6. Returning to mainstream school
Some families have opted to home educate for very short periods of time before applying for a school place again. This may be back at the school they recently left or another school. It is not advantageous to do this. Applications are handled in date order and places are offered at schools who have vacancies. Places are allocated as per schools’ admissions criteria.
Transfer applications take a minimum of 15 school days to process. There is no guarantee that the school you apply for will have places available. You could be offered a place at the next nearest school with a place which may be a considerable distance from your home.
We must make you aware that many of our primary and secondary schools are oversubscribed with waiting lists. Off rolling your child means the place they held will be offered to children on the schools waiting list. The place your child held will not be held open while you home educate.
In most instances, it may be better to remain on the school roll and transfer directly to another school rather than home educate for a brief period. You can email the school transfers at transfers@oldham.gov.uk to check on the availability of school places in your local area before deciding to home educate.
You also have the option of appealing for school places. This is something you may wish to consider if the school you have applied to is full and has a waiting list.