We are moving back to the UK next summer and need to enroll my kids into school. We have contacted the local authority regarding this and they have not been very forthcoming with useful information.

Basically we have 1 kid who would start high school next september, we have a school in mind and we have an appointment to visit the school.

We have been told outright by the LEA that we cannot apply until the kids are resident and we would have to go through an appeals process to get them in any school, probably not the one we want.

We thought about pulling them out of school earlier but that would be tough given the kid would have to start a primary school mid year on their last year in a primary school. We thought about just renting a place earlier as well just to have a residential address, but as the kids would not be in primary school the LEA would know they are not resident yet.

Has anyone else experienced this and how did you go about getting them in the school?

I think if I were you I would buy (or rent) a house VERY NEAR the secondary school, and start your child in the final year of primary, thus making the transition to secondary smoother. Actually, I think it would be benefiical for your child to adjust in the gentle surroundings of primary, before moving on to the rigours of secondary.

If that doesn't appeal, go for a mid-year admission into the secondary.

The key thing here is to get a house VERY NEAR the school. You have a good chance of getting the secondary school you want if you enrol your child in a 'feeder' primary, and live VERY NEAR the school.

I agree with this totally. As well as giving you a better chance of getting into the preferred high school, your child will have chance to get to know some of the children he/she will be going there with.

Just bear in mind though, that most of the applications for places have to be in by Jan/Feb for places to be allocated around Easter for a September start.

Good luck!

Contact the schools directly when you return to the Uk, they are much more helpful.

Oh yes - and if there's any chance they will be applying for a grammar or selective school, the exams are normally in the November before the September admission.

We had exactly the same experience. I travelled to the UK to find a school but was told that nothing could happen until the children were on UK soil. I thought this was crazy. Nevertheless my partner took the kids to the UK. It has taken two months to get a place confirmed and that was only after we jumped up and down. In total the kids were away from school an entire term. When we complained the local education spokeswoman simply said "we have many children in that position" We even had a house in the location that we were returning to.

I understand that some local Education Authorities are wore than others. If a school is over subscribed it is exceptionally difficult. Long gone are the days when as Brits we were assured of a local school. I think the Minister of Education should be ashamed. I would invited her to respond on this forum as we are not isolated cases/ I read that they are more than happy to fine parents if they take there children out of school during term time.

Good luck with you appeal. We got a place in the end.

I would recommend that you return back to the UK asap so as to increase your chances of getting the school you prefer.

We have just come back and looking for a place for our Year 7 daughter..and it seems we are put at the bottom of the pile. I wish that we had come earlier so that she could of gone to the primary school here and had the smoother transistion from primary to secondary.

If you have a good chance of getting the school you want ie living very closeby then you should get back to go through the application process now instead of an In Year Admission application.

Hope this is clear.

Gosh I am feeling like we did alright in the end although at the time 3 weeks out of school and lots of things to sort out with 3 kids (6,4,1) in tow seemed frustrating.

We lucked out because although the final reception place in the area had been allocated we waited to so that it was thrown over to our child at 10 days because the child hadn't started or confirmed their place. Turns out the school is one of the best in the area and the kids seem to be getting work right at their level If this hadn't have worked out we would have faced the dreaded problem of kids being at different primary schools......

I know I risk ruffling a lot of feathers, but doesn't anyone else think it unreasonable to expect an LEA to fall over backwards for a child who has not been resident in the UK for however long? The OP doesn't say how long they've been absent from the UK, but I would suggest that the rules are there for a reason and trying to sidestep them by expecting what amounts to preferrential treatment is both unreasonable and unfair.

I think the OP was perhaps (understandably) trying to be proactive in obtaining school places for her children on her return, I would have done the same. However it is also understandable that places cannot be given or reserved until such a time as those concerned are resident. Imagine the scenerio, a school has 2 spare places - should the school reserve those places for children returning to the UK in 6 months time because they asked first or give them to a family that has just moved into the area and are currently resident with no school place?

The OP would be best maximises her chances now of getting into the best schools on her return (house in the right area, primary feeder school etc) but accepting that there cannot be an allocation until back in the uk and resident.

all the best and good luck.

