moving into catchment of oversubscribed school - advice desperatly needed!

[missjules]

My daughter is due to start reception this sept, so have applied for a place the usual way. But we have since found out that we are expecting our third baby (daunting in itself!) so we need to move and are looking at moving a considerable distance from where we currently are.
We are hoping to move to a house in the catchment of a very oversubscribed school. I really want my daughter to go there, of course. But we don't have a new address there, and it may be a few months before we realistically do.

Any advice about what to do about applying for a place for her in new school would be greatly appreciated. the LEA aren't that helpful and told me to do a late application now, but surely that would have my current address (an address that is miles away, so not worth considering?) Am confused and terrified that I will end up having a new baby in sept with both my other kids at home as my daughter doesn't have a place at school.

Also if we apply for a place at a less popular school nearby, can I also put her on a waiting list for my preferred school? will I be less likely to get it as she is already in a local school?

help! !

There is nothing to stop you asking to go on the waiting list for the preferred school, but it will be on the basis of your current address, so it would seem very unlikely that you would be offered a place at present.

The LA will probably not accept a change of address (into catchment) until you have at least exchanged contracts and quite often moved in - the LA should advise on that. Getting an address in catchment will not get you a place at the school, just potentialy much further up the waiting list.

If it is possible to do the daily commute, then I would suggest that you ask for a place at the less popular school. If they have a place they have to offer it to you, no matter what the distance is. There is absolutely no connection to you accepting a place at this school and you continuing to be on the waiting list for the preferred school.

That at least gets you in the right area for your child's schooling, but I wonder whether you could actually delay sending your child to school until January - they have to keep the place open - this will depend on the local arrangements and your child's date of birth.

thank you for your advice. My daughter does have a summer birthday so would start in Jan anyway in our current LEA. I think the one we are moving into doesn't do a Jan entry, but I can still check. You have been reassuring that I am doing all the right things! thanks