Moving house and changing schools? Please tell them!

[ratticus4]

I have just heard that my appeal for a place at our local secondary school (Y8) won’t be heard until after schools return in the autumn. DS is on the waiting list so could be offered a place but only if someone leaves.

The school have said that people often don’t tell them children are leaving and they only know when the children don’t return in the autumn term. They then have to leave it a week before offering the place/s to those on the waiting list.

So, if you or someone you know is planning on leaving their school in a couple of weeks and not returning, please tell the office.

@ratticus4 good luck but you're on a hiding to nowhere with that. It doesn't make it right but it happens really frequently. I guess sometimes people may be about to move but don't know exactly when. Other times it's selfish people holding onto state and private school options and then forgetting to inform the local council that they won't be taking up the state place (and it's usually at a really sought after school too).

I don't think people ever give up school places unless they are 100% sure they won't be needing them - circumstances can change at very short notice, particularly this year with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and related fall-out.

We waite

I’m not holding out much hope to be honest but I thought it was worth a reminder.

When we last moved house and schools I had told the school office but hadn’t put it in writing. It was only on the day before we were due to move that I remembered and put it in writing to the head. He hadn’t heard we were leaving and was a bit perturbed. It only occurred to me recently that there might have been children waiting for a place!

We had this when DS started primary school. Didn't get into our first choice and waited from May until right at the end of August for a place to come up. The stupid thing was that his Reception teacher knew that someone with twins who had places, had left the locale ahead of the summer hols but it took her about ten weeks to let the council/school know. We'd bought uniform for another school and everything.

I also recall that there was a little girl whose family moved to the Netherlands about six weeks into the same academic year. I thought it was a bit ridiculous starting her for such a short time but the mother was pregnant and maybe they just wanted some space to get on with the house sale and packing.

Have a friend whose DC got a place at a very sought-after super-selective a few days after the autumn term had started. Expensive to have to kit out a child twice!

Where is your DC on the waiting list @ratticus4? If he's at the/close to the top he should stand a good chance. This year more people might be leaving it late in the day to decision-make about schooling based on job security etc.

Hope it all works out for you.

Thank you! He’s first on the waiting list but apparently no one left last year so even though we’re first I’m still trying not to get my hopes up.

The fact that it’s a sought after secondary means that people are less likely to leave the school if they can help it.

if you were in a large city like London you may have a much higher chance of your DS getting that place than if you are somewhere with a very stable population.

Hoping it all works out for your DS, OP.

Five years ago we were the moving family timescale was...

• Jan... Apply for reception place despite being pretty sure we would move
• April.. school place confirmed

-May... Knew we were moving abroad, but not until end of October

• June... Informed school we would be leaving at October half term (we wouldn't be entitled to a preschool place from September, so we're going to start her at school to get her used to it)
• July, day before induction session where we had booked a lunch for her etc, we got a phone call saying move would happen in August instead. Told school straight away. Then git a phone call from council asking us to officially give up the ace before the appeal panel sat a couple of days later.

Moves can be very short notice!

Thanks for sharing your story. Fingers crossed there’s a family like you at this school!

I feel your pain! We were 1st on the waiting list last year over the summer holidays. It's annoying for you that there will be no induction day, last year there was loads of movement on our list the day before the county induction day and afterwards when I'm assuming children didn't show up for it and were chased. It was then we moved from 7th to 1st! Anyway, 8 days into the new school year I had a phone call (after DS had settled at his new school - the second choice
one) to say a place had come up at the much wanted 1st choice - someone had moved house!!! He transferred over (he had the final say) and it all went really well and he's very happy. It was massively stressful though more for me than him!!

I hope it works out for you too @ratticus4

Dear All,

Do I need to change school for my child if moving out?

Thanks