To ask...

[Loopylala7]

What argument got your DC into a non catchment school/nursery?

For schools unless they are a looked after child or have special needs/medical needs which can only be met in that school then there are very few arguments which will get you in, they have to follow the admissions criteria for that school.

Seriously? no other argument ever got anyones child into a non catchment school?

I think the rules are pretty rigid, so no room for argument.

Highly unlikely. They need strict rules to try to prevent people making up arguments and to keep the system as fair as possible.

I wish posters would put the subject of the thread in the thread title.

And what they ^ said

Anyway OP, yours is the only argument that matters.

If you feel you have a good enough argument, tell admissions about it and see what they say.

It's always worth a shot.

Sorry Unusual, I haven't actually applied yet. I have a number of reasons why I need DC to get into this school, but fear they won't be accepted.

A statement of SEN and evidence that no school in our county can meet her needs.

Are you unlucky enough to have a child that doesn't meet those criteria? It must be very hard

Which if the home nations are you in?

And by 'catchment' do you mean formally defined priority admissions area?

Or do you mean the actual admissions footprint of a school whose over-subscription tiebreaker is distance?

Some appeals get through on individual circumstances.

We had one where mum and dad were local police officers. There'd been some to do with one of the local families so parents got her into a school across the county border.

Pretty unusual though. Look on your LA website, the criteria are pretty clear.

What reasons? WHy don't you move closer?

The appeals where the parents say "dd is a precious flower who didn't get in where all her friends went and she has issues making friends because she's shy and her granny died and her best friend since nursery is there and did I mention she's a precious flower?" NEVER get in!

Amazing how many try though

In our local school the two criteria prioritised are: children who have a sibling already attending the school and depending on how near you live to the school. It is important to enrol on the waiting list early too but there's no guarantee. Having said that I have heard of people bringing their children in from quite a distance to the school so it doesn't seem to be a problem at the moment unless there is ever a shortage of staff/cut backs in the future. Every school is different so check with the school. The school in the next town won't use a waiting list so parents have to camp outside the school gates for a couple of days/nights before the enrollment starts each year (it's crazy, it's like the que for a next sale)

Ok, Ok, its the closest school to us. It's the only one our day nursery does a pick up from, meaning that we would have to look into new childcare for DC who's gone there since a young baby and DC2 has also just settled there. My DM who is getting quite elderly now would have to walk to do some pick ups (catchment school is double the distance)(she can't drive and has a bad back). And I was told before I moved - By the local education department that the new build house we live in would be within catchment for this school. It doesn't seem likely we'll get in as it's oversubscribed. What annoys me is that I have friends who live further away who are in catchment???

It does depend on the type of school. Our school is voluntarily aided and therefore the decision on appeals is made on indivdual circumstances by the Governors. You need to look at the criteria of the school and the appeal process.