Romesh Ranganathan - School Places & Entitlement

I think people are reaching to attack him because they hate the idea of someone they view as rich or successful moaning about anything but to not get into any of your 4 school choices is crazy and he’s within his right to talk about it.

Well fair or not, the entire reason for admissions criteria and rules is to make it transparent for everyone.
I think it's ill judged to make a public fuss when the rules are applied to all. Why should an out of catchment get a preference over an in catchment child?

This is why the system is so problematic as everyone wants different things there are always going to be unhappy parents..I wish sometimes we did not have preferences and children were allocated by the local authority automatically. We wouldn't have to bother with all those ridiculous open events which in my experience were a waste of time..

Sorry I don’t agree with this. Schools publish their admissions policies. It used to be the norm that if a sibling attended the school then it was almost a cert the sibling would get in even if you’d moved. But that’s now not the case for most schools/academies. People could get their child in, move house out of the catchment and still expect a place in the old school then prevent someone living in the catchment area from going there. Schools are part of their community. They’re central to their community. If people secure a place in the preferred school for one child but then move away and assume they can still get the preferred school because of the legacy of the older sibling attending there….. sorry I don’t agree with this on principle. I didn’t attend the same school as my sibling. It’s done us or our parents no harm. Simply I had a much longer journey to school than my sibling. It was fine. He moved out of catchment, didn’t check the admissions policy and assumed they would get a place by default. He was wrong. It is unusual for a parent not to get any of their three choices. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen. But LAs do try to give one of the three choices if possible. Perhaps he put down schools they had no hope of getting in to. He can appeal. Or go on the waiting list. There’s a lot of movement between now and the start of term so he might get lucky.

No, obviously not @privatenonamegiven. This is a thread about siblings isn't it?

Why do you think this? Genuine question, not trying to be goady. How could it be improved?

A PP said they couldn't think why they would want their DC at different schools and that would be the same for most parents. So OK, not all parents. But in fact I know lots of parents who don’t agree.
Possible reasons:

• Wanting single-sex education
• School having a speciality that suits DC 1 but not DC 2 (maths, tech)
• SEN catered for at a specific school
• Academically focused school, again not suitable for different DC
• School with very strong drama or music offering that is only of interest to one DC
• School offering other specifics such as particular MFL, sporting facilities, strong textiles or art depts

My 3 DC are very different; one is very sporty, one is very keen on music and drama, one had an interest in a specific MFL, one has LD, one is ND, one is very keen on food tech, one is very academic in STEM, one is very academic in humanities ... (some of these apply to more than one!). So different schools might well have suited them.

Tho I agree it’s not unreasonable to want your DC to go to the same school. But if that is specifically important to you then you may need to make sure it happens.

I think this shows that the rules aren’t always fully understood, particularly since there are variations. In my area, when we discuss catchment we mean a fixed and defined area that does not change. It usually gives you priority over those not in the defined catchment area. This is different to when people say ‘catchment’ referring to last distance admitted. I was reading a thread the other day where people were confidently stating that you cannot be in more than one catchment (not true) and that being in a catchment means you are guaranteed a place (also not true).

Probably so they could have two different addresses

How so? I think I'm missing your point. Can you explain?

If he did then he got lucky that they got in. You couldn’t assume younger children would.

I'm with Romesh.

The system is fucking ridiculous.

I hope you don't begrudge someone with SEND getting into a school that they need? Because your post does come off a little like that.

I get your upset at the other points however.

OK, can we know more about the fake divorces and how they impacted school places? I’m fascinated!

Schools have changed their admissions policies over time as people would get a child into a popular school and then move out of the area. And later apply under sibling rules and get a place over local children. Schools we’re finding there were lots of places offered to out of area children because of this. Even experienced a family “separate” and mum rent a home in the catchment area of a popular school with the children and get a place and then “reconcile” later … dad was a solicitor. Even have a CofE school with higher criteria for church attenders amend their policy when a mum who visited the school said they had time to build up church attendance to get in the school - weren’t church attenders at the time of visit

I think I've commented on a previous thread on here, certainly commented on his IG post - it's a bloody good thing when secondary schools don't automatically dole out places to siblings! I wish all secondaries were the same. I can't tell you the oddities I've witnessed over sibling places in my little corner of London. Including child 1 with dyslexia getting a place in a highly sought after school they wouldn't otherwise have gone to, followed by all siblings without SEND. And many, many variations on the same theme, plus address moving, renting in catchment, fake divorces, Y11 children starting 8n the school year their older sibling leaves for a different 6th form.

I'm slightly embarrassed for him that he's made such a fuss about this without thinking it through. It does indeed make him come across as entitled and a bit ignorant.

Also I would add that schools are put out there as if you are making a choice - many parents just don't get that you really don't have a choice but just a preference.

Oh my God, me too! Love him! ❤️

I don't think everyone is saying - that everyone wants their DC at the same school - what I'm saying is that it's not unreasonable to want that..

In secondary I take the view that local DC should be prioritised over siblings out of catchment. Otherwise the examples quoted on here where people get in then move will mean local DC don’t get a place.

And those who say "everyone wants their DC at the same school" – they really don’t. I have a friend with four DC, I don't think they were ever at the same school; and in fact IIRC they went to three different schools for secondary (one was a UTC so only in KS4 tbf) bc of differing needs.

Those who say the system is shit and it doesn't work – I think it is not ideal but it does work. No one says you are making a choice – or everyone would choose the really excellent school. You express a preference – which is why @Unitarily the order is important - if you qualify for more than one school, they will give you the one you put highest on your preference list.

Every year I seem to see a story of how a DC has not got any school on their list – and nearly always it’s bc the parents have listed unreasonable and impossible schools. I don't know if this is the case with RR to be fair.

You might be right. I know my first child was part of a baby boom 2008/2009 and that many many parents end up without a school on national offer day (I seem to remember over 100 children without school offers in the borough I live in, horrible for all concerned) nevermind not being offered your top 4. The system is flawed and gives parents a sense of control over where their children go to school when it's all down to luck etc.

This is the policy for over subscribed schools in wscc areas. Siblings is criteria band 6 under catchment. It changed in I think 2023

Siblings at the same school is a fair reason. School admissions are a pita, and its good that hes using his position to highlight it

who says he’s a multimillionaire?

@Catsandcheese what has my comment got to do with your lived experience? I've worked in admissions, plenty of parents pick a school they have no hope of getting a place at.

I am just explaining why I think the only solution is siblings having priority.

But siblings pretty much always have priority but within that cohort some may have more priority over others eg living closer to a school.