About school places?

[Chippednailvarnish]

I’m part of a FB group for parents in our local area, there is huge pressure on school places, it's awful.
AIBU to be thoroughly sick of the completely crap “advice” parents are giving each other about getting a place? Such gems as “My baby got her school first choice but that's because I didn't give any others just the 1 school” and “tell em your home schooling, they hate that, then you'll get a place you want".
I can't see how this helps anyone?

That sounds bonkers.

Is there any sign anyone is listening to the mad 'advice'?

It doesn't help anyone because it's completely inaccurate. Maybe you could post a link to an explanation of how allocations work.

This is ridiculus. That you only give the one option is not an ultimatum, it is waisting oportunity in case your first choice is oversuscribed.
Just ignore the idiots.

When I went to school in the 70's, every kid went to the one closest to them!

Seemed a lot more sensible and kept cars off the road in the mornings!

Wouldn't it be wonderful to get back to that Sick? I won't hold my breath

There have been lots of people posting factual advice, which hopefully counteracts the crap other people are spewing!

I just don't understand how telling someone to only put one choice, when we are past the application stage can be considered helpful. Interestingly Sick it is people applying to their closest schools. There is just such pressure here that often once siblings have been allocated places, there's no space left.

Maybe it's sabotage?

Ultimately, lots of people just aren't very bright.

Wait until all the advice to 'turn the place down and appeal, then they'll HAVE to give you the place" starts.

YANBU, I get irrationally angry about this too

and if I hear "hun" one more fecking time irrationally angry

I agree hun

Yanbu. It's advice which could make the situation even worse for those who are already in a tough position.

yanbu. The problem is I know a couple of people who only put one choice and got it, which is just luck. but they think it's because they beat the system .

I just shrug and let them get on with it.

If you're daft enough to accept advice from a stranger on the internet then you can't expect everything to turn out ok...oh wait..!

Seriously though, it's one thing to ask advice but a sensible person will back that up from other sources.

On the other end of the scale there are people who got their first choice posting "Whoop whoop, I got my first choice". Very sympathetic!

I only put one choice for junior school but that was because there is no other junior school within the area, there are primaries but you aren't allowed to list those. Had dd not got into our juniors I would have approached the primary schools.

I also like the notion the you go to your Local school and be done with it. I went to an out of catchment school and it was horrible as all my school friends played with each other after school and weekends but I was over the other side of town.

Tiggy "Just list the same school 4 times - then the council will know you are serious" actually made me snort while laughing! That's the first time I have heard that one.

Yanbu.

Think I may be on the same FB group... I have been sitting on my hands stopping myself from responding.

Mrsk don't out me

Maybe I've been naïve, but I'm shocked by what people have posted.

I had 2 DC in out of catchment school and still put 3 schools for DC3, One dc in in academy a 3 min walk away and i still put 2 other seniors down, i would rather have had my second choice than be allocated a one tbh, wouldn't have been the end of the world

Whilst I agree in principle OP, it's fucking horrible not to get into your closest school.

I am already anxious ds is on 2.5 as where I live it's notoriously difficult to get into the school closet to me. I'm not even sure we'll get into the nursery!!!

Other school close by is CofE so we won't get a place there. There are two more I'd pick, but I think I'm out of the catchment area?

It's dog eat dog and although misinformed I guess some parents feel the need to 'do' something even if nothing can be done.

My friend's dd goes to a nursery (attached to school) and 28 out of 30 kids are siblings. You can understand why people feel the need to try and beat the system even though it makes no difference

...sometimes one of the foot-stamping, tactical form-fillers DOES get a place at the school they want.

YES! So annoying. Our nearest secondary is very undersubscribed due to really bad press in recent years.
DD goes there but DS1 wanted to go to another smaller, over-subscribed school.
Loads of his friends parents said we should only put down the over-subscribed school as they were only putting the under-subscribed school to be sure of getting in.
I said until I was blue in the face it didn't work like that. It says on the bloody form it doesn't work like that but they didn't believe me. Unfortunately DS didn't get in to our first choice (we always knew it was a long shot) but all the parents are so smug and we told you so as they believe it's because we put a second choice.

I don't think the problem is so much when the information makes no difference, totality, it's when following it actually disadvantages you. Only putting one school down, for example, or rejecting the place you have been offered.