To think that siblings should not get priority when it comes to applying for secondary

[ReallyTired]

I think that sibling priority is essential at primary school level, but compeltely unnecessary at secondary school. My children will be at different schools as one will be at primary and one will be at secondary and I am sure we will cope.

Why is having two children at different secondaries any less doable than having a child at primary and a child at secondary? I find it unfair that a family can move into catchment of a top secondary, move out of area and still get sibbling priority. It is crazy that some children have to take a bus to school because they cannot get into the comprehensive that is walking distance of their house.

Secondary school children without special needs do not need mummy to take them to school. I feel that community secondary schools should just have a distance/ catchment criteria.

Yes, that's all very nice but ...

Good points.

It's convenient for many, but not really a necessity.

Mintyy - my dd3 will likely get a place at our secondary school of choice because her sister is in 6th form. They will share one year there just like they did at primary. How is it unfair that my youngest child benefits from attending the same school we chose for her two older sisters? Sibling priority allows for a family making a choice knowing that it will then apply for all their dcs. Of course sometimes different schools will be right for a family but more often than not parents want their children to have the same options.

I agree with Jacks365.

Not quite as simple if you are living rurally and schools tend to be 20 miles apart. I have twin dds and a ds who is 19 months older. There is no way they could have attended different schools. Three schools within catchment, but all a 20 minute drive apart and no buses from some villages. So no, it wouldn't have worked for me. As it was, there is no bus, school or otherwise from where we live, we had to get to a bus stop over a mile away, for the dedicated school bus.

Can you tell mine didn't get sibling priority. There were three at school at the same time and for one year I had to do a primary and 2 different secondaries so three schools. Different uniform stockists too.

It is unfair, as someone said earlier in the thread, in crowded urban areas where a lot of temporary renting goes on to get first children in to schools with good reputations.

It is "unfair" that dd's friend gets to go to this outstanding school on account of her db being in the 6th form there. He didn't go for the preceding 5 years, the family don't live within catchment. He did exceptionally well in his gcses, had an interview at the desirable school and moved across to do his a levels. Not the same situation as your family's at all.

I can see jacks' point, actually.

erhaps the sibling category should be retained. But rate below social/medical, which it doesn't always atm. It's annoying, no doubt, to miss an awards ceremony but not quite the same as to be turned down for the only accessible school if you are a wheelchair user while other children get in on the sibling rule (happened to my dd, though thankfully got in on appeal).

Why just secondaries - what's the difference? YABU. It's so obvious why most people would prefer to have DCs at the same school.

Different from rural / urban perspectives, I suppose.

Our secondary is our only secondary that isn't a 30 minute drive away. There are no school buses provided to the next nearest secondary. You do it yourself. If, when dd is in the primary, and ds at the local secondary, no probs. But if I have to drive for 30 minutes to pick him up.....

On the plus side, we have none of this angst about "which school?", because really, there's only one! Mind you, under this government, it failed to get it's BSF fund, and is hence oversubscribed, so many parents DO have to stump up for a bus or taxi to the next nearest secondary. Unsatisfactory, IMO.

Because children tend to get themselves to secondary school Argy.

I don't think sibling priority should be the norm at any stage of schooling.

Round here we have infant middle and secondary schools all of which prioritise siblings- it's ridiculous in a split system chances are at some point people have deal with getting children to different schools.

Unless you children are twins in the same school year, I can't see that the sibling priority should apply.

in my old area it was LAC then special needs and sibling priority came third which I'd always assumed was the norm. I do agree that siblings shouldn't get rated over someone with specific needs.

My older two are at the same school. Dd didn't get in on sibling priority though. It's great because of school holidays which are so variable locally. Otherwise it isn't important. So if you live somewhere where holidays are set at a borough level then yanbu

A couple of years ago my 5 DC went to 4 different schools between them. Most of the time it wasn't to bad but Christmas and end of year were an absolute nightmare.
We had so many clashing activities at the different schools that parents could attend ie end of year assemblies, sports days and even parents evening at one point.
School uniforms couldn't be handed down either so we had to buy new for all.

(((Dons hard hat)))

2 lots of PTA events would be hard work.........

Maryz I got caught by a housing estate being built that affected the catchment area. I live slightly closer to one school than the other but that was the oversubscribed one so dd2 had to go to a school further away and in the opposite direction.

In our area, they differentiate between statemented children and non-statemented, but statements are only given out to children with learning and/or behaviour difficulties. So a well behaved and bright child who cannot walk will be rated in a lower category of medical and social (below siblings) because they haven't got a statement. Special needs here is only Special Educational Needs and that doesn't include Being able to walk up the stairs to the classroom.

Thats not a bad idea maryz. I know I was unlucky to get different schools. I also know that few people are stuck with a mile walk to the bus stop but thats the price I pay for some amazing views. I might have had a long school run but it was always pretty.

Thats awful cory. A couple of schools are very much better for someone in a wheelchair and one just wouldn't be suitable at all round here. Not appointing a place on a physical need is stupid. Glad you got in on appeal.

Where we live you only get sibling priority if you live in catchment.
Our over subscription criteria is as follows:
Statemented and looked after get priority
Siblings and living in catchment
Living in catchment
Siblings and living out of catchment
Living out of catchment.
It helps that we have catchment areas where we live.

So what happens when my two eldest are at different secondary schools and my youngest at primary? How the feck would I get to 3 different schools each day?