...to be so angry and upset by this unfair school admissions policy?

[SchoolFury]

(Have namechanged as this is quite identifiable)

My DD just turned 4 in September, so is due to start Reception next year. Since Jan this year she has been at a preschool (nursery) which is part of a primary school.

It is our nearest school, and the only one for which we are in the 'priority area'. We actually moved to this flat in 2013 in large part because we loved the school so much

It's a non-denominational, community state primary school. We are in a part of London with a lot of faith schools (Jewish, Catholic, CofE) and we are a mixed Jewish/Christian secular family, so faith schools not for us. It's also got an Ofsted '1' (outstanding) in last inspection, though that is less important than the wonderful atmosphere, the sense of community and the fact that my daughter is really thriving in the preschool.

Under normal admissions rules, my daughter would be very likely to get a place there for Reception based on distance - we live less than 0.2 miles from the school. HOWEVER, last year the school decided to take a 'bulge' class, i.e. take 60 pupils in reception instead of 30. They took from a much wider area - up to 0.5 miles from the school - usually the limit is less than 0.3.

This means that siblings of those in the 'bulge' class will get offered places next year ahead of my daughter, and others in her nursery class who live closer, but do not have siblings at the school. I know personally of two families with one child in current reception, with a sibling a year younger, who will therefore get offered places ahead of my daughter even though they live much further away.

I am really distressed by this. The only other nearby school is a failing school (Ofsted rating 3) - not the end of the world, but we are not even in the priority area for it (very near, but wrong side of the road) so we may not even get a place there . And my daughter is so happy in preschool and has lots of good friends and good relationships with the teachers.

If my daughter had been a week older she would have started reception this year and would have got a place for definite. As it is, she almost certainly won't get a place, instead children living much further away will get priority for no reason other than the 'bulge' class taken this year. I have been told there is no chance of them taking another bulge class this year - so what's the point?

AIBU to feel really upset, resentful towards those who have got in this year, and most of all angry with the school for making this decision, which seems really short sighted and unfair on children in subsequent years?

SamG I guess I blame the religious schools for taking state funding and resources away from non-denominational schools. We could probably just about swing one of the Jewish schools if we made a big effort now, but I really don't want my kids educated among ONLY Jewish people, nor do I want them coming home with Christian propaganda (my husband, raised Christian, feels even more strongly about this than I do).

I know a lot of parents whose kids attend local faith schools - they are not really religious families, they just like the faith schools, which tend to attract far more of the middle-class, educated, dedicated parents.

Chocolate yeah, I know the school and LEA are just trying to do the best but I don't think they really consider the impact of chopping and changing between 30 and 60 pupils. If I'd given birth a week earlier we'd have benefited from it, but it would still be unfair!

I don't think we will move though. Looked at a couple of places, but my heart's not in it. Feel like we only just settled in here!

DeWee Of course i'm biased! But that doesn't mean it's fair. But there are worse things in life that are far more unfair - I know that too. Perspective eh

Does being from a "mixed" family prevent your DC from attending a faith school? If it's just that you don't like the religious element? That's your choice, of course, but many parents do like the religious aspects, which is why they choose the school.

But often you can't "choose the school" if the child hasn't been baptised or otherwise confirmed into that particular faith. How is that fair?

And just another example of how different things can be each year. Last year when dd1 started at school there were 27 siblings out of the 30 places. This year there were only 7 siblings. It changes so much so gingers crossed.

Proportionally there will be less siblings in your daughters year though by my reckonibg. The bulge class will mostly be new children rather than children with siblings already in the school otherwise they would have got in anyway . Given most prople have at least two school years between children then this year should be the least affected by sibling priority of the bulge year.

I have to say we benefitted from this in oyr area. Our daughter was in a bulge year and our son therefore got priority 2 years later. I know some of the licals were annoted but these are state schools, i would not have managed two schools starting at the same time and we were forced into looking at this school as what was our local school became so popular we couldnt get in. I suspect you will be fine.

The faith schools put up a lot of their own money in exchange for being allowed the 'religious' admission criteria.

I thought the money was so that they could get their stuff taught in schools.

If they couldn't prioritise 'their own' they just wouldn't put the money up.

I am willing to call their bluff. You can also turn the screws by getting rid of the tax breaks.

No other institutions can justify discrimination based on funding. What if universities did that?

I guess I blame the religious schools for taking state funding and resources away from non-denominational schools. We could probably just about swing one of the Jewish schools if we made a big effort now, but I really don't want my kids educated among ONLY Jewish people, nor do I want them coming home with Christian propaganda (my husband, raised Christian, feels even more strongly about this than I do).

I blame religious schools for creating "holes" in London. There are basically parts of London you can't live if you want to send your child to a state school and aren't a christian. There are so many places where the only nearby state schools are religious. Thus, entirely unfair to non-christians, and furthermore, there is the illusion that there is proper state funded provision in an area when there is not.

boulevard - agreed about running costs.

They put up 10% of their capital costs.

They also often own their own land which goes without saying is in itself a fortune in some areas.

This is a lot of money that would have to be covered.

Countyourchickens thinking about it, it's EVERY year following the bulge year that's adversely affected by this (until the bulge year goes to 2ndary school).

