To ask what your thoughts are on siblings getting priority at over-subscribed schools?

[goingeversoslowlymad]

So the letters have gone out advising parents which school they have gained a place for their 4/5 yr old for September. As happens every year as dc1's school is badly over subscribed, there have been people who have lost out.

The school admission criteria gives priority to children who already have siblings in the school, after they have been admitted it then goes down to catchment area and distance from the school. Is this the norm most places? There was quite a lot of bad feeling today when I was at the park. A few of the mums were really angry and saying that the school is discriminating against first-born and only children as it is making it impossible to get a place. I felt a bit guilty as DC2 was one of those who got a place.

I can really see their argument and really do feel for them but what is the solution? I would not physically be able to get my children to 2 different schools in the mornings. Sorry if this has been done before but would just love to know if there is a fairer solution.

as far as I am aware, the siblings rule stands everywhere.. looked after children, then siblings....

i can't think of any way to do it that wouldn't 'discriminate' against someone

Discriminating against them? Good God - doesn't everyone just love to trot out the 'discrimination' cry these days. Is the school also discriminating against those that don't live in the catchment?

A fairer solution? More schools? Smaller catchments? Who knows but this has been going on pretty much forever and it's probably not going to change any time soon.

I think it's pretty standard in recognition of the fact that it makes parents' lives easier.

I have an only and have never resented anyone for it. It was the same for you when your first DC started presumably

It is the fairest solution! Do all these pfb mothers want people with more than one DC to have them spread out at schools across a town/city??

Its hard and there are never any fair answers. I think that sibling priority is essential as it would be a nightmare to have two children in different schools.

I am not sure whether sibling priority should exist for families who have moved out of catchment. Moving school is not an easy thing to do for the older child.

There are always going to be losers.

Seems sensible to give first priority to siblings. I mean, how would someone manage to drop off one child in one school and then drop another at a different school at the same time?

I aways thought it was unfair tbh, as It does stop a lot of children getting their school of choice.

So, how would you manage if you had one child in one school and had to put another one in a different primary?

ReallyTired Sorry forgot to mention in my post that most of the resentment was being directed at those whom have moved out of the catchment but still got their DC's in because of the sibling rule.

One of our local schools goes looked after children, SEN, siblings of children at the school for whom it is nearest school to their home address, non-siblings for whom it's nearest school to home address, then siblings for whom it is not nearest school, and then finally non-siblings for whom it is not the nearest school. (We looked at the odds, falling into the last category, and didn't apply.)

I do think it is unfair that people suck up sibling spaces when it is no longer their nearest school. I also think that for at least some people (not saying it's everyone) who say they can't be in two places at once, the answer is using the breakfast club or after school care or sharing lifts or whatever, and what they mean is "I don't want to". I'm not sure why that should be treated more favourably than people who have trouble because of work times and get told to just suck it up and can't appeal it.

Hmm.

Could you come back in a couple of years and tell us if those who feel their first-born are being discriminated against now have changed their attitude when it comes to the criteria for the second-born's admission.

My DC's school gives priority to siblings only if they live within the catchment. This seems fair to me and means that all children in the village get to go to their local school.

you do manage by the way, both of mine went to different schools.

I have 2 DCs, the second of which got a place at his sister's oversubrscribed school yesterday. It would be impossible to get him anywhere else and for them both to be on time.

HOWEVER, my 2 local schools have very few places for non-siblings because presumably a significant number either lie about where they live (it's a really old-person's area so I'm guessing they say they live at grandma's) or families move as soon as DC1 is in.

We had no chance of getting DCs into our local school. It's 0.4miles away, surrounded on 2 sides by fields and a third side by shops. Last year they had 8 sibling places so the catchment was tiny, the queue of parked cars goes past our house and we see at least 20 children walk past our house everyday. Tis a big con!

I think it would be right to keep the sibling rule but it should not be applicable if the family move further away from the school before subsequent applications and applications should generally be checked more thoroughly.

What I don't understand is why having both dc at the same school is a big enough reason to give siblings priority in the first place, but physical problems with getting the dc to different schools does not count as a big enough problem to appeal on.

I bet the same parents will think differently when it is their subsequent childrens places!

As for out of catchment siblings, I'm fairly sure it goes:
looked after children
siblings in catchment
catchment applicants
siblings out of catchment
out of catchment applicants
..doesn't it? So out of catchment siblings don't get priority over in catchment children?

I absolutely do not think it should apply for secondary.

Annafender - I don't think most authorities seperate siblings on or out of catchment.

I do think there's an argument against it when the family has moved out of the catchment area.

Bibbity - fair comment about secondary school - most would be making their own way wouldnt they?

Annafender - it is not the same all over the country!

Yes, but laughably siblings priority still applies, even when many schools in a LA are single sex. Makes me grrrrrrrrr.

I think its just common sense to give priority to children with siblings at the same school. I will have 5 children at the same school in september and it would be impossible to get them to different schools.

The same mums moaning about it would soon moan if they had another child and didn't get into the same school as their first born.

Our school operates in the same way as Anna's which seems fair to me - siblings in catchment, then siblings, then siblings out of catchment. The circumstances in the OPs school do sound like they are weighted too much in favour of siblings if the school is very oversubscribed.

Oops, sorry - siblings in catchment, then CATCHMENT, then siblings out of catchment