Moving to State education from Private

[OneElatedKhakiAnt]

Hi,

DS goes a private school and due to a change in my circumstance, we will need to move him to state school in year 9 (coming september). I see most of the good schools are over subscribed and hence the chances of him into one is hard. I am willing to relocate (where we are right now there are no grammar schools) but completely at a loss on how to proceed with this challenge.

You need to look on the local councils websites to see which schools have inyear places. You can even approach the schools to look around and if you want to apply for a place you can do it usually through the gov.uk website but with some schools you approach them directly.

You will need as pp says to contact the LA and possibly schools too.

If a place comes up, he will most likely need to move within a week (unless the school is usually undersubscribed). So it’s unlikely to be neatly at the start of Sept term.

Dw about grammar schools - the vast majority of YP in England go to a comprehensive school and achieve their potential there.

Do you want to say where you live as MNers may have a steer?

Thanks for your reply. I am in new eltham

Hertfordshire has a list of all schools with vacancies on their website. As a county it’s already quite oversubscribed and has suffered with an influx of children who would have gone private in Y7 now opting for state due to VAT. The only schools with places are those looked on less favourably by parents.

It is exceptionally rare that a Y9 place would come up in a Bucks grammar either as they have the 12+ entrance test which is ridiculously oversubscribed.

You might be very limited for options unless you can move a long way.

www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/schools-and-education/school-admissions/in-year-admissions-change-schools-during-the-year/school-vacancies/school-vacancies-year-7-to-year-11.aspx

Here’s the link for Bucks. A similar story

www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools-index/school-admissions/school-admissions-guides-policies-and-statistics/list-of-school-vacancies/

Are there no local state schools with vacancies? How far are you willing to move? I suppose the first thing to do is decide where you would be able to move due to work and other commitments and contact the council admissions team to find out where the spaces are. Don't even bother thinking about grammar schools they will all be full and if they do have any pupil leave there will be a waiting list of local pupils ready to snap up any space.

Sutton grammar schools?

Hi, Sorry you have to move your son mid-way through secondary. Have you asked his current school if they can help financially? Could you pay anything towards education, e.g. could state boarding be an option? If he has to leave, I would start approaching schools and applying for an in-year place in Year 8. Don’t rule out non-selective schools, there are a lot of comprehensives that perform well. Did he sit the 11 plus in the past?

Bear in mind

1. If you apply now, you are applying to.move schools now, not in September. It is unlikely that an application for a place in September will be processed before half term in the summer term (in some areas, not until even later). It is only in the normal admission round (admission at the normal point of entry, year 7) that applications are made almost a calendar year ahead of when the pupils will be starting at the school.
2. Even if an LA list. / a school Admissions Officer says that there is currently a place available in the relevant year group today, it isn't 'your' place unless you make a formal application, and the place is still unfilled when your application is received, and there are no other applicants who are ranked higher against the school's oversubscription criteria than your DS is.
3. You need to check how applications need to be made; in some areas, sll applications are handled by the LA, in others, the LA will only process the mid-year applications for schools for which it is the admission authority (Community / Voluntary Controlled) and applications for academies and faith schools etc will be handled by the individual school.

If you really can't face your DS attending a comprehensive school, and he is academically suitable for a grammar school, it might be worth looking at the further reaches of Kent, where the pressure for grammar places has historically lower than for those in areas more easily accessible to the fiercely tutored DC of London (although now, most of the schools previously much more focused on highest Kent Test scores have rejigged their admissions policies to give greater priotity to local applucants).

Applying now (and being prepared to move your DC wotbin a couple of weeks / after the next school breakif and when a place is available) will, if your DS is turned down, give you the opportunity to put his name on each school's waiting list. A refusal (the formal response to a formal application, not 'the receptionist told me there werent any places') also gives you the right of appeal for each school.

You can appeal simultaneously for as many schools as you have refusals, as each appeal is individual for that specific school. But, bearing that in mind, for each school, you have to put forward a case to an independent appeal panel as to why your DS's need for a place at that specific school is greater than the school's case for not admitting another pupil into a year group which already has at least the number of pupils provision has been planned for. (And I'm sure you wouldn't, but He was at a fee paying school, so he deserves a place at the best state school in the area will go down very poorly with the panel, so please don't...).

If you're in New Eltham then there's loads of grammars nearby?! Or do you mean theres no spaces?

Well did you contact the Bexley grammar schools to ask if he is eligible to sit a test to see if he is selective?

Honestly I would steer clear of grammar school areas as it's highly unlikely that a place would become available.
You could try towns that are renowned for good secondary schools e.g. st Alban's, Harpenden, Hertford - these were all towns we considered before moving to Bucks catchment.

Most of the Harpenden and St Albans state schools - certainly all the sought-after ones - are very oversubscribed.

They could still be an option but you’d need to move to a property that’s basically on the doorstep of your chosen school in the hope of being top of the waiting list. There’s a strong chance you’d then have to wait for a spot to come up and for your DS to be allocated to and go to another school in the meantime.

Would you consider weekely boarding at a state boarding school?

Cost of moving house might be greater than three years fees at a private day school.

Good point - moving to the doorstep of the good St Albans or Harpenden schools would be very expensive.

ISC has a list of education charities you could approach to help keep him in his current school.

A non-grammar area may make it easier to get him into a reasonable school - in some areas, grammar spaces rarely become available, whereas there is usually a bit more movement in comprehensives. Comprehensives in non-grammar areas can be quite good, as the top sets will be working at a similar level.
If you will have to go on a waiting list for a place, it is probably better to apply sooner rather than later, to make sure you get a space by September. He would have to move as soon as a space becomes available, and yes, that would seem a waste of fees you may already be committed to paying, but it might be better than getting to the start of year 9 and being told the only places are in schools which would not suit.
If you need to appeal for a place, that will be easier if there is something offered at the school you want which is not available at alternative schools you might be offered. So, for instance, if he has been doing Latin, then you might have an easier job getting him into the only local state school which offers Latin than an equally good school which doesn't!

@OneElatedKhakiAnt are you able to give any more non identifying information? I think you would get better answers.

What's your budget - either house or rent wise?
If you want to relocate - do you have any parameters?
What are your local secondary schools like?

Relocating to an area with good schools could be very expensive, even if you are renting
Most councils will not process your in year move application until you physically move and have evidence that you reside in that borough
Weekly boarding at a state boarding school - is that an option?