Moving from Scotland to Surrey/SW London with 3 children - Help !

[despwifey]

I have no knowledge of the English school system, so any advice gratefully rec'd.

I have 3 children, aged 11, 7 and 3 and my OH is already working in London but has been offered a good job on a permanent basis so we are looking to move for the start of Sept.

Should I just give up trying to get the children into schools now or do Local Authorities keep 1 or 2 spaces open for people moving into the area ?

Will your eldest still be 11 on 1st September? If so they'll be going into Y7 which is not great as all the Y7 places have been allocated and the only schools which will have space will quite possibly be ones you wouldn't have chosen

You can't apply for a place until you're living in your new house - it would be better to move before the start of September as schools go back in the first week of September

You may have a slightly easier time with your younger two - if your 7 year old gets a place in a decent primary then your youngest should get sibling priority. You'll need to get in touch with schools you like the look of and ask the secretary if they're aware of any possible Y3 places for next term although you can't formally apply until you're in situ

relevant dates are different and may affect which year the children go into

cut off birth date is 1st September (no exceptions!). So if your eldest is 12 after 1st September she will go into Y7 (first year of secondary school). If she turns 12 before then she will be going into Y8.

first lot of "public" exams take place at the end of Y11 ie when the children are 15/16 (a year later than Scottish standard grades (or whatever they are called these days!)

LA's don't keep space for people moving into the area so the sooner you start looking and registering your interest the better as many schools will have waiting lists for entry.

Thanks for the replies ! Yikes this is going to be tough. OH has accepted a job offer but as yet we're uncertain about start dates / relocation package so I'm waiting to hear. Hoping to move to Teddington as schools look good but yes, DS1 will be going in to Year 7 - nightmare. In Scotland you pretty much get into the school you're nearest to but I can tell from threads on here it's not so simple in England !

Hmmm I think this is a situation you could get v stressed about trying to 'manage'. My tip would be - back away from that. First step is for your husband to get a start date. You can't do anything till things are confirmed. Once you have that you need to leave the kids with somebody (ALL OF THEM) and get yourself down to the area for a few days. Get on first name terms with the estate agents and the education admissions people and look around so you can see what would suit you and find out how the land lies. Don't discount any school on the basis of Ofsted or anything else written. Go and look round them all and work out which are possibles then liaise re possible spaces. Then you'll know what you need to do re renting a house. Remember that in England there is movement in waiting lists for school places even after 1st September so do NOT panic. Be flexible, enquiring and open to new experiences and repeat to yourself every night 'My child needs education not necessarily a school' because if push comes to shove you can home school till something comes up and that would be fine.

Hello
teddington is a nice area, very family focused. all the primary schools are good. Remember that the LEA has to find your children school places so moving to an area with all good school ups the chances of getting a good one. it might no be your closest school though.
Secondary . teddington school has a good reputation and is very oversubscribed. However people do move into the area and get places so never say never but chances are low. the school that are more likely to have space are Twickenham and Hampton academies. These schools have quite a specific ethos so check them out. if you are catholic also look at St Richard Reynolds, and if you 11 year old is a girl check out waldegrave. also very over subscribed. if you are near teddington bridge Greycourt may also be an option.
Really you need an address asap and get on the waiting lists for your 11 year old

Have you looked at Thomas Knyvett at Ashford? It is 10 mins by train from Twickenham and now has fantastic results and a very recent good/outstanding ofsted. Because it was previously a weaker school (prior to new senior management and lots of investment over recent years), it is still not over subscribed, so you would probably get a place applying late. Worth including as one of your options in case you do not get into the secondary schools in Twickenham.

Thanks everyone. Still waiting for OH to sort out if/when for relocation package. Super frustrating - I'm not v good at being patient, especially when it comes to school places !

despwifey - Do Not Panic.
There aren't some super places that will magically disappear over night.
Probably there are not super places, but some may crop up over this term. You are looking for 2 school places, one primary one secondary - that is good, because you aren't looking for the same school. Your eldest will have to learn to get themselves to school, but that is normal at that age.
Is your DH working in Teddington? Have you used Google maps to look at the area?
Get him to put pressure on his HR to finalise things their end, they should if they know anything realise you will be needing to move quickly.

Hello Despwifey, a friend of mine was in your situation last year. She was moving areas in July and trying to obtain a place at a new school in Sept for year 7.

She said the most important thing was to identify the school you would like your child to attend. Then contact the school & local authority making them aware of your situation and interest in your chosen school. It was very important to maintain a dialogue with both parties so that they were aware it was a serious move as they have contacts from many families which then fizzle out.

Email local authority with updates of your progress and cc. school eg.
We have found a house at this address.

Surveys have been completed and we will be exchanging contracts on this date.
Our expected date for move is this date.
If you are unable to find a house to purchase and will be renting you would need to make them aware of this. Some areas are very hot on parents renting in areas just to get a school place and then moving again. As you are moving from Scotland yours is a genuine move but be careful of renting in one area to get a school and then moving to another area. The intention should be to buy in the area where you are renting.

I would focus on selecting a school for the eldest child first as this this is the most crucial decision due to natural change to a Secondary school at this time. Your DC will need to adapt to the move and new school so I think it would be important for them to start school at the beginning of term if you are able as everyone will be new.

Not so crucial if the younger ones start school later as there is not a natural change point so would not be too concerned if I did not get a place for them until I moved.

Everything worked out for my friend, the move went well and her DD is very happy at her new school. The school she attended was not her first choice as it was not in her catchment area but became available because someone was relocating at short notice. It exceeded her expectations, so also keep an open mind.

Good luck

We live in Teddington. Yes the schools are all good/excellent but are also very oversubscribed indeed. There are a few black holes. There's also a plethora of highly regarded independents. (about 1/3 of local population attend independent schools, even though the states schools are revered.) I would hop over to the Richmond Upon Thames local chat site and root through the schools chat threads - of which there are many, for a good overview of the situation.

Thanks all ! OH has a start date on 10th July and our Scottish house is up for sale. We will have to rent initially as the house prices in Teddington are 5x what our house here is worth - bonkers ! Am planning on coming down within next fortnight to view properties and schools.