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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Possibly relocating before ds1 starts school next year - please help

22 replies

midnightexpress · 10/12/2009 16:03

Because of DP's work, which is largely London-based, it is looking as if we may have to relocate. Ds1 is due to start P1 (Scottish equivalent of reception) in August next year, so in England he would be due to start reception in Sept. Here, we have to register him for school in January, but I'm not sure how things work in England, or how we would go about registering him if we do move at some point next year. Obviously, I don't want him to start here if he's then going to have to move and do it all again, so would try to get moved before Sept, but are we likely to miss out on a place and have to just take what's offered to us, or even end up without a place? How does it all work? Help!

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Original poster

midnightexpress · 10/12/2009 16:34

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MelonCauli · 10/12/2009 16:48

I'm afarid that all the primary schools round here have finished taking applications for September. I think that will be case for most schools. You can phone to see if they have spaces but otherwise you will be allocated a space by the LEA. It could be anywhere in the authority.

fluffles · 10/12/2009 16:49

i'm not sure what the usual thing to do is but i started primary school only about two weeks before moving house and it was the right thing to do.

when i got to the new school i already knew what school was like and settled in nicely telling all the other kids what the other school was like and things.

might not work for every child but it was right for me to start 'twice' as it were.

Original poster

midnightexpress · 10/12/2009 17:02

Thanks for the information. MelonCauli, that is what I feared would be the case. And also fluffles, that's reassuring!

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petelly · 10/12/2009 17:11

We relocated in August last year just before dd was due to start reception.

We had a nightmare trying to find a school place. We did find a faith school with criteria not related to distance that had a place. It wasn't where we had intended to live but decided to rent there for a year so that we had the security of knowing dd would be at a decent school for reception at least. A couple of the LAs of where we had wanted to live sent us a list of schools with places once we knew we were moving but they were very limited and not schools we wanted.

My advice would be to phone around all the schools and all the LAs of where you're thinking of moving and seeing what the situation is like and what the criteria are. If you are religious, you may find a faith based school like we did.

Good luck - it isn't easy!

ThursdayNext · 10/12/2009 17:16

When will he be 5? I had understood that children started school later in Scotland?

Original poster

midnightexpress · 10/12/2009 17:22

Thanks again people, good advice. Looks like we'll have to do some serious decision-making and planning in the next few weeks then (never our forte...).

Thursday, he's 5 next November. The cut-off for next year's entry here is end Feb, so anyone who turns 4 after that goes in 2011, and Jan/Feb birthdays can also defer with guaranteed nursery funding for the extra year, so all children are at least 4.6 when they start.

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ThursdayNext · 10/12/2009 17:29

Ah, so he'll be one of the oldest in the year instead of one of the youngest.

You will be too late to apply through normal admissions, but if you were close to a particular school you would usually go to the top of the waiting list, and a place may well come up before the start of term. No guarantees obviously, but school admissions are a bit crazy in London anyway.

ThursdayNext · 10/12/2009 17:31

Oh, and I think reception here is often a bit more low key than P1 in Scotland. If he didn't have a convenient place at the beginning of term it probably wouldn't be a massive tradgedy.

Original poster

midnightexpress · 10/12/2009 17:34

In England, yes, he'd be old for the year, though not here . Which makes the move a bit more appealing actually (DS2 is Jan birthday so would be one of the youngest if we don't defer his entry the following year).

Probably wouldn't be London I think (cost of housing mainly), but SE - maybe Kent/E Sussex, we think.

Argh.

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Original poster

midnightexpress · 10/12/2009 17:34

Oh, do you mean he could stay at home until a place came up then?

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CarGirl · 10/12/2009 17:37

The term after is is 5 he would either need to be full time school or Home Educated I'm afraid!

ThursdayNext · 10/12/2009 17:49

Yes, although as CarGirl said after Christmas 2010 you would need to home educate or school.

Original poster

midnightexpress · 10/12/2009 17:52

ROFL at notion of HEing DS1 while ds2 keeps us company.

Thanks very much for all your advice people. Will have to sit DP down and stop swithering. It's so hard - we're both southerners so all family down there, work down there and lots of our old friends too. But then we get a lovely sunny winter's day and drive out to the hills and it's sooooo lovely and we don't want to go.

Argh.

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MumNWLondon · 10/12/2009 18:16

I live in LB Barnet the deadline in 9th January, but if you aren't living there by then you wouldn't be able to apply as you wouldn't be in the catchment area. Some are later eg feb/march.

However, once you move to London and apply for schools you would go to to the right place on the waiting list depending on location.

Also in London there are lots of faith schools - so need to think what sort of school would work for you.

So on the basis you will be renting in London at first I'd work out which school you want - (ideally one that isn't totally oversubscribed) and move as near as possible (like at end of playground!) Obviously some schools more oversubcribed than others and might be easier to get a place at a 2 or 3 form entry school.

Original poster

midnightexpress · 10/12/2009 18:25

Thanks. It probably won't be London because of cost of housing, but I'm sure the same will apply in the rest of the SE, so thanks. I'm sure we won't be able to get ourselves moved by Jan though I guess at a pinch March is a possibility if we rent first.

I've got a headache already.

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Original poster

midnightexpress · 10/12/2009 18:26

Also wanted to ask, do you apply direct to the school, or via the LEA in the first instance (assuming I can find out from teh school if there is a place available)?

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ThursdayNext · 10/12/2009 20:56

Apply to LEA.
The main application process is normally applications in by November to January or thereabouts, with offers out in April or May.
I think if you are moving in early spring it may be hard to find out if places are available because they will be processing the applications.
So I'm guessing the initial offer you are given will probably be at an undersubscribed school, and you can go on the waiting list for oversubscribed schools if you want to.

Wasn't suggesting HE as a long term plan, just a short term possibility if you were at the top of a waiting list for a a school you wanted and the only school you had been offered was miles away or really dreadful. My DS has started reception this year and they really haven't done anything in terms of formal learning other than a bit of phonics, which your DS may have done at nursery already and would be perfectly do-able at home if not, even with other children rampaging around.

MumNWLondon · 10/12/2009 21:03

Was going to say that at almost all schools not everyone will take the place and there will probably be a 2nd round of offers in May.

The applications go the the LEA but for faith schools also need to apply to school as well.

The schools will have no idea if there are any places available probably until after the 2nd round of offers. The process will vary LEA to LEA so i suggest you find the rough area you are looking for and then conact the LEA.

Original poster

midnightexpress · 10/12/2009 22:08

Cripes, so complicated! I just got a nice letter from the local catchment primary (we're in Glasgow) asking me and ds1 to go down for a cuppa next week and a wee visit and then we go along in Jan and register at the school. Seems a lot more of a palaver down south. But thank you all for the help with this.

Right, now, any of you lot live in E Sussex/Kent/Cambs?

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CardyMow · 12/12/2009 22:45

I live in Essex, and our forms for September 2010 starters had to be returned by the end of October this year. Hope that hasn't scared you....

Hando · 13/12/2009 14:35

I live in SE20 / Kent borders and our deadline date for primary applications is 15th Jan.

Some schools round here are terrible, really terrible. We have a large density of social housing (not a dig there as I live in one) but also lots of temporary housing. This means the areas get quite run down, people passing through for short periods of time don't really care too much about the area, or their schools. There are a few good schools and we just managed to get dd into one. We moved into the area a month after the deadline for applications and had to appeal to get a place at the primary school that is about 30 seconds walk from our front door.

It's difficult, so sort something out asap and make sure you look at the school and it's reports etc before you pick one.

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