Entering secondary school when returning from living abroad

[mynamesgone]

Does anyone have any experience in finding state school places for their children when returning to the UK after living abroad? There seem to be no provision for families in our situation (we will return in summer 2012) and because we don't have a UK address, we cannot make an application. We have been told that the children will have to wait until schools start in September and then see which schools will have a place for them (which will presumably be the least popular ones).
The schools I have contacted are willing to help but their hands are tied because admissions are through the local education authority.
Anyone out there with some good news?

The only good news I can think of is if you are overseas on Crown Service (Forces, certain other officials) for whom there are special arrangements. Does that apply to you?

No, I'm afraid we aren't in that category. Thanks for your thoughts though.

Where are you returning too? We moved my son from a prep to a comp at year 9. We knew we would do this when he was in yr 7 but weren't allowed to apply for a place until he left his prep at the end of year 8. I was worried that they wouldn't have a place for him (it?s the best school in the county) and we were only considering moving into state ed. becasue of this school. But I was advised that with my post code he was guaranteed a place even if they didn't have one!? We don?t live in London so I am aware that it could have been different if we had and I don?t know if this is the policy for all LEA's but it?s worth asking.

Thanks, we should definitely ask (probably be in Kent).

It can sometimes be done with a little perseverance and flexibility.

We returned to the UK in July after a 3 year overseas posting. We applied to faith school so things were a little different. I contacted the schools who said that they would take the applications however the LEA said "no". We couldn't afford to wait until we were back in the country as we knew for certain that no places would be available if we missed the window.

DH then spoke to the LEA and pushed them to admit that they would take an application (we had a registerd address at the in-laws) providing that we took up a place within 2 weeks if one was offered. That meant that there was a possibility of me having to make a quick return to the country with the kids leaving DH to follow a few weeks later. Fortunately, one of the schools made an offer in May for the September start. We arrived back in the country in July having secured Secondary places for out DTs and on the day we landed back in the country the primary school made an offer.

We actually made the application through a different borough to the one where we currently live because we had tenants in our house at the time but the LEAs weren't bothered.

It's possible that we had more manouvering because the schools administer their own admissions procedures being faith schools but it is worth asking the LEA again. I know several people who have managed to work around the system. All it takes is someone helpful at the LEA.

It will not necessarily be the worst schools which have places, it will just be the ones where parents have moved. If you were moving to Surrey, pretty much all schools in the County are full, places are given when space becomes available, but people do move (also if a child is permanently excluded that place becomes available).
The other good point is that you can appeal, and may have a reasonable chance of winning unlike at Infant school age.

The bad news is, Kent has Grammar schools and from what I know, it is much less likely to get a place in a grammar school when you move.

BTW there are no schools here where you will automatically get a place because you just live in the right area; so don't assume that is common.

We used to live in Kent if you have children who are already of secondary school age it is virtually impossible to get them into one of the grammar schools outside of the normal admission period. The remaining secondary schools are very mixed. I dont know if you've missed the boat for the Kent test (grammar entry exam) it might be at the beginning of January. There is a boarding grammar in Sandwich Kent; Roger Manwoods it takes children I believe from anywhere in the EU if you fit the criteria it might be worth looking at.

Thanks all. Perseverance and, as you say, a helpful person at the LEA could be key.

All schools, even the full ones have to have places for children moving into the area.

OP, we were in a similar situation and ended up putting my eldest, who was starting year 7 into an independent school (prep school). We had an address but we missed the October application deadline (we only found out in May that we were moving to the UK).

The LEA could not offer us a place at the local school, and the school that did have vacancies was unacceptable. The LEA admissions officer told me himself when I phoned him from the USA that I would not want this place.

We thought this was all a catastrophe at the time, but it has all worked out really well for us. DS is now in his second year at the University of London.

We also moved back to London from abroad and found it very difficult. The no address, no application rule was a real pain.

Like amerryscot we decided that our daughter (also starting year 7) should go to an independent school on the basis that it would cost at least as much to try and live close to an acceptable state school and even then you had no guarantee that a place would come up.

If you are prepared to consider it, an alternative is to try a state school which has boarding facilities:

www.sbsa.org.uk/

Good luck!

sashh - Not true. Schools do not hold back places for children moving into the area. They are not allowed to.

If children move into the area outside the normal admissions round they will be admitted to the nearest school with places. If all the schools within a reasonable distance are already full the LA's Fair Access Protocol comes into play and a school can be forced to accept additional pupils even though it is already full.

mynamesgone - The advice you've been given by the LA is not entirely correct. You do have to apply to the LA. Schools are not allowed to offer you places. The LA will normally accept your application once you have proof of a UK address - a letter from your solicitor confirming exchange of contracts or a signed rental agreement, for example. But do check the rules for this LA as they do vary. Once they've got your application they are required to consider it "without delay". They shouldn't simply sit on it until September. Having said that, it may be to your advantage if they do as many schools find they have unexpected places at the start of term. It is surprising how many parents move or choose to go private without bothering to tell the school.

The LA has to come up with a place for you. It may not be at your preferred school but they cannot simply say there are no places available and leave it at that. As I said above, if there are no places within a reasonable distance their Fair Access Protocol kicks in, which normally means you get a place at the nearest school best able to accept an additional pupil.

A couple of warnings, though. A "reasonable distance" can be a long way away. Up to an hour's travel each way is considered reasonable. And there is no guarantee your children will end up at the same school. However, if the allocated school for any of your children is more than 3 miles from your home by the shortest safe walking route, those children will be entitled to free transport.