be for one academic year, I would suck it up, personally, for the sake of your youngest not having to change school. With 7 years of school runs for your youngest, sending them to the nearby school in walking distance will be so much easier. So if it was me I'd definitely put that school as first choice (and another nearby school as second choice) when applying for DC2's reception place.

As for your oldest... I assume you know which secondary school they will be going to? I would be looking at feeder schools for the secondary, in case any of them have places in Y5. Ideally you want DC1 to move up to secondary with at least some of the friends they make in the next year and a half. The school run will be a pain, but if you're lucky you might get transport (as PPs have pointed out) which should make it slightly easier.

Also, you say DC1 would be third or fourth on the waiting list at your preferred school - is that based on your new address? Depending on the admissions criteria they might get higher up the list (although perhaps not until September 2026 when DC2 starts in reception). I would talk to the LA admissions team to find out exactly what position on the waiting list your child would be for each local school. Also, how many places are there at each school? Depending on the year group sizes (30 v 60 v 90) there might be a higher or lower chance of a place freeing up.

You're right, but OP says 'a long way' which I imagine is lot further than that so would still get transport.