Primary school transfers - play the system v. the right thing to do ........

[tllm2]

My child currently goes to a very good, highly sought after, with an ofsted outstanding rating, local primary school, which we used to live on the door step of. However, we've now moved house and that school is a good 20 minute drive away. We'd now much prefer our child go to the primary school closest to us now (again which we are on the door step of, is over-subscribed, but actually does less well when it comes to Ofsted) and have duly applied for a place.

We've today been told that we're on the waiting list for the new school, and that we'll be notified when/if a suitable place comes up.

The crunch comes later in the letter, where it is explained that children not currently attending (any) school, will be given priority for places as they come up.

My dilemma is therefore do I try and play the system, take my child out of the very good school they attend now, making them 'place-less', potentially leave them without a place at all for a spell and stay that way until a place at our desired school comes up, which seems a ridiculous and irresponsible (for my child's sake) thing to do.

or,

continue to commute my child to the current school and try and wait patiently until a place at the new school comes up, not knowing whether we will always to pipped to the post by kids, who either intentially or not, don't have a school place at all.

Anyone been in this position ........ any advice would be very welcome.

[toast]

Don't underestermate the strain of having no school, it is really rather unpleasant. It would be too risky for me, but then again im not facing that daily commute.

[Fuschia]

I think if your child us school less they will just allocate you a school within 2 miles and then she us no longer deemed school less

It won't give you priority for the school you want unless all other available schools are full

[toast]

I second Fuschia's point. They will be able to give you somewhere, just probably not where you want to be.

[Fuschia]

Excuse all my iPhone typos!

[tllm2]

But can you not just refuse places in other schools and hold out for the one you want?

Does anyone know on what basis the waiting lists are kept - is it primarily by distance?

[Fuschia]

You can hold out until the start of the term after your child is 5

After that you are obliged to take up whatever place you can get

Waiting lists are via admission criteria - distance usually

If the la was unable to offer you a school within 2 miles you would have good grounds to appeal and the infant class size restriction could even be temporarily waived

But it's pretty unlikely they could offer you no place

[Fuschia]

And you would find yourself in

Trouble if you didn't send her to school while waiting for a place

You can either put up with the commute while you wait for a space at the new school

Or take up a place at s more convenient school if you can get one, while you wait for a space

What's your distance from

The new school and where are you on the list?

[BB100]

It's nearly the end of the school year and there's always some movement in September so if you just hold out for a bit a place will probably come up. Fuschia is right about the LA giving you whatever they have available.