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Original poster

Staff child priority request

33 replies

Yorkieorange · 22/10/2023 18:34

Hi all,

Was wondering if anyone could help.

I work in a primary school. It’s a different LA to where I live. I have registered my child for reception and put down the same school and clicked on option staff child priority. I have been working at the school for less than a year. Will they allow it? Does it depend on the school admissions or LA of where I live?

thank you

OP posts:
TeenDivided · 22/10/2023 18:37

It will depend on the admissions criteria for the relevant LA / school.
Staff child will be defined there.

TeenDivided · 22/10/2023 18:41

To be clear, read the admission rules for the school you want your DC to attend.
It doesn't matter what the rules are where you live.

Phineyj · 22/10/2023 18:47

You do need to check with the local authority and possibly also the Head.

A lot of staff priority is two years or more or "hired in response to demonstrable need." You may need the head teacher to confirm the latter (e.g. that if you hadn't taken the job they wouldn't have been able to hire).

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

General education Primary education
Original poster
Yorkieorange · 22/10/2023 19:05

Thank you for the replies. Will my LA contact school directly? Or does it go to LA admissions?

OP posts:
SisSuffragette · 22/10/2023 19:08

The LA will contact your school to verify you meet the criteria

TeenDivided · 22/10/2023 19:10

Our local secondary school has:

Children of staff (see (d) in Definitions) who have, (i) been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made, or (ii) have been recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.

Edited to add: and our local primary has the same wording.

Phineyj · 22/10/2023 19:12

You need to do the legwork on this OP.

Get the school admissions policy (it will say in the "Starting primary/secondary school in X borough" booklet and probably also on the school's website, what the details of the admissions policy are.

If you're not sure if you qualify under the relevant criterion, check with the Head. I just emailed him and said just to check if I apply for DD you will apply criterion [number] and he replied to say yes - although I did also have to remind HR the circumstances under which I was hired, as he wasn't directly involved and actually he wasn't Head then anyway.

Phineyj · 22/10/2023 20:02

Just to add that an application from a parent who lives out of LA is treated equally with someone who lives in the LA.

MaggieFS · 22/10/2023 20:29

You need to check very carefully if you meet the specific criteria for that school, e.g. as pp posted, in my areas, it's two years to qualify.

If you won't qualify, you'll need to apply locally to where you live, so make sure you've got any tours booked etc.

Littlefish · 22/10/2023 20:32

TeenDivided · 22/10/2023 19:10

Our local secondary school has:

Children of staff (see (d) in Definitions) who have, (i) been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which the application for admission to the school is made, or (ii) have been recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.

Edited to add: and our local primary has the same wording.

Edited

My school is the same.

Original poster
Yorkieorange · 23/10/2023 14:10

Thank you for the replies. Has anyone worked less than a year and was still given space for their child?

OP posts:
MrsMurphyIWish · 23/10/2023 14:15

It’s irrelevant how long you have worked there. It’s about admissions criteria. My school has no allowances for staff children (just treated as any other pupil according at admissions) but my sister in law has her children at her school as they’re listed as second below looked after children.

Original poster
Yorkieorange · 23/10/2023 14:23

hi @MrsMurphyIWish it is relevant because the criteria says 2 or more years. So im asking if anyone got a space with less than 2 years of working.

OP posts:
MrsSchrute · 23/10/2023 14:24

Yorkieorange · 23/10/2023 14:10

Thank you for the replies. Has anyone worked less than a year and was still given space for their child?

The Admissions Code says clearly that you can only allow an oversubscription criteria for staff children where:

'a) where the member of staff has been employed at the school for
two or more years at the time at which the application for
admission to the school is made; and/or
b) the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post at the school
for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage'

So if neither of those apply to you, you won't qualify under that criteria.

Foxesandsquirrels · 23/10/2023 14:28

You're not going to qualify under that criteria if it says 2 or more years and you've not worked there that long. It just doesn't work that way. There's no 'favours'. The only way you could get around this is if the criteria also included the but already mentioned by pp. It's usually worded: the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post at the school
for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage.

If your school doesn't have this than you have no chance of receiving a place under thus criteria.

queenofthewild · 23/10/2023 14:30

Every school has their own admissions policy, you need to read the policy for your particular school. Not all schools even have a children of staff priority.

The admissions policies are followed to the letter. There may be some children of staff who have got spaces despite living out of catchment and with a member of staff not having served the required length of time, but that would be due to fewer applicants of children in higher ranking categories. It's not possible to argue or manipulate the policy to get a place.

Comefromaway · 23/10/2023 14:32

Are you a teacher? If not I think it would be hard to argue the demonstrable skill shortage unless you are something like a specialist SEN TA or similar?

Comefromaway · 23/10/2023 14:33

The admissions policies are followed to the letter.

This. If the policies are not followed to the letter the school opens itself up to appeals from parents whose child did not receive a place.

Is the school normally oversubscribed?

Tuley · 23/10/2023 18:15

I’m in a similar situation. I have listed my school as the first choice for my daughter (DD), but I haven’t worked at this school for two years yet. I don’t know what to do. Since there are no schools nearby, I haven’t listed a second choice, and I live 40 minutes away, so I can’t list local schools.

any advice would be appreciated.

TeenDivided · 23/10/2023 18:19

Tuley · 23/10/2023 18:15

I’m in a similar situation. I have listed my school as the first choice for my daughter (DD), but I haven’t worked at this school for two years yet. I don’t know what to do. Since there are no schools nearby, I haven’t listed a second choice, and I live 40 minutes away, so I can’t list local schools.

any advice would be appreciated.

You would be crazy not to list more than 1 school unless you are a shoe in for your first choice.

Seems to me you should list schools close to where you live (or find a normally under subscribed one en route to work) but also get on and arrange a childminder for before and after school.

MrsMurphyIWish · 23/10/2023 18:24

Tuley · 23/10/2023 18:15

I’m in a similar situation. I have listed my school as the first choice for my daughter (DD), but I haven’t worked at this school for two years yet. I don’t know what to do. Since there are no schools nearby, I haven’t listed a second choice, and I live 40 minutes away, so I can’t list local schools.

any advice would be appreciated.

There are no schools near where you live?

Your child most likely should attend their nearest school to where your residence is. Understand the hassle with commuting. You need to find good wraparound care so I drop DS off at school at 7.30 and collect him at 5. It does depend on admissions though - my school doesn’t have staff children on their listing.

MrsMurphyIWish · 23/10/2023 18:30

Yorkieorange · 23/10/2023 14:23

hi @MrsMurphyIWish it is relevant because the criteria says 2 or more years. So im asking if anyone got a space with less than 2 years of working.

What I meant was, you can’t just accept from random Google criteria. You need to find out your own school’s admissions criteria (unless it’s non academy?) My school doesn’t have staff children listed, but my sister in law’s did.

My advice. Choose a school close to your residence and find good wraparound care. Think about your future too. Will you be at your current school for the next 9 years? If it’s a school far from where you live, it means you’re tied there until your child leaves.

TeenDivided · 23/10/2023 18:32

@Tuley Also consider parties, playdates etc. Going to school so far out of area would mean all her friends are way out of area too, so no links in local community.

MrsMurphyIWish · 23/10/2023 18:40

TeenDivided · 23/10/2023 18:32

@Tuley Also consider parties, playdates etc. Going to school so far out of area would mean all her friends are way out of area too, so no links in local community.

And also committing yourself to being at the school you’re working at until your child leaves!

Foxesandsquirrels · 23/10/2023 18:56

MrsMurphyIWish · 23/10/2023 18:40

And also committing yourself to being at the school you’re working at until your child leaves!

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How so?

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