Starting at a new school that is not preferred choice

[AgnesG]

DC is going into Year 8 in September. We moved into a new area in mid-June, to a rental property specifically chosen to be as close as possible to 3 good schools, which are all over-subscribed. I was told then that we were number 1, 1 and 3 respectively on the waiting list for these schools. However as of Friday (end of term) no place has become available. Instead I have been offered a place at a school 5 miles away. Still a good school but it will require over 40 minutes travel (2 buses) for DC to get to so is not really practical long term.
DC has already had a big upheaval with the move and I am really reluctant to have them start at a new school in September only to pull them out a week or two later if a new place comes up in one of our preferred schools and they will have to start all over again.

Any experience/advice?

Can you keep him/her at home for a few weeks? I bet there will be a churn in September. People won't be making decisions now and de/registering, as the landscape is so uncertain, but some may decide to homeschool ( by the hysteria on some threads you would think it would be a majority)

40 minutes isn't really a long journey. Have you accepted the place? What's your plan if others move closer and you drop down the waiting list?

I'd start at the allocated school and deal with whether to move or not if and when a place comes up elsewhere. I don't see that anything else is viable really.

@lifeafter50 I agree with you that there is likely to be churn in September. I have accepted the place at the further-away school but I think I will move DC if another place comes up. @Houseplantmad I take your point but I think it makes a huge difference being able to walk/cycle to school and being closer to friends plus the other school is single sex and I would prefer DC to go to mixed. Question really is, what do I do in September? Buy a uniform, try and encourage them to settle there and then pull them out two weeks later? I'm very anxious to do the right thing.

Wait and see. There might be some movement over Summer because the lists aren’t yet totally accurate because of the pandemic.

Anecdotally, our LA lists still have pupils listed who have officially declined places because of a lag in admin checks. So those pupils places have not yet been reallocated.

You might find that openings appear in the next few weeks as e-mail backlogs get worked through.

We moved into a new area in mid-June, to a rental property specifically chosen to be as close as possible to 3 good schools,
If the LA believe that you have done this to deliberately jump the waiting list, you could be asked to prove that you didn't do so or even lose the place if you do get it.

There may be more churn than usual this Summer if your area has not allowed school changes this term, so there may be a backlog of pupils to move on.

Accept the place you are offered, whether or not you like the offered school, unless you would prefer to home-school rather than take it.
Not taking it does not strengthen your case for getting a place at the other schools. The LA only has to offer a place, which it has, and if you turn that down, that is the end of their responsibility.

@CloudyGladys wow a little harsh we are moving back here permanently and we plan to eventually buy somewhere close to the schools and will be renting for at least a year. Not sure that breaks any rules, it's not like we are using the address of a distant cousin. We had to (quite rightly) provide proof of residency. We have to live somewhere and our choice, like that of many parents, was impacted by proximity to good schools. We have accepted the offered place at the further-away school and the LEA has confirmed that we will remain waitlisted for the other schools and will be informed should a place come up.

If the LA believe that you have done this to deliberately jump the waiting list, you could be asked to prove that you didn't do so or even lose the place if you do get it.
No this is incorrect. It doesn't matter what they 'believe'. You have given them proof of your address and rental agreement. Not everyone owns a house!

1.1.3......says to me you will be unlucky not to get a place!
Think you have to plan for the other school, don't buy the the other uniform too early and keep fingers crossed.
Good luck.

It is harsh but it is also true. LAs have to both allocate places fairly and be seen to allocate places fairly. If you have been asked to provide proof then the LA has already checked out your situation.

If you have been asked to provide proof then the LA has already checked out your situation.
Of course they have; they check out every applicant's situation and our waiting list positions are assessed based on their published criteria which include distance from the school.

@CloudyGladys the LA can’t discriminate just because the OP is renting!

CloudyGladys is talking a load of old nonsense.

Forgot to answer the actual question in my disbelief!

I also think you have a good chance at getting a place at one of the schools.

My school uniform shop has countless hoops to jump through before you can return anything and it’s not that easy to buy anything either. However yours might be a bit more normal so you could find out if you can buy things and return them.

Otherwise I’d wait as long as possible and if it came to it I would buy the uniform and send him and then move him if you get a space,

My own dd moved school in year Seven and I was terrified it was going to be awful for her but it was completely fine.

If the LA believed that the address that an applicant was using was not the child's permanent address and was thus used fraudulently to obtain a place, they can withdraw a place. This usually arises if a parent owns a property in the local area but then rents one nearer a favoured school. It's not discriminating against renters per se, but if a parent seems to have 2 addresses in an area this will be investigated.

In this case this doesn't apply as the OP has newly moved to the area and (I presume) doesn't own or rent more than one property in the area.

Thanks all (and for the reassurance that my child is not about to be thrown into the educational wilderness as punishment for my temerity in renting a house close to some good schools and for the record no, we do not own another property in the area). I will do my best to quell the anxiety as there's not a lot I can do about it. I was just interested to hear if this was a common experience. It would be easier if the school offices opened say a week before term start but on the other hand...school budgets.

So much changes over the summer and more than usual this year.

Hold your nerve ABA don't buy uniform til the day before.

My dc’s secondary school office does open the week before. My dc has an epipen and they always ask if it can be brought in the week before. Otherwise I wouldn’t have had a clue they did.