Aibu to think parents need to be more sensible when applying for school places

[WorkingBling]

Obviously, applying is stressful ans there are lots of reasons to be genuinely concerned. But today i have been biting my tongue all day.

1. The whatsapp group of existing families at a school terrified their second child wont get in (we have a siblings policy and on average, 50-60% of new children are siblings).

2 the woman i got chatting to whose first, second ans third choice schools are ALL way outside of the all previous years' catchment zones. She is very very upset she got her 4th choice. But what did she think would happen?!

Dont get me wrong, i am sympathetic to the overall issue of worrying about school places. When applying for ds we were on edge of the catchment zone from previous years so i knew a few extra applications could easily mean we would not get a place at preferred school. But at least our choice was within accepted catchment area (around here primary school zones vary from about 0.4 miles to 1 mile). I just dont understand why people dont read the guidelines correctly, giving themselves so much unnecessary stress.

[Blankscreen]

What a. It's me

[SleepFreeZone]

I’m quite stressed my son won’t get into the school my eldest goes to and hisadmission won’t be till 2020!!! It’s stressful🤦🏻‍♀️

[Blankscreen]

What annoys me is people who apply just to see what they get and have no intention of accepting the place.

It really skews the first round of allocations round here and then people end up on waiting lists behind late applicants.

If the time wasters hasn't applied in more places would get given out to the right people in the first round.

Might be specific to my area but it happens a lot.

[WorkingBling]

Sleep - does your school have a sibling policy? In previous years have all siblings been accepted? If so, then panicking makes no sense surely?

[HereBeFuckery]

I don't get people who only apply to one or two, who then whinge when they get no school allocated. You need to follow instructions! We had three schools we're in catchment for, but chose the next three closest to fill the list. Like the instructions say. Not rocket science.

[WorkingBling]

Blank - i saw a woman in a facebook group today who is doing that. I thought it was odd. Shes keeping her dd at the private scbool where ahe attends nursery. So why apply?!

[Alienspaceship]

Well yes, I too would feel a bit desperate to get my second child a place At same school as my first. Childcare is difficult enough without trying to get to two different breakfast clubs, 2 different afterschool clubs and use up even more annual leave to cover 2 different patterns of inset days

[WorkingBling]

Here - YES!!! at ds' nursery there were a few who only applied for one or two, thinking that guaranteed a place!!!

[Middleoftheroad]

And the parents (I was one) who hope being at school's nursery might secure a place at the school. It's an urban myth, like putting just one preference down.

We were genuinely in a catchment black hole for nursery and school and got in both by a whisker. My friend lived on top of school and had an older child there, so I could never fathom why she was worried when we genuinely had good cause to be concerned.

[Edenrose206]

Well, I just found out that my little boy didn't get into my first, second, or third choices. He's my firstborn, so no older siblings to provide help! He was assigned a school rated as "Needs Improvement" in all categories (huge staff turnover cited in report, plus lack of leadership, among other faults), and it's 2.6 miles from my home. I don't drive. My DH and I don't even own a car... not sure what comes next.

[MrsOprah]

Yanbu - ppl stressing when there's sibling policy, waste of their effort

[NerNerNerNerBATMAN]

Edenrose that's really shit, I feel for you. I presume your 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices were perfectly sensible?

We live in the catchment of 10 primary schools. We agonised over which to pick and how to rank. As did my friends. All PFB children with no older siblings. Need not have bothered as everyone has been allocated the one that was nearest. Why bother pretending there's a choice?

[pumpkintree]

I am so glad there is no choice in wales apart from English or Welsh schools. You can buy a house in a good area but all schools are good well the Welsh schools are.

Why is the closets school not given?

[liquidrevolution]

But not all siblings gets in sometimes. Two schools in my area could not take all the catchment siblings let alone the out of catchment. There just wasnt enough places for a large amount of siblings.

DD is an only so at least I will never have that nightmare.

[Pleasebeafleabite]

Yabu - the year before my ds got his primary school place 24 out of 30 places went to siblings

His year it was 6. The differential can be massive

Yanbu though about applicants who fail to understand the policy and are then surprised when they don’t get their choice of school

[cheminotte]

Eden I think the LA will have to provide transport as it’s over 2 miles away. You will need to request it though. Should be info on their website.
I would also get your child on the waiting list(s) of your preferred school(s).

[blackteasplease]

I found the people stressing about what they would.get all day and checking the website every 5 mins all day very annoying!

[Peanutbuttercups21]

ah yes, some people think they can game the system.

I know someone who only put one (out of catchment) school down. She did not get the place, and was given a not very good school she would never have chosen. She thought that by putting ONE school down only she could force them into giving her that school. Intelligent women, university degree and everything. Just baffling.

I know quite a few people who put down lots of schools, but none of them catchment, so then they don't even get into the oversubscribed catchment school but one further away. They then appeal

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

The year I applied for ds there was one very upset woman who’s child didn’t get into the school she wanted. It was a church school and she was out of diocese and for many many years they hadn’t even taken even one child outside the very large diocese.
I’m not sure what she was thinking by putting it as her only choice.

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

The honest truth is that in our area in 2020 to 2024 there will be not be enough yr7 places though as there were not enough reception places when these years went to reception.

[LittleOwl153]

The 'well we only put 1 option down as it's the only place we will allow child to go to so they will have to give it to us' crew are entertaining!

However as someone who was waiting on a sibling place out of catchment (but it was catchment when older sibling went but village has grown, new school, changes in catchments since then) it was a stressful wait. Our L.A. gives catchment kids places over non catchment siblings. We got the place but not doing so would have meant trying to move an 8yr old with SN.

[Bringonspring]

I totally agree with you. All the schools near is are over subscribed (schools say this on website) so why if you were out of catchment would you think you had a chanc!!

[LapdanceShoeshine]

My youngest DC left primary school in 2004 so all this is new to me - I had no idea it's so difficult & stressful now - why is it like this?

[GreenTulips]

one issue is that the elderly have 3/4 bed houses and when they pass they are taken by families.

Suddenly you get a huge clutch of children wanting a school place.

The education authority doesn't even appear to know who's in catchment for what schhols and what future places are needed