Post Code for admission?

[housemad]

Not sure where to post this. Anyway we are house hunting at the moment. I saw a house that has ticked all the boxes excepts the post code. It is 0.5/0.6 mile from the school that my DC really wants to go to but 0.2 mile from the school that my DC really doesn?t want to attend. Are we safe?

[MirandaWest]

If you look at the details for the school on the admissions part of the LEA website you should be able to find out how far the furthest away person lived who got into the school for the past few years. Or you can ask the LEA. It's unlikely to be a static thing as number of children applying will change each year.

[OddBoots]

It's all down to the local area and how many children want to go to which school in any given year and what the criteria are - so in effect no, you're not 'safe' if safe means a guarantee of a place at a chosen school.

You could do some local detective work to see the criteria and who has applied and got in historically but that will not give you a certainty and depending on how long it is until you apply things may change a lot between now and then.

[mummytime]

You need to phone the school/LA and get the details of the furthest distance admitted last year (and other previous years). You also need to look at the entry criteria and class sizes (and gossip on what birth rates etc are doing in your area). There are schools where 0.2 miles would be too far away.

[housemad]

The furtherest distance last year was over 2 miles. For last few years the school always took on children from outside catchment area.

[titchy]

Assuming you'll be applying at the normal time (i.e. he's in year 5 or below now) half a mile is normally near enough for secondaries, assuming it's a reasonably sized school and you're not in an area jam packed with flats. But yes check with the LEA the distances of the last pupil admitted for the last few years.

If you're applying as an in-year applicant the rules are diiferent again....

[housemad]

Well we are not in london we live in sw.

[housemad]

That ture I think at least 1/3 or the places last year were filled siblings and also quite a few SENs. The house prices get higher as get closer to the school. A very taught situation.

[mummytime]

At my DCs school, secondary and SE, even with an intake of 300, 50% or more are often taken by siblings. However you would get in.

I would find out the furthest distance for the last few years, also ask at the primary school (if it is a secondary) what the birth rate was like for your child's school year. If it is primary it may be harder to get a feel for that.

However it sounds pretty good on paper so far. What other school choices are there? Do you have any grounds for appeal?

[housemad]

Well the reason we try to move house is fact that everywhere else in the county the schools are not very good unless DC pass the 11+. My DC doesn't have any kind of sen so far. That s why we are so want to move asap.