Moving home to Reigate during Year Six Help!

[EvaP]

Hi all,
We are being re-located due to my husband's work to Reigate area next year.
I have already applied to a secondary school for my daughter to start in September 2016 locally in Walthamstow. Now I'm faced with arriving in Reigate with no school organised with two months left of primary school to go....
I can stay with family in Walthamstow while she finishes off but I'm told the schools are well oversubscribed and we are already too late to apply.
Is there anything else that I can do?
Any advice appreciated!

Popular state schools are oversubscribed and deadline was October. You can put in a late application to Surrey LA when you move and have an address then hope there is some movement. Reigate school is increasingly popular but you do need to be living quite close by. Is he working in Reigate , if so could you look to live further afield? If you could afford to pay Dunottar is a relatively lower cost independent option and may still be accepting applications.

Thanks for your reply LIZS. We are not really able to put her in to private school. As far as I can make out Reigate School is the only non fee paying school and beyond that she would end up being shipped out quite far afield. I wondered whether this would work in our favour as it would be the only reasonable placement or against us as it's so oversubscribed and she would never get in!

No it won't work like that. There are 3 secondaries in Redhill which might actually be closer and/or more accessible depending where you lived in Reigate as Reigate school is a little way out of the town itself. Also Reigate children can travel to Horley, Dorking and Banstead which are all reachable by public transport. St Bedes Redhill is often perceived as "best" locally but the majority of its places are allocated on religious grounds and the 40 ish remaining community places are very competitive with a waiting list. The others are Royal Alexandra and Albert which is a state boarding school with day pupils and Warwick School are less successful comp which is improving and usually has places. There is talk of an academy opening in a few years in Merstham but that won't help you next year. Also worth looking at Ashcombe in Dorking which is close to the station and well regarded. Journey would be about 15 minutes from Reigate and plenty do it.

Thank you for sharing your insight. There are so many variables to take in to account! Have a fab Christmas :)