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AIBU?

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Original poster

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

381 replies

goingeversoslowlymad · 19/04/2012 15:55

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.

OP posts:
Goldenbear · 20/04/2015 20:50

As there aren't, not 'As there's not many'??

slippermaiden · 20/04/2015 20:54

I agree that a person couldn't be expected to take children to two different schools, it would be ridiculous! However, we didn't get the school we live 5 minutes from because of too many sibling links. We are at a good school, but we cross paths with so many parents walking the opposite way and a fair distance aswell. One child we pass who lives right next to my children's school I feel like saying we should swap children and save our legs! So I think the long term solution to this would be take the school closest to where you live. Maybe more people would walk their children too then.

3CheekyLittleMonkeys · 20/04/2015 21:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Littlefish · 20/04/2015 21:07

I disagree completely with the policy of putting siblings out of catchment above eldest/only children living in catchment. I think that if you make the decision to apply for a school knowing that you are out of catchment, then you have to accept that your subsequent child may not get a place.

Equally, if you get a place for one of your children while you are living in the catchment but then move away, again, you should have to accept that your subsequent child many not get a place.

Model5 · 20/04/2015 21:09

I actually think abolishing sibling priority might stop a lot of the madness. I'm speaking from a slightly dodgy position, as Ds2 got his place as a sibling BUT if the sibling rule weren't in place and I was facing a real possibility of DC at different schools I might have not have sent DS1 there.

x2boys · 20/04/2015 21:09

My two go to different schools but that's only because ds2 has special needs and goes to a special school so therefore get transport to and from school I don't know how it would be feasibly possible to get two children to different schools at the same time?

Model5 · 20/04/2015 21:10

BTW, siblings don't get he same priority everywhere. Here it's LAC, catchment, then siblings.

ImTakingTheEssence · 20/04/2015 21:11

Where I live I have no idea how they do it as some mother was playing hell on facebook over only children getting in above her two kids. She was going to confront them in the playground because its not fair that children with no siblings get in and not her child with a brother in the school.
Thankgod I dont go to that school my dd got in and shes an only child I put it down to us bein a streer away from the school.

oddfodd · 20/04/2015 21:14

Siblings out of catchment is unfair. And the sibling rule should only apply to primaries.

3CheekyLittleMonkeys · 20/04/2015 21:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ImTakingTheEssence · 20/04/2015 21:19

Yep because it should of gone to her before them.

BeaufortBelle · 20/04/2015 21:19

Not reading it all but my children's primary went like this:

Looked after
Siblings in catchment
Church and distance (about 55%)
Distance (about 45%) - the catchment was within a few roads of the school

There could be years when half the places were taken up by siblings.

If families had moved out of catchment the siblings stood no chance although the first child to get in didn't have to leave. There were no exceptions

ImTakingTheEssence · 20/04/2015 21:21

I wouldn't know what to say if she come up to me I cant help having an only child.

RustyBear · 20/04/2015 21:29

In our borough, catchment children come above non-catchment children. But if you apply for your catchment school and don't get it, the school you are allocated can be treated as if it was your catchment school for subsequent siblings, who count as in-catchment siblings.

RustyBear · 20/04/2015 21:33

Sorry, that should say catchment children come above non-catchment siblings...

SingingHinnies · 20/04/2015 21:45

Ours is catchment sibling, catchment, out of catchment sibling. I knew this when i applied for dd and that there was a real chance i wouldn't get dd2 in. She was the last child admitted. I would have felt very guilty if it went out of catchment sibling, catchment as i would't like to take a place of someone who bought a house near and lives closer to the school than me.

DD1 at the last minute i changed the form to the next school along as she was in the feeder nursery and it was graded outstanding, i wanted her to stay with her friend's. All through school she played with people who lived next to us who went to my catchment school and now at seniors doesn't really speak to anyone she was in primary with.

My catchment was good at the time i applied for DD1. My school was downgraded to satisfactory the other school upgraded to outstanding, que everyone trying to get their kids in this school from my schools catchment area.

Last time they were assessed ours was good with outstanding features the other is outstanding again but with an exceptional ofstead report. My catchment school since getting a new head is amazing, amazing facilities, clubs, my catchment school is definatly better than my dds out of catchment school

Because they are not far apart, one on the route to the other i knew if i didn't get dd2 in i would manage to drop them both off. I knew when doing the forms i was taking a chance with dd1 putting my oversubscribed catchment school second and that i probably wouldnt get dd2 in there possibly ending up with choice 3 for her as both schools were oversubcribed that year, mine with 47 kids and my catchment school with 52 kids for 30 places, 3rd school was in measure's

lougle · 20/04/2015 21:58

Hampshire introduced a 'displaced sibling' rule last year. That is, if a child got allocated a place at a school that was not their closest school because their closest school was oversubscribed, then siblings of that child would be deemed to be 'in-catchment siblings' for purposes of admissions, despite in fact being out-catchment.

Their reasoning was a surge of appeals where families had made the most of being part of a school community, embracing it and getting involved in after school clubs, etc., but then finding they couldn't get their younger child into what they now considered 'their local school'. The LA decided that was a double-penalty and was unfair.

verbeier · 20/04/2015 22:00

My DS got accepted into first choice, outside of catchment last September. We were delighted as otherwise live in a black hole for schools (planning to move to a house as currently renting a flat but DH lost job). Now applied for nursery place for DD and didn't get in and feeling frantic about reception applications. Think we were just lucky with intake on year we applied. I feel quite sad and torn by it all. We both work, drop off would be a logistic nightmare if in two different schools

verbeier · 20/04/2015 22:06

PS. The school is 1.1 miles away.

SingingHinnies · 20/04/2015 22:17

Think we were just lucky with intake on year we applied.

The year i applied for dd1s place was a low birth rate and the feeder nursery had a very small class compared to normal, they were even saying change her it will be fine she will get in. There were 26 kids for 30 places, the only year they haven't been oversubscribed. Looking back on it now i took a real chance not only with dd1 but with 2 and 3 as well as loosing out on my catchment school for 2 and 3. I did toy with sending dd3 to catchment, by then i had moved a bit closer to the school, just outside catchment, if i hadn't moved she wouldn't have got in

SusannahD · 20/04/2015 22:22

Don't feel guilty, imagine if the sibling rule didn't apply... How would parents get their children to different schools on time... It would be unworkable.

ScaryMaryHinge · 20/04/2015 22:41

There's no perfect answer. Prioritising siblings is unfair to families who live close to a school and lose out to sibling places. Prioritising distance in siblings is unfair, no one wants to be trying to get children to more than one school.

Saying siblings whose families have moved out of catchment don't get priority can be unfair. Not everyone who moves is gaming the system, people move for financial reasons, work, marriage break up. Sometimes moving out of catchment can mean nothing more than moving a couple of streets away, not the other side of town.

Norfolkandchance1234 · 20/04/2015 22:58

Siblings normally only get priority if they are 3 years apart, at least they do here. Otherwise they are treated like all the other kids and not given sibling priority.

Norfolkandchance1234 · 20/04/2015 22:59

Also siblings will not get priority at all if you move out of the catchment area, at least this happens where we live.

ihategeorgeosborne · 20/04/2015 23:05

Our local primary had 22 siblings this year, which only left 8 places, 2 of which have gone to twins. That leaves only 6. There are many disappointed families in my village at the moment. It is difficult though, as many of the siblings were offered this school 2 or 3 years ago and didn't get their closer school. So now, they have priority over catchment non- siblings. I'm not sure what's best really. It does seem like a ridiculous system though.