About school applications for reception 2015...

[elfycat]

To remind you that you need to apply by Mid-January (15th seems to be the day).

And AIBU to bump this for the next few weeks?

You need to apply, even if you live next door to the school, even if your child is attending the preschool attached to the school, even if a sibling already goes. There are no automatic places at state schools.

There were quite a few shocked parents last year who got a random school that they didn't want their child to be at. If you do not apply for a place and someone else does - they will get it. Even if they are out of catchment and you are in the area they will get the place.

Most, if not all counties have on-line submissions. If you have time to read MN you have time to nip in and start the application, or start by just getting the log-in sorted. Do it now before you forget and get caught up in the frenzy of Christmas and the post-Xmas exhaustion.

[DazzleU]

You don't lose anything by using up all the 6 choices -and I think with 2 places needed I'd want to play it as safe as possible as well.

You don't always know about all the siblings or who going to move into the catchment area - so it is hard to gauge for particular years.

In our case there were 60 places - and most but not all years they give one or two to children with no siblings just outside catchment - so well down the criteria list - places so we were higher than that.

[ShadowKat]

Okay, so doing the application now.

There is a text box where I can tell the council about any reasons to support my application, including social or medical reasons.

Any idea what a social reason might be? We want DS1 to go to our preferred school because it's the only one in the village, the only one within a sensible walking distance, and it gets good results, but I suspect that most people have similar reasons for their first choice so this isn't likely to be what they mean by a social reason.

[ShadowKat]

Goodness.

I've just gone back into the application, and they've automatically added details of DS1's nursery to the application. It's a private nursery too, so not like we applied for that via the council.

[ArchangelGallic]

Perhaps matched him through 3 year old funding?

For those needing council tax bills, you'll get a new one in March anyway, but you can just request a copy at any point.

[ShadowKat]

Oh, matching him through the 3 yr old funding makes sense.

Our council say on the school application section of the website that:

"When you submit your application for a primary or secondary school place, you give your consent for us to check the address details you have given on your application with council tax and electoral registration records. This is to confirm that you are resident at the property."

So I suppose that if the details on the council's systems match what we put on the application (which they should), then we won't need any other proof of address?

[CynthiaRose]

Not applying this year, but have been thinking about this and wondered what others think. I live in the same street as a primary school that is pretty poor and undersubscribed (at the moment, think/hope it may improve over the next year or so). We have three choices. Most of the other good places round here would be a bit of a long shot to get in, but it's possible. In this situation is it advisable to put down the three that we really want, because if we don't get them presumably they will only put us in the under performing school in our street anyway, so no point using up a choice?

[mausmaus]

if they need more they will ask you.
we have a foreign nsme that can be written in different ways, so unfortunately the spelling didn't match on some documents. we had to supply a shitload few extra docs to prove we were entitled to a school place.

[TenMinutesEarly]

*Cynthia they might not put you in the school on your street. It may not have places. You could end up in a worse school miles away. I would always put at least one school where I met all of the criteria.

I swore blind that I wouldn't send my cda to the school they now attend. It got a new head a couple of years before dd started and it is fab!

[ShadowKat]

I've just noticed that DS1's middle name has vanished from the application form since it automatically updated itself with DS1's nursery details. The form won't let me put anything in the middle name box either.

Anyone know if this is likely to cause us problems getting a school place?

[bartsimpsonsoul]

Can I ask for some advice? DD will be a Sept 15 intake child and we're lucky in that there are several schools within a mile that we would be happy to send her to, but we're torn between our first choice. All the local schools are oversubscribed.

School 1) is our nearest (although we will be moving house before she starts so this is irrelevant). Lovely, although large school and a good "all rounder" on lots of fronts. We would almost be highest priority and in a 60 child intake if we put it first choice, we'll be in without a doubt. This one is my personal first choice.

School 2) is our next-nearest school. Also lovely and smaller intake. More amenities than the first school and one of the top schools in the town. But even if we put it as first choice we are very low on the priority list (just outside the catchment) and only 18 spaces available outside siblings according to the school. DH's first choice school.

We've debated this to death. My worry is if we put down school 2 as first choice its unlikely we'll get in and there's a possibility we could lose a place at school 1. But school 2 is probably the better school. I think DD will be happy at either.

