to be utterly pissed off that having a child already at the school has no bearing on getting a place if you do not live in the catchment area?

[samram]

Ok, This news to me.

Having just rang the school admission line to make sure they had my dd4 application form i was told that already having my elder daughter attending the school has no bearing on my application if i do not live in the catchment area!
Im so worried now - i mean how can i possibly be in two places at once?
Its not even like my elder daughter is old enough to walk home on her own (she's 6 in a few weeks)

Does any know if this is correct or have any advice? Thanks

A child's potential academically is set by the age of 7. Take from that what you will...

Thing is, most parents who might have the more 'challenging' kids and don't really give much thought about their kids education won't send their kid to a school out of catchment where they have to walk a distance and catch the bus etc. These parents will send their kids to their local school where all their friends and neighbours send their kids. only few will buck the trend and do this, those that know the score and want their kids to break away from the crappy areas and schools where their kids are likely to be dragged down with all the others - why shouldn't these parents who care and lets face it live already in not the best areas and circumstances not be able to give their kids a better education? Not everyone can afford to move or own their own house and although it happens, having more money and being able to afford a house in a good area SHOULDN'T entitle your kids to a better education. yes, I'll play the game too, have done because I can but doesn't mean it's right.

The reason my daughters school is good is because of the teaching and the head-mistress, You could let 10 kids in from the 'wrong side of the tracks' and the teaching would remain the same. My catchment area school doesnt feed from the council estate kids either, the majority are from the luxury 6 bed estate they built 8 years ago. My catchment area was poor 5 years ago when my eldest daughter started her school, now since a change of headmistress both schools are the same. Our headmistress is leaving so in all fairness things cold change and by the time my 2 yr old goes my catchment area school could be classed as a better school. I put my daughter into her school as she went to the feeder nursery for that school and all her friends were going there so i took a chance and got her in due to a low intake. It really annoys me some of the things written on here about 'social housing' and the 'wrong sort' of kids. Not all council estate kids are asbo knife weilding terrors who are a threat to your kids who live on a 'private' estate.

My local primary school has the highest scores in the borough and also the highest value added scores in the borough - it has a very polarised (mansions on one side and a large council estate on the other) and large (90 a year) intake and still comes top so the 'wrong side of the tracks' stuff is just bollocks really.

I don't think the concensus was that children coming from what may be considered socially deprived areas would bring the "good" school down.

What could bring standards down is if lots of children get in on appeal over and above the schools admission number, this in turn leads to bigger class sizes; more sharing of equipment; less space for learning and play etc etc, which has a knock on effect on the overall quality of the learning at the school.

Personally I feel that if the parents place such high value on education that they are willing to put themselves out financially and time wise in getting their children to an out of catchment school, then they will foster a culture of learning in the child which can only be a good thing.

I still wouldn't want my child to have to miss out on a place at their catchment school.

I dont understand how a child in the catchment can miss out on a place if they live in the catchment area. It makes no difference at my school having a sibling already there.

Catchment with sibling
Catchment
Out of catchment with sibling
Out of catchment

and the only people i have known not to get into the school from the catchment are the ones who didnt bother handing their forms in by the deadline and non of them won an appeal

Fifi - if there are more children in the catchment than there are places.

Yep it's true I had 3 kids at 3 different schools for 3 yrs.

fifi It is because people are assuming the catchment area remains the same year on year when of course it cannot and does not.

The whole concept of catchement areas is entirely retrospective. No one can possibly know what teh catchement area is until the applications are in. You can have been in the "catchment area" for twenty years but of there is a sudden influx of DC's into your area and they all live .2 mile nearer to the school than you, chances are you are suddenly out of area.

There are just no guarantees(hence most LEA's now refusing to talk in terms of "catchment areas")

Sorry "catchment" - I seem to add additionall "e's" to everything at the mo

yes i know that but how are they missing out due to a child from outside the catchment area taking their place, at my school you cant. Preference is always given to the catchment area, the remaining place are given out as to distance from school - as the crow flies.

So what people some people are complaining about is people moving into the catchment area. I dont get it...but i did go to the worst junior school which only took council kids

Its seen as the "risk" you take when applying for an out of catchment school.

All a load of bollox if you ask me.

Thats why my typings crap

i think what nancy says re catchments depends where you live - near me the catchment is defined by town or village - not miles etc and i don't think our town boundary changes in the sense that we go from suddenly living in one town to another - but i see how this may affect city schools.

R Rite, i dont think my catchments changed since ive been there, theres too many schools in my area its just everyone in the towns tying to go to the same two schools as the other 2 are chronic and badly managed.

what i mean is that we have only 1 catholic school which automatically takes catholics from our town and 2 near villages as its the only catholic one

We have 1 catholic schools and 4 primarys. Some people are sending their kids to the catholic school, even thought they are not catholic to avoid going to the horrible school. Its a joke really, one school is causing loads of problems for everyone else.

Our criteria at our nearest school are
looked after children
special needs
religion
siblings
then catchment

looks like we will be travelling to the next school!

There are lots of things on this thread that make me raise an eyebrow. The only thing that made me really cross was saying that less bright kids bring down a school. I can just about swallow the stuff about behaviour, that really does have an impact on a school but I can honestly say that the most difficult children I have taught have been very bright, from "lovely" homes but with a sense of entitlement and arrogance that had to be taught to be believed. I am glad that my daughter goes to an excellent school in a mixed catchment where all are valued for being human beings and understood for having different needs and abilities. All children are entitled to an education of a high standard. Of course some are fortunate to have parents who will fight for it amd so they should but they are no more entitled than any others no matter what hoops their parents jump through.

I totally agree with that little. People seem to have got slightly confused over what it is that actually 'brings down' a school. Of course ability will affect league tables, but natural ability (or lack of it) is not the real issue here.

Bad management 'brings down' a school in my experience, whoever the kids and teachers are

I agree with the bad management bringing a school down. I have seen my catchment area school dramatically change for the better after changeing head teachers 5 years ago. The poor school has had the same headmaster since i was there Our head-mistress is leaving in September to go to an all girls private school ranked in the top 100 (so ive been told). Another long standing yr6 teacher (deputy head) is retireing so it could be all change very soon.

i agree with you. especially if you had to move out of area for financial reasons, maybe your landlord evicted you and you couldnt afford or find anywhere to rent back in area. in these circumstances you should still be allowed to have your youngest attend that school