Help with getting son into Year 1!

[TheLittleMe]

I have a bit of problem that is stressing me out no end.

My DS is 4 (5in july) and currently in reception at a school in Holland. I am currently being considered for a job in Croydon.. and I am 70% sure I am going to get it. If I do, I will need to start at the beginning of April, probably just after the schools go back after half term.

I have a property in SW London that I am intending to move into. There are three Primary schools in the area the house is in, two good ones and one awful one. I have already spoken to one of the good schools (incidentally it is the one I went to!) and they have told me that their Reception is currently full and they have 30 children on the waiting list for year 1 starting in September. I will be living about 5 minutes drive from this school. If I do not get the job then I am looking at moving back in July, before the schools break up for the summer.

I am pretty sure the other decent school is going to be full as well. Do you think that it would be to my advantage to move back earlier (ie April/May) rather than later, even if I don't get the job? What happens if I am offered a place in the awful school.. is there anything I cn do? I am guessing not, but I really really really don't want me son to go there. It is on the border of our borough and takes children from an extremely bad area.. I have had friends put their children into this school before and their children have really struggled there. The ofsted report on this school is awful.

Is there any point me contacting decent schools outside our catchment area? Or will they all be full too? Gahhhhh!!!!

Sorry for the long and rambled post, I am getting more and more worried about this, and like most Mums want my son to be in a school he will be happy in. Help!

[prh47bridge]

Your position on the waiting list is determined by the school's admission criteria. Someone moving into the area after you can still go ahead of you on the waiting list if they are higher priority according to the admission criteria. Moving back early will therefore only really help you if you are going to be near the top of the waiting list for your chosen school and some places become available.

If your son isn't admitted to any of your preferred schools you can appeal against that decision (one appeal for each school). However, it is likely that any appeal will be an infant class size appeal (i.e. the school already has 30 children in each infant class) in which case it is unlikely you will win. In an infant class size case you have to show that the LA has made a mistake in order to win an appeal. In this situation that is unlikely.

You can apply for any school you want anywhere in the country. However, it is likely that most of the good schools will be full up. Many of the awful ones are full up too!

Now for the good (or at least slightly better) news. Croydon is required to have a Fair Access Protocol, although I can't find it on their website. Amongst other things, this must cover children who move into the area but can't find a place because all the schools are full up. If you find that this is the case, your son can go straight to the head of the waiting list and be admitted even though the school is full. However, the LA will determine which school your child goes to using the Protocol. It may not be your preferred school.

[TheLittleMe]

Thanks for that, you have confirmed my fears!!

So this Fair Access Protocol... would this apply to my child even if I am not living in Croydon? My house is in the Richmond Borough, so we will be living nowhere near Croydon.

All I can say is what.a.nightmare.

[BetsyBoop]

I'm sure prh47 will correct me if I'm wrong, but but it's the LA where you live who are responsible for finding your DS a school place under the FAP - you can read Richmond FAP here. The school you end up with would typically be a school that is best able to take an additional pupil and which is also within reasonable travelling of your home address.

Obviously this doesn't stop you looking for schools in a different borough, but if they have full classes even if you appeal after your application is turned down, your chances of success are very slim if there are 30 in a class.

[prh47bridge]

BetsyBoop is correct. My apologies - I assumed without any justification that your house was in Croydon, not just the job. Memo to self - read the OP more carefully! As BetsyBoop says, it will be up to Richmond to find a place for your son under their FAP if all the schools in Richmond are full.