Summer House Move, No Secondary schools in the area / advice

[skhudy]

Advice anyone please? sorry if already posted, can't seem to see a similar thread.

I have children in year 1 3 and 6. Due to various reasons were planning a move at the beginning of the year to Market Harborough.
Obviously everything went on hold with covid, but now the house purchase is approx 4 weeks away.

With schools, the year 1 and 3 have been told there are places available by the local school.

With the eldest, I applied and have been put at bottom place (44 and 34) on the waiting list of the 2 local secondary schools (The house is 0.7m and 1.2m walk from both) not sure how she is at the bottom of the waiting for both as surely others must live further? (something I have queried)

It's leicestershire, and I've been told to apply for one of the 14 schools in the entire county which have places - 13 are 20 miles+ away! the closest is a (minimum) 30 minutes walking and 15 minutes train.

I just couldn't imagine a 11 year old travelling so far for school, and with drop off / collection of the younger 2, not able to travel with them.

Obviously I am putting in a late appeal but not holding much hope.

Does anyone have any suggestions? At a loss to know what to do

There is a chance some places may free up at the start of term, maybe with some extra parents homeschooling too, but being at the bottom of the waiting list I don't see any hope of getting a place.

An option is homeschooling until a place perhaps came up but I would have a real worry about the social aspects, not knowing anyone in the area too.

Also just thinking is there anyway for her to defer entry to year 7 - so stay at home (study etc) and apply for next year and be 6 months+ older then the other children in the year 7 ? She is born in Feb.

if anyone has been in similar situations or can help with any advice, please do. thank you.

Just to confirm, no school place has been offered - just been told to apply for one of the other 14 schools in the county which still have free places by 30th of June

Do you have to move? If not yet exchanged this seems a pretty good reason to reconsider.

Which address are they using? Your current or your new address? You may shoot up the lists when you actually move.

I'd work on putting together a solid appeal. Also look at the Fair Access Protocol, I'm pretty sure they have to find you a space within a reasonable commute (I was told 5 miles for Primary School when I had a similar issue)

We have to move because of work. @Aroundtheworld they've written to our [to be old] address in London, 100 miles away. We did put that we were moving and all the associated details. This makes sense now, just couldn't understand why we were so low on the list. should we re-apply when the move goes through or just straight to appeal?? we're pushing to complete asap and hopeful it should be in the next 4 / 5 weeks

Yes you haven't yet moved so you will be the bottom of the list. They might be willing to update your address when you exchange or they will when you have moved in. If possible move before the end of term.

Update your address as soon as you have exchanged - some authorities will take this as your new address once exchange has happened (they will be able to confirm, or you can look on the local authority website as they often explain the process there). That will be why you are so far down, and you should jump up then.

There is no downside to putting in an appeal at this point either, I would do so, though it will probably take some weeks to be heard.

Can you appeal more than one school? we wouldn't mind either of the 2 local schools, so if unsuccessful at one school can you appeal a second?

It’s a standard Leicestershire response if schools are full. You will be accepted on appeal once you are in the area, but do put some effort into the appeal so the panel have a reason to uphold

I have friends who children go to a Market Harborough school but live over the border in Northamptonshire. Have you looked at the Northamptonshire schools ?

Yes you can appeal to a number of schools. The appeal should be heard within 40 school days. The ideal would be after you move but before the end of term. Appeals for those applying on time have probably already been heard so if any were upheld then the school might already be over PAN and it could be harder.

To be honest though they probably won't see a 30 minute walk/ 15 minutes train journey as unreasonable for a year 7 child. You could perhaps drop them off early before dropping the younger two, then they can make their own way back. I imagine that many in London travel further and longer. I imagine that as your local schools have a waiting list but there are spaces at a school half an hour walk away that that school is less favoured which is possibly why you are less keen on it too. Have you made enquiries about it, I know you probably can't see it at the moment but some schools have website tours. Also look at the trajectory of the school, two local (to me) schools have swapped their popularity in a matter of a few years. Also consider that a school with a rougher population in Leicestershire might be different to a school near you with a rougher population. Do try to get some more local info. It is quite possible that spaces will come up over time although likewise someone else could move in.

Are they actually basing the waiting list places on your new address yet? If not it is unsurprising you are so low but you may find it improves when you do. Put the application in by 30th and then update address asap. You talk about the journey but many 11y olds would travel 45 minutes. Is there any school transport, might others be doing similar journeys and liftshare or walk together?

It might be worth asking where your new address will put you on the waiting lists. I'm guessing the appeal should wait until you've moved, too.

We moved and were at bottom of list before move as old address then once exchanged they used new address and went to number one for both kids. Then rang school each week, they contacted me to say a place had come up, LEA said they knew nothing about any places and would go to someone else anyway but after some school/LEA wrangling we got both kids in last day of term before summer. Often if a child leaves its last day of term so hopefully you will get a place by summer.

Moving after lists close with a Y6 child is never a good idea. Did you have no clue whatsoever last autumn that this was coming? We have friends who found themselves in the same situation 2yrs ago. I couldn’t believe they’d contemplated the move for over a year then decided to go ahead with it in the spring before Y7 and then were shocked they couldn’t get a place for their DS especially when they’d moved for the outstanding secondary school.

All you can do is update with your new address after exchange. Then see whereabouts you are on the waiting list. You will still be behind those further away who applied on time as you’ve applied after closing date. You can appeal and appeal panels are often sympathetic to families who have moved into the area especially if you can demonstrate that work has forced the move and you could not have moved earlier before the deadline.

You will still be behind those further away who applied on time as you’ve applied after closing date

This is incorrect. Waiting lists must, by law, be held in order of admissions criteria, not time on list or when you applied. If distance is a criteria and you live nearer than others on the list, you will leapfrog them, regardless of when they applied.

Also, as said above, check the Fair Access Protocol, if you are moving into the area and there are no places within reasonable distance then your application would be heard by a 'fair access' panel and a place allocated that way, though you would have to provide proof of your new address for this

Sorry for the delays - have to say thank you for those who tool time out to reply.
We had to move - work forced it, driving 2 hours each way several times a week for 5 years has been draining
For the quality of life, spending more family time together and long term sanity there was no choice.
The house move has gone through and we've jumped to top of the waiting list for one of the schools, we're hoping there will be someone in the year who moves out of the area, goes private, or doesn't show up on the first day for what ever reason - fingers crossed we wait and see!