I understand the point you're making, and it is a good one, but the issue of school places here in the UK is such a contentious one with parents scrabbling, and in many cases manipulating or even trying to cheat their way to places for their kids......always in the "best" and "decent" schools. I still feel the only fair way is one of residency; how else could it be? Waiting lists for would-be returnees? I'm not suggesting the current system is the best and only way, but it's what we have at the moment, and sometimes Life is tough, and we have to deal with it.

I think the current system is fair - there are a few areas where it needs tightening up. When you apply you do get three choices. The LEA try and offer you your first choice or subsequent choices.

Now if a parent has put down their preferences for schools that are far away, chances are you´re not going to get it. You have to live really close and in the catchment area if you hope to get a place. Even then it´s not guaranteed.

The criteria is usually if you live nearby, or have an older sibling already there or in a local children´s home or have a particular faith. Only then are often in with a good chance of getting your choice.

The problem with the system is that many parents want their children to go to the "best" school in the area which may not their nearest. Then the local one may not be the "best" in the area or in special measures.

It is difficult, how many of us parents want our children to go to a school which is in special measures? You do all you can..but generally there is little difference between a good school and an outstanding school. In fact, can we really rely on OFSTED reports? I feel this is what has caused the competitiveness and anxiety for parents to get their children into the best schools.

The only part I can see where LEAs are not competent is that they need to check addresses and primary school details more thorougthly and ensure that the child is living where they say they do..

For us families who have just arrived, we don´t have to wait too long. I was offered a place within 3 weeks. Even then I could of applied while still in Spain but we waited to see what the schools where like first. I am still waiting for my younger two for a primary school place but I should know by the end of this week. When I called up my LEA, I was told they are dealing with 200 applications of people who have moved into the area !!

You really have to be patient. I had the same problem when we moved to Spain..in fact I waited longer than 3 weeks. All the paperwork and visiting the schools etc was more of a long drawn out process. Hopefully, we wont have to go through it all again.

Actually I totally agree with everything you say about residency and was hopefully diplomatically pointing out that a resident needing a place should take priority over someone who is not actually here right now.

Indeed this is the only way, however kids come and kids go, families move away or a child may develop different educational needs and by moving to the right area when you get here or attending a feeder school the other person would be optimising her chances of a place at the preferred school without witholding a place from someone else who needs one sooner.

Well, at least I think that sounds pretty fair.

I appreciate everyones reply on this issue. Jaybird, we have no intent to manipulate/cheat our way in getting places as your post suggests, are only intent is to get an education for our kids in a way that does not interupt thier education too much. In doing that we need to educate ourselves on the process of getting our kids places in school, unfortunately the LEA has been as unhelpful as they could be, which is the primary intent on posting my question.

We are travelling there next month in hopes of finding property we like in the area we like. We are also visiting the closest school, the LEA would not even tell us what schools they may be allocated to so we can visit the area schools to make educated choices, this is probably the most frustrating issue currently. We are looking for property within 0.5 mile of the closest school with the next closest being 8 miles away.

We hope to have property secured by years end or the first month or so of next year. We had originally wanted our kids to finish out the school year here and then move, but given the LEA process it seems we need to pull them out of school earlier here and hope we get a place for them quickly. Just seems if we had property in the area and a scheduled move date then they should be able to process an application. I am possibly moving in sooner rather than later, dependent on job start date but as a resident myself they would not even entertain an application for my kids even though they would have a move date set in stone. The process just seems a little screwed up, but that could be the lack of/no information we are getting from the LEA.

Hi ibuk2010
I was not suggesting that you, in particular, were manipulating or cheating your way into getting a place for your child, and I' m sorry that you've interpreted it that way...however, this sort of behaviour does go on amongst some parents who are already resident in the UK. A few cases have even gone to court! This sort of thing was unheard of 10 - 15 years ago as we didn't have the stupid league tables which, I think, have a negative impact on many teachers, students and parents introducing a level of competition which is not necessarily healthy.

I wish you well in your return here, and in placing your child in a school which meets your demands