Moved House but not getting space for year 1

[Priyak0107]

Hi, we moved recently and on waiting list at position 1. We are looking for year 1 in September not in year admission. But my worry is in year 1 only 30 spaces . Is there anything we can do , will we get a space ?. New primary school is just in front of our house but the old one is 30 min drive one way.

There is nothing you can do, and remember that certain children leapfrog the list (quite rightly) so being position 1 on the list doesn't guarantee a place if one becomes available.

Are there any others nearer than current with spaces? With a one form intake at maximum you need someone to leave and even then there is a chance someone will be higher on the wl at the time. If there are no y1 places at all locally you could look into Fair Access Protocol where the school can be asked to go over 30. Otherwise you have to sit it out,

Technically this is in-year admission as it’s not at a usual admission point. So yes as others say, you need someone to move. You can appeal but if the class is 30 you would need astonishing reasons. You should be offered a place somewhere. Is your child continuing reception at current school? Sorry it’s not clear. Why not move them to a nearer school now?

You can't "reserve" a place for next September. If a place comes up and you don't take it immediately it will be given to the next child on the waiting list.

Is a space comes up in Reception and you don’t fill it then it will go to the next person.

I don’t understand - if you have moved already then why aren’t you applying for a space in the new school to start asap? That would give you the best chance of a space coming up, rather than saying you don’t want to move schools till year 1.

Also as pp say, what about other schools nearby? Have you checked if other local schools have spaces? Ultimately your local authority will need to find you a space somewhere once you apply. It won’t necessarily be the school you want (and it won’t be if that school is full in the relevant year) but it should hopefully be closer than 30
min drive away.

Apply now and wait for a space to come up. We were in a similar position and ended up waiting till y3 and then appealing for a place; at which point a younger sibling had started at the school and helped to convince the appeal panel that siblings should go to school together (plus the schools case was pretty rubbish). Usually movement happens at the end of term so you’d need to have applied for a space in reception, and remain on the waiting list. Check with the LA admissions team as there might be various points you’ll need to recontact them to ensure you remain on the list. Depending on the admissions criteria you may move down the list if someone with a sibling or higher priority is also on the waitlist.

There may be a school bang opposite your house, but if the year group is full, it is full. What other schools are there in the area? Unless you want to keep driving your DC back to their old school ad infinitum, you need to apply elsewhere- but bear in mind that as a pp has already mentioned, as this is an in-year application, you would normally be expected to take up the place promptly (within 10 school days is normal, possibly negotiable to after the next holiday / half term break), and if ypu really don't want the place until the start of year 1 in September, your application may not be accepted until after the summer term half term.

Has the LA (or school, of it handles its own admissions) really accepted an application now for a September start, or are they looking at it as an application for an immediate Reception place?

1. it is in year admissions - because it's not reception entry
2. if a place comes up, you need to start within a couple of weeks. You can't reserve it til September. So it would be offered to place number 2 on the waiting list.

If you want this school, I'd strongly suggest accepting a place when (if) it comes up, and moving immediately.

Hmm, it was late when I posted last night and I wasn't totally thinking straight. The OP doesn't really make sense tbh. Have you moved into the new house now @Priyak0107 - and if so, why are you asking for a space for your DC there in year 1 next September? Why not right now?

As others say more coherently than I did last night, if you apply for an in-year space (which this is) then you will need to take it up asap, usually within a week or so. Otherwise yes, it will go to the person in space 2 on the WL.

You can't apply ahead for a space to start year 1 (assuming state school in England btw) – that’s not a usual entry point so I don’t really understand what you have asked for tbh. Are you hoping a pupil will leave at the end of July? That specific scenario is unlikely. You need to be happy to take up the place when or rather if it comes free, ie when a pupil leaves.

And yes you also need to accept that that may not happen – look at what other places there are nearer than 30 mins drive, unless you are happy to do that drive possibly for the next six years.

As others have said, I think you have misunderstood admissions. There are main admissions points. In most areas in England this is Reception and year 7, plus sometimes year 3 for junior school. Any application outside of this is an 'in-year admission', even if you want to start in September. This is because there won't be any extra places for year 1. Any places that come up will only be because someone has left.

It sounds like you have applied and are on the waiting list. It really is just a waiting game now, waiting until someone leaves. As others have said, you can apply to other nearby schools if you want. Sadly there is no way of knowing if you will get a place next week or be waiting years.