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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Applying for a school place but live abroad

12 replies

northernspanishlass · 14/01/2010 12:23

Hello everyone,

I have been trying to find information about applying for a secondary place for my daughter who is 11.

We live in Spain and she is in her last year of primary school here.

We plan to move back to the Uk in June this year and obviously we haven't a good chance of getting a school place for the first day of school.

Does anyone know what are my options?

Can I apply for a school place while living abroads ?

Or do I have to wait till September and see what is available ?

OP posts:
brimfull · 14/01/2010 12:25

have you contacted the LEA where you are moving to?

titchy · 14/01/2010 12:49

Assuming she was 11 during the curretn academic year (i.e. her 11th birthday was after 1 Sep 09) you'll have to wait until you're back in the UK with a permanent address before you apply. She will in all likelihood get allocated a secondary place, but it may not be at the school you would prefer.

If you know roughlywhere you're moving to check out the LEA's website for more information.

Original poster
northernspanishlass · 14/01/2010 14:18

Thanks for the replies.

I have sent an email to LEA in Hertfordshire, so I am waiting to hear from them.

We have an option of renting to my MIL house (she's moving abroad this year sometime).

But the local secondary school is not so good and the chances are we would get offered a place there.

I would of liked to have a chance of choosing but I suppose I have to wait for a house.

So so difficult....

Other option is just to find out what good schools are available and then find a house to rent nearby...

OP posts:
mumblechum · 14/01/2010 14:26

Can't you and your dd move back in, say, early May?

We had the same problem, but just moving from North to SouthEast. We found the schools we were interested in insisted on seeing either a tenancy agreement or a contract to buy a house in catchment.

In the end we bought a house I'd never seen just because it was in the village. Big mistake in retrospect!

vonnyh · 14/01/2010 16:41

We moved back to the UK from Spain in September, when my son was starting year 8. We contacted the LEA, in February and were put in touch with their Fair Access Protocol department. Every LEA has one, and thier job is to find school places for "hard to place" children, which includes people moving o the area. We got DS a place at our preferred school using this route. Hope this helps.

Original poster
northernspanishlass · 14/01/2010 16:42

Not sure when we can actually move but if I had I would move earlier than June.

All this is swirling around in my head.

I would love for my daughter to go to the same school as her friends (only been out of the UK for two years). But MIL house is not in the catchment.

When would I be able to find out from LEA which schools are available? Does anyone know?

OP posts:
Original poster
northernspanishlass · 14/01/2010 16:46

Thanks vonnyh..was that the February before you moved or after? When did your son start at the school? Did he go to a state school in Spain or private? Was you in the catchment for the preferred school?

Sorry so many questions

OP posts:
vonnyh · 17/01/2010 19:16

northernspanishlass

We applied for the UK school in the February before we moved back. DS was at a private school in Madrid, mainly because the state schools are generally Spanish speaking, and we thought it would help him settle easier in a bilingual school. we were in the catchment area for our preferred school, and like you we wanted him to go to the same school as his friends. Our initial contact with the LEA was not a bit disheartening, as we were told that our preferred school was oversubscribed, as were the other 2 nearest to our home. We were preparing ourselves to go down the appeals route, when a friend told us about Fair Access Protocol.

Phoenix4725 · 18/01/2010 10:29

seems same problem were having and same county i need mid year transfer and not one school has a place in year 8 and am up to looking 10 miles away

Phoenix4725 · 18/01/2010 10:31

vonnyh im wondering if were looking much the same area

Original poster
northernspanishlass · 18/01/2010 14:33

Thanks vonnyh

I will check out teh Fair Access Protocol.

I am still waiting to get a reply from LEA herts as to my situation. I received an automatic reply saying it will take up to 10 days to reply.

OP posts:
Phoenix4725 · 18/01/2010 16:14

i been dealing with herts recently and till you have a comfirmed address and can prove it they wont even look at application for any school.

im about to rent have letter from landlord saying move in date is March they will accept nothing other than tennacy agreement and since wont be paying rest of money till feb 26th my ds is not at school

schoolin bishop stortford are all full.

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