Help with sons school application and divorce dragging on

[Movingon83]

A bit of help please as I’m going round and round in circles!!!!

I need to apply for my sons school, he starts in September. I’ve had the application open for months but don’t know what to put down for the top spot.

I’m going through a divorce, it’s been almost a year since I left the house due to his abuse. He won’t leave so I’m living with son somewhere else whilst the house is disputed.

So....do I put the school down which is across the road from the family home or the one closest to where I am temporarily at the moment. On paper they are really similar with ofsted, had a good feel from visiting them. If I ended up going home it would be ideal as it’s 4 houses away so can get him in and off to work so easy....but I’m not living there and who knows what will happen at court!!! Help!!!!

Which address are you using for the application?
How far away is the other address? And will you realistically get a place at the school further away?

I think I'd go with current local school. You dont know what might happen in the future. You do know what is happening now.

Do the local authority have a record of you and your son living where you do? Where, for instance is his child benefit paid to.
If it is the address you are living at now, go for the school nearest that address.
You don't know what is going to happen with your house, of whether you would want to live there when the court stuff is over.
Go with what you know.
He can always change schools later.

Yes child maintenance is paid at the current address. I spoke to the head who said they never fully subscribed so shouldn’t be a problem. Think there is a section on the application to put any requests in so could try and explain.

It would mean driving would be the mode of transport. The family home could literally push her on skates out the door.....but I’m not in there.

He is currently at the pre school connected to the school so maybe fair to keep him there for continuity as he is already going through so much change.

You could put the school by the family home as your 1st choice and then the banker near your temporary home as your second choice.

Can you purposely pick your second choice if you get your first choice?

No, not unless it has spaces . So, is the undersubscribed school you spoke to filling its classes, or is it running like my kids school with 25-28 kids per class? If there are spaces, you can transfer. If it is full, you are on a waiting list, that is managed with the same priorities as application. That said if you move 4 doors down, back into your family home, you are likely to be very high on any waiting list.

To be honest I think both are undersubscribed. Were I live luckily there a quite a few good infant and primary schools.

I wish I just knew where I’d be in September. All I know is my ex will do nothing to end this quickly or do the best for Ds.

If both are undersubscribed then apply for the nearest then if you move back to the family home before he starts school request that school then.

I’ve just been on the website to upload. I’m a bit confused what addresses I put down. It says where is the child living. I’m temporarily somewhere at the moment and child maintenance is registered her. But I jointly own the other house. Then it asks for evidence of where I live. I have nothing send here, all to the other address, bills etc. What address do I include. I guess that will effect my catchment zone!!??

You would put down your temporary address as your address for the application. Do you have a rental agreement or proof that child payment is paid there?

I have proof from child maintenance.
That’s a pain I had settled on the other school.

It also asks if all parents with responsibility agree.....umm we have no contact due to abuse. He hasn’t mentioned anything and would’ve agree with anything.....

Is there a reason why you think you would retain the house? It is more likely you would have to buy a new place as usually settlements are 50:50.

Council tax is usually used for where you are living. Do you pay the council tax on the rental house?
Or the rental agreement.

Actually, with you owning the other house, I think id ring the council and talk to them about which address, or it might look like you are trying to fix the system - although uf the schools are all under subscribed, they may not be too fussed.

I pay the council tax on the other house. Where I am is informal as distant family.