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Original poster

To ask the likelihood of your child getting allocated to a school if they already attend the nursery

63 replies

orangeleopard · 15/04/2024 19:01

Posting for traffic on here. But as the title says my son already attends the nursery at the school that we would like for him to be able to attend the primary school at. We find out tomorrow and I’m a little stressed as he is on the pathway to be diagnosed with autism and doesn’t do well with change so I kind of am really hoping he gets into his current school. Especially as they’ve been incredibly good with helping with his needs. It’s the second nearest school with only being 0.9 miles away whilst the nearest school is 0.7 miles. Not much of a difference so I’m hoping I don’t get the nearest school based on only 0.2 mile difference.

Do they give first priority to the nursery children or is that not taken into effect at all?

OP posts:
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Loveskin2024 · 19/04/2024 12:35

How did it go op?

KirriIrry · 16/04/2024 12:33

While I agree that it’s a bit odd to be questioning this now, I also think some of these comments are getting a bit snippy.

i understood the admissions criteria for the schools we put down inside out and upside down. It didn’t affect the chance of getting in. It did mean I knew to put a ‘safe’ option, even though I didn’t like the school, I suppose - but ultimately there were either going to be more children ahead of us on the list than there were places, or there weren’t. Knowing the admissions criteria didn’t change that.

PuttingDownRoots · 16/04/2024 12:11

@heavencakes I presume RandomButtons means In Catchment children get priority over Out of Catchment siblings. Its normal in areas with fixed catchments.

whiteboardking · 16/04/2024 12:05

There are the odd schools that have nursery in criteria but it's not deemed in line with admissions code as far ac I know.

heavencakes · 16/04/2024 09:04

How did you get on op?

@RandomButtons siblings certainly get higher priority than distance every school I'v looked at.

RandomButtons · 16/04/2024 07:55

boozeclues · 15/04/2024 19:33

Never heard of this being part of the admissions criteria.

If the school is a standard school funded by the local authority they will have a very similar admissions criteria to nearly all local authorities which is usually;

  1. looked after children (children who are adopted or in foster care)
  2. children who have additional needs and that school is the only school who can provide these, this needs to be backed up in writing by a social worker, health worker
  3. children who have siblings who live in the same home (so not a half sibling, for example, who doesn’t reside with the RP)
  4. distance from the school

Your council website should have more details, including how many children applied the previous year v how many places they had, which should give you an indication on how oversubscribed they are.

The only time I have seen being in the attached nursery is for our local fee charging school.

Edited

Unless you’re in Wales - proximity to school gets higher priority than siblings in school.

FlyingPizzaMonkey · 16/04/2024 07:49

I hope you put down more than one choice too.

Vgbeat · 16/04/2024 06:53

Our nursery is a feeder for our school, so our criteria is nursery, looked after, siblings, catchment but this is rare nowadays

lifeisafunnyoldgame · 16/04/2024 06:47

Hope you got your first choice

whiteboardking · 16/04/2024 00:15

@orangeleopard you may need to prepare yourself if you hadn't read up on how admissions work

MrsAvocet · 16/04/2024 00:06

minimadgirl · 15/04/2024 23:28

As others have said, no.
There's 30 spaces at my number choice, where my daughter attends the preschool as is the nearest. They've already said 15 siblings will be taking priority.
Looks as though we will be doing the mile long walk to my 2nd choice along a 60mph road with no walkable verges or paths with two kids. Fun..

If there's no safe walking route you may be entitled to help with transport, even if the distance is under whatever the distance that is that's considered reasonable - I think it's 2 miles for primary school but I could be wrong.
It does depend on what other schools are available and where you applied though. Basically if you're considered to have chosen to put yourself in that position you won't get any help, but of it's either your nearest school or (I think but am not certain) the LEA placed you somewhere with no safe walk because you applied to your nearest school but they couldn't admit you, then you may well get support with transport. It can't hurt to ask anyway. There's a village near us where the school is about quarter of a mile from a few houses on a moderately busy road with no footpath and the LEA transport the kids from those houses to school by taxi every day.

Doyoumind · 15/04/2024 23:47

Another person baffled that it's got to this point before you've thought to query it. How can you apply for a place without doing any of the reading around it?

SleepingStandingUp · 15/04/2024 23:38

lifeisafunnyoldgame · 15/04/2024 20:33

We have 30 reception places. 60 children in our nursery. We are aware of 180 applications. Tomorrow will be interesting.

Bloody hell. We have the opposite problem. 30 places, 21 requested as choice 1, 21 pupils in September. Every local primary is the same. None have filled their reception classes. Not sure what the population blip is, these were the kids already conceived / born when the pandemic hit but it's Def a small year. I worry about our single form entry school surviving if the numbers are steadily this low

minimadgirl · 15/04/2024 23:28

As others have said, no.
There's 30 spaces at my number choice, where my daughter attends the preschool as is the nearest. They've already said 15 siblings will be taking priority.
Looks as though we will be doing the mile long walk to my 2nd choice along a 60mph road with no walkable verges or paths with two kids. Fun..

lifeisafunnyoldgame · 15/04/2024 22:57

EnglishBluebell · 15/04/2024 22:53

Bloody hell

Show quote history

We are, as are others in the area, very over subscribed. The loss of 2 primary schools in the last 10 years and 5 new build estates within a 1 mile radius has really not helped.

EnglishBluebell · 15/04/2024 22:53

lifeisafunnyoldgame · 15/04/2024 20:33

We have 30 reception places. 60 children in our nursery. We are aware of 180 applications. Tomorrow will be interesting.

Bloody hell

EnglishBluebell · 15/04/2024 22:51

It makes absolutely zero difference unfortunately. Been there, tried that and was told by multiple people in admissions that it's not even slightly relevant

PuttingDownRoots · 15/04/2024 22:32

I know in our town, the catchment nursery for some areas is different to the catchment primary school (catchment being a defined area, not just nearest to the school). Not every school has a nursery, so the catchments cover a wider area.

heavencakes · 15/04/2024 22:17

Admissions criteria will be on the website. Ours is 'looked after children', siblings and then distance. Of course this only matters if the school is oversubscribed which you can check if it normally is.

90yomakeuproom · 15/04/2024 21:58

Depends on the individual school admissions criteria. It should be published on their website. At my school, attending the school Nursery is on the admissions criteria so yes you would get priority admission here. But this seems to be in the minority.

Londonrach1 · 15/04/2024 21:53

Depends on the school..this is a question you needed to ask the school.

CurlewKate · 15/04/2024 21:49

Depends on the admissions criteria.

berrypop · 15/04/2024 21:48

My dd's school is an (outstanding) academy and hugely oversubscribed. Attendance at the nursery is one of the criteria (above distance) for admission. There are children from out of catchment who attended the nursery who got in over children who live closer and didn't.

Crowgirl · 15/04/2024 21:14

State school no
Church school sometimes

Youcancallmeirrelevant · 15/04/2024 20:53

I doubt it it part of the admissions criteria. Usually its looked after kids, siblings then distance

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