How did you apply for secondary school place?

[admylin]

I want to get a place for my ds for September 2009 in a UK secondary where we will be moving. We don't live there yet - we live abroad. What did you have to give in with your application and where did you get it? From the school or from the primary school? Local education organization? Sorry no idea what everything is called nowadays! Did you need to provide exam results or reports?

I'm assuming you mean state secondary.

My local authority send application forms to yr 6 children via the Primary schools. You don't need to provide any academic references or evidence of qualification. If you aren't in the 'system' you will have to provide evidence of date of birth.

You can get an application form from the local authority but I doubt very much that they will offer a place until you're in the UK and have a confirmed address. Sadly that means that you may be offered a place in an undersubscribed school.

I would have a confirmed address. So I should ask for an application form from the local authority rather than contacting the school?

It's a boarding school too so could try to get him in for boarding and then change when we move.

If it's a state school then call the Admissions dept at the authority.

If it's a private (you say it's boarding?) then call the school.

Also is it a selective school? Will they expect him to sit an exam before they offer a place?

Ok thanks. Will sort it out this week, the sooner the better.

Re exams/reports: the most important thing is to be sure that your DS will suit boarding. Does the school do an interview to assess this?

I wouldn't rely on the trick of applying for boarding then switching to day-student once you are there. A boarding school is a boarding school!! They will have carefully done their costings based on a certain number of boarders and will not be impressed if you try to change. (Changing from day to boarding is a whole different question.)

I agree with oshgosh. There may be issues changing from boarding to day pupils. We have a state secondary near us that has a certain number of boarding places. If the boarders want to change to day and there are no available day places (which is normally the case as it is very oversubscribed)they are asked to look for another school

We've applied online for DD for Sep 09 but not sure if that's available in every area - also the deadline in our region was 24 Oct so you may have to phone and speak to someone at the local authority and explain your situation.

Yes, I missed the online application deadline so I've written to ask for information and will just have to wait and see. They said they'd get back to me within the week. I didn't realise you had to think so far ahead. It's going to be hard to get in as it's usually an over subscribed school anyway (aren't they all - the decent ones!).