The school in question had a bulge year in 2011 too - that will still be having knock-on effects in each subsequent year. When you're talking about 30 places total, just a couple of extra siblings from each bulge year makes a big impact.

IsitrainingI will definitely be keeping my gingers crossed!

I think that the school should take two classes every year. There just aren't enough places to go round.

And put them where? Lessons in corridors?

Swings and roundabouts, OP, if you'd given birth a week earlier your child would be the youngest in his/her year and that brings a whole set of other issues. Slightly off the point but don't beat yourself up too much about when you gave birth. Had I known what I know now about being one of the youngest in the year, I might have crossed my legs and kept him in for a few more days to get him to Sept 1st

I don't think the issue is about Church schools.
I think the issue is that there are not enough places for everyone in good schools.
People do t like being excluded from the good schools. Where there are no faith schools, the middle classes often dominate the good schools because they can afford to live in the catchment area of them, whereas other people cannot. So they get the good education they want.
Where there are Church schools, they sometimes find themselves thwarted and having the money to live in the nice area isn't enough to get the place....and they don't like it!

Actually the issue is about the provision of enough good education for everyone.
The middle classes don't complain that it is unfair that they get into the good school when they get in on distance criteria. They say it is fair. Of course, the distance criteria is often the same as wealth or class criteria due to the cost of housing. But no one says that is unfair, as it suits them.

We need good schools for all children in all areas.

Until we have that, distance criteria, whilst the only practical criteria (along with siblings having priority) will always favour the better off. The only way to avoid that would be lotteries.

But no one likes lotteries, because then parents have no control. And the middle classes want control....whether that is by paying fees or moving into the nicer areas with good schools. But in reality, it is the only fair way.

So OP spare a thought for the person who can't afford to live anywhere near that school, and so has no chance. They are in a worse and more unfair position than you.

They put up 10% of their capital costs

wanttosqueezeyou - I've mentioned upthread that they don't, or at least, not around here. 100% paid by the taxpayer.

I have been in a similar situation with DC1, we had to send her to a pre-school 4 miles away due to our nearest being oversubscribed and them giving priority to families who had previously sent children there, despite us living 0.2 miles away. Luckily we got her into our local over-subscribed primary by the skin of our teeth. However the school has become even more popular and the catchment area has shrunk dramatically since then so the sibling rule got DC2 in with no worries. I don't drive and definitely couldn't have got DC2 to the next nearest school on time. I have been on both sides of this and I feel for you but there is a good reason for the sibling rule, however it is unfair at times.

Exactly this situation happened to us two years before dc1 was due to start.

I saw the writing on the wall and we moved (away completely).

I'm glad we did because as a result non-sibling admission distance was down to 185m the year dc1 would have gone. We were 280m away.

That was a two year gap though. One won't be as bad. You can always ask the school if they can estimate how many siblings there will be next year - they'll love that ;).

annie - the very essence of a voluntary aided school is that they put up 10% of their capital costs (in exchange for teaching their own faith and having their own admissions).

But I'm not calling you a liar - perhaps the school you know of had some sort of grant for some other reason or got given some money in exchange for some concession in their admissions. I'm just guessing.

Thank you, wanttosqueezeyou. The reason I remember the details so vividly is because I was looking for a primary for mine at the time, the rebuild was lovely, and we couldn't have a sniff at it! I was livid!

The new build had a lot of fancypants environmental stuff, which is maybe why they got 100%. I'm still mightily pissed-off, though.

I absolutely sympathise. I think the whole admissions criteria thing is a mess. There are three very good secondary faith schools near us that we are unlikely to be accepted into (We are churchgoers but the CofE and Catholic schools don't could our religion as Christian 'for admissions purposes') - and a notorious and failing school, that people move house - or started attending churches that profess a religion they don't believe in - to avoid.

I really think we need LESS so-called choice. The way it's worked out, it seems to be schools choosing parents (I say parents, not children, as kids don't really have much say at primary school where they live and whether or not they go to church), not the other way round. I don't know the best way round it - perhaps sibling priority, followed by a lottery of everyone who applies to any particular school (to diminish the 'postcode lottery' system)

The faith school problem can't be solved overnight but they could do things gradually - reduce by 10% per year the number of students they can accept on faith grounds so in nine years it goes down to 10% which matches the funding they provide.

Totally understand that you feel upset. Same happened around here. It caused serious upset.

Sadly there is bugger all you can do about it. Bugger all.

You have a few months to come up with an alternative.

Religious schools - I know due to demand it can be different in London, but lots of children of all kinds of religious and non-religious persuasion are taught in C of E schools. C of E started schools before the government even considered doing such a thing. My DCs C of E school had lots of different faiths there.
No school in the UK state system is secular - community schools can be more "religious" than faith schools, and should be "broadly Christian" according to the law. You need to look at the schools to make your own judgements, but you can't assume from the label (I know a predominantly Muslim C of E school in the SE).
If there is such strong demand they may expand the school, that is keep adding bulge classes. This is pretty common. You live pretty close, so still have a good chance. The LA have to find you a school - they can force a school to go over the numbers per class when there are not enough places locally.

There is no point in worrying yourself sick at this point, you don't know what will happen.