Help?

[MrsKCastle]

Bartsimpson there is no need to worry. If you are certain to get a place at school 1, it will not matter in the slightest whether you put it as 1st or 2nd choice.

If you put school 2 as 1st choice, and you gain a place, then they will only offer you school 2. If there isn't a space for you at school 2, you will be allocated school 1.

[toobreathless]

Need to get ours in...

We are struggling with the decision. There are NO oversubscribed schools here. The nearest one I would describe as good ('outstanding' 9 miles away) is roughly 10 children under it's PAN. The choice is a bit overwhelming
& there are lots of things to consider like how many children the schools are getting into the local grammar ( varies massively) & whether we want to go down the Catholic route as atheists.

Hmmm...

[toobreathless]

We are very rural in case anyone is wondering.

Our local school (2miles) is ok but we looked around and the children were ever so quiet....

Our other concerns are that due to a birth rate quirk our DD would probably be the only girl with 9 boys plus it is composite and there are only 3 girls in the year above.

And the pass rate this year for the grammar was 0%, the local outstanding school got 40% in. Small numbers probably scew these stats but even still....

[bartsimpsonsoul]

Ok thanks MrsK, that puts a new perception on things. I might just be cynical as I could only see us losing both school places if we put school 2 first, although the other schools we'll be putting as our choices are all good too.

[iamtheeggman]

Shadowkat - that's not what they mean by medical and social reasons. These types of things have to be "exceptional" (and supported by letters from relevant professionals). Even then it is very hard to fulfil and very rare to fall within this (kids with SEN fall outside the normal application process if their statement names a particular school, so they don't fall within this category, further reducing the number of cases caught).

[rubyflipper]

I have given up engaging with people about school admissions.

You can tell folk over and over again that they should apply early, choose at least one school they stand a chance of getting and use all the choices on the form.

But if their neighbour, mate or whoever tells them that they should only put one school down, then that is what they will do.

[GoodArvo]

And people still believe that schools get offended by not being put as first choice and people tie themselves in knots about it. I've had to tell people loads of times that schools don't know or care about the preferences and it all goes through the Council.

One woman told me that her daughter didn't get her favourite extremely selective secondary school because they didn't put it as first choice. Why wouldn't she put her favourite school first? It was some nonsense about her second choice school insisting on being first preference. She didn't get into second choice either.

It's all very clear in the info from the Council. It's like people don't even read it.

[YvesJutteau]

I think we don't need to apply for DD2, as she has a statement that names the school (MS school with specialist unit; it's where she's at nursery at the moment). But I am twitchy and will probably email someone at the LA to triple-check (need to email about next term's transport anyway).

[YvesJutteau]

(triple-check that there isn't another form I should be filling in, that is. I know I don't have to do the normal application form but it feels odd not putting something in writing besides the existing statement).

[missymayhemsmum]

Can I put in a plea for people to actuall VISIT the schools they are thinking of or are in the catchment of or might get allocated?
This is such an important thing, surely you want to form your own view and not just go by reports or reputation?
The school your friend speaks highly of may not suit your child and the school up the road which is 'undersubscribed and underperforming' may be being transformed by a new headteacher, while the school which is oversubscribed may be resting on its laurels and have a bullying problem, poor SN provision or just not be that inspiring. Reputation is usually 3-5 years behind reality.
Get round there in the first week of term if you haven't already! Worth both taking a day off work for.

[ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged]

I think you DO still have to apply Yves. You'll be first in line, but you still have to apply.

[CynthiaRose]

Thank you TenMinutesEarly! Sensible advice.

[bearwithspecs]

I too am always shocked at how many highly intelligent patents put down only popular schools that they will not qualify for - thinking the LA will be forced to offer them one. NO it doesn't work that way!!!
Visit schools. Work out which ones you have a chance of a place at. List in order of your preference but be realistic. Put as many as you are allowed down. Get your form in on time.
The system is computer generated. It goes on what you have submitted. It does not care that your DC have travelled 3 miles to go to school nursery there and made friends etc or that you think it's the nicest school...

[bartsimpsonsoul]

So am I being realistic in putting down school 2 (from my previous post) above school 1?