Too late to change preferences - what can we do?

[redmucks]

Hoping for some advice. I have been abit of a fool.

When we applied for secondary school last year, I was an almost full time home worker, having to go into work twice a month. We selected schools on the basis this would continue and I would be able to do the school run. However, work has mandated a return to office and I won't be able to do the school run.

There is no point appealing my employer's decision, colleagues with greater care demands have had their requests to continue to wfh rejected.

I need to change the school preferences and make the 2nd choice school our 1st choice because its closer and he can walk to school.

However, the deadline was Oct and I cannot make any changes now.

I am worried we will get our 1st choice, and if we do, our 2nd choice will be automatically rejected.

I spoke to someone at the council who suggested I should accept whatever school i was offered otherwise I might end up with a school miles away.

She didn't know how I would get DC onto the waiting list for our 2nd preference school if we accepted our 1st preference.

Does anyone know what I should do? London based

After allocation dat, you make the application to go on the waiting list for your new preferences. If you would have got in, you are likely to go straight to the top of the waiting list. And if its a closer school, you might get it anyway on allocation day.

Don't do anything at the moment... you risk cancelling the whole application

Child walks/gets bus/train/cycles/taxi/other parent? Is there some reason none of that is possible?

Your child gets public transport to school

Secondary school age usually go to school independently. Do you have any friends whose dc could accompany or help out? Wait to see where you are allocated then review whether to go wl for alternative/s. If you change now the original application will be void and new preferences treated as late, so considered after on-time applicants,

Is there no bus route?

Accept the school but go on the waiting list for the other school and ask them how many are on it.

1. Accept your first place offer (if you get one). If you reject, your DC will go into the “unallocated” pool, and could end up in a school miles and miles away.
2. On Offer Day, get your DC onto the waiting list for the other school. Cross your fingers.

He might not even get school 1.

They get to school by foot and / or public transport

A friend ended up in the same situation, albeit for different reasons and was told that as they'd been allocated their first choice, they couldn't join the waiting list for their second choice school until after term started in September. Obviously worth checking with admissions in your borough, but best to be prepared. Although as others have said, surely your secondary aged child will make their own way to school? Also, you may not get your first choice anyway, if it's oversubscribed...

Yes there is a reason.

Thanks - this is what I am going to have to do!

Well whoops! Job change?

Its a very long bus route, and will require several change of buses and would take too long.

accept place. But go on list for for new first choice.
find out where you are on list now.

where I am it’s usual for lots of movement and for you to move school in first half term,
three weeks after year starts all unused places are released. Kids who accepted places and then went private without notifying school, kids move suddenly over summer, etc etc.

I have considered it but most of the jobs I am most suitable for are in the city, and wfh as a park has almost vanished. There are very few 100% remote jobs.

This is what I am hoping

Do nothing for now. If your child is allocated school 1, accept the place and email the local council asking to go on the waiting list for school 2. You may be asked to apply for an in year transfer. Once on the waiting list there is a lot of movement and you stand a good chance of getting in by September if you live close to the school. You have my sympathies with the return to work mandate, my DH is in the same boat.

It's really odd to me that you would even consider a secondary with no independent travel options. Were you honestly planning on driving twice a day to drop/collect for the next 5 years, for a growing teen who might do after school clubs / have a detention / want to travel with friends? It's a daft choice of school imo if they simply have no option but to be dropped/collected by Mummy every day.

I agree with others.

Firstly if it is a well rated school ( presumably, since you liked it) and a distance away (evidently) then you may well not get it anyway, so it will be just as tho you listed school 2 first.

Secondly if you do get school one, Yy accept it and go on WL for 2. Lots of movement in London.

How far away is it? Several buses sounds far esp in London. I agree, this is a blessing really; committing to drop off and pick up (say a hour at least out of your day) for five or seven years doesn’t sound great for your work. Or your teen. Best of luck.