Applying to her brother's school for class 3 when nobody can say if there's a seat

pebble_fern_79078 Oct 2026

Saw the thread here last night about moving a 9 year old to his brother's school. We're in nearly the same spot, one class lower. Our son is 13 and in a CBSE school we're happy with. Our daughter is 7, in class 2 at a different school closer to home, and has started asking why she can't go to the "big school" like her brother. Two drop-offs every morning isn't helping either. The brother's school has opened applications for 2027-28. The website mentions sibling preference but doesn't say whether that's only for nursery entry or for all classes. Has anyone moved a younger child into an older sibling's school mid-way through primary?

2 comments

amber_window_95888 Oct 2026
in my experience sibling preference mostly means entry classes. for class 3 it's usually whatever seats open up. ask whether they keep a waitlist and how long it was last year
- pebble_fern_79078 Oct 2026
  I did ask when I called last week. The answer was "subject to vacancy", which tells me nothing. Is it normal for a school not to say how many seats it expects?
- pebble_fern_79078 Oct 2026
  Called the office again this afternoon. They said vacancies in the middle classes are only known after the current year's results and any TCs, so not before March or April. There's an interaction in January for anyone who applies. So we'd be applying without knowing whether there's a seat at all.
- willow_violin_48948 Oct 2026
  Replying to @pebble_fern_7907
  From the school side, that's an honest answer. Middle-class vacancies really aren't known until families leave, and that happens late. I'd apply, keep her current seat confirmed, and treat the move as a bonus if it comes through. Losing a seat you already have while waiting for one that may not exist is the bigger risk.
juniper_bottle_17708 Oct 2026
I do afternoon pickups for my grandson, so allow me the grandmother's view. One gate and one dispersal time makes the afternoon far simpler for whoever is doing the collecting. If you have help or family doing pickups, ask them what they think too. Also ask your daughter what she imagines the big school will be like. Sometimes it is the brother she wants, not the school.