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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To tell you to read this thread if your DC starts school in Sept!

244 replies

seamstressmummy · 19/12/2015 19:13

This thread saved my skin last year, so I am paying back the karma.

15th January seems to be the closing date again.

  • remember it is preferences, not choices
  • they do not HAVE to give you one of the schools on your list
  • make sure you have a dead cert banker in there!
OP posts:
lostInTheWash · 23/12/2015 14:50

People were shocked to find out that half a street maybe in catchment but the other half not or that they could miss out on a place by a few meters.

We checked the primary school catchment area with the primary school - did it twice once by e-mail and once by going in and asking directly and being given a map - in question and were assured this one road was all in their catchment boundary.

We were house buying anyway but eldest was getting close to school age so it was a major factor in house selection.

Council dealt with schools admissions applications - as it happens the offer we made on a house down that road which was full prince and no chain our end was rejected- found out later they only took other side of road as in catchment.

Would probably have got eldest in on distance and younger to on sibling rules but would have been stressful with youngest at least.

This time we were close to secondary applications refused to look at houses near edge of the boundaries to catchments just to make sure we get the a place at a decent secondary.

Naty1 · 23/12/2015 15:15

Starting to feel annoyed at the process.
2014 the last distance was a mile
2015 0.3 mile
The council have said my third choice is 15 intake even though they did an exception last yr.
Seems pointless picking what you want, illusion of choice as there is no way i could expect to get into second choice as its 10min walk but what if its a better fit?

Concerned too as 1st choice school has recently doubled in size so therefore many more siblings..
And you dont get any info so like being blindfolded.
Dont want to waste a choice on something i have no chance of.

Original poster
seamstressmummy · 23/12/2015 17:14

Maybe if you list all of the schools and the distances Naty, people can help you?

So School 1 admitted up to 0.3mile last year- how far are you away from it?

School 2 is 10 minute walk, and you think they won't get in?

And the council said School 3 is only taking 15?

OP posts:
SouthWesterlyWinds · 23/12/2015 17:18

May I just gently remind people to submit rather than save their online applications as I have made that mistake this year and have done a printed application sent via recorded delivery. Basically I haven't been sent a unique ID so had to use council info and now the entire system doesn't accept passwords for a vast number of people. I have emailed a paper trail and they have received it but it's still the uncertainty of it all.

GladysTheGolem · 23/12/2015 17:29

Thanks for the thread.
We can have upto 6 but have gone for 4, there's only one really shit school in our Borough, so fingers crossed, we've gone for;

  1. Our CoE school (we go to the church and live in catchment, although it's usually full of siblings)
  2. School going through transition
  3. Shoddy banker school I can spit at from home.
  4. Really good school in opposite direction from nursery that the younger two will/are attending.
Jesabel · 23/12/2015 17:32

Is there one that you will definitely get Gladys?

Indantherene · 23/12/2015 17:44

We live very near the border with another council. People live in the much cheaper area the other side of the border but distance meant they got into the over subscribed primary in our LA.

So the rules changed for this September and an Area of Prime Responsibility was introduced for all 3 local schools.

People living across the border either didn't read the rules or assumed it didn’t apply to them as they had children already in the school. 15 of them went to the paper when their younger children were allocated places they didn't want in their own LA.

They appealed on the grounds that it wasn't fair /they didn't know, and not one won their appeal. What wasn't fair was children living in the LA losing out to children outside the area.

If there is an APR don't assume it doesn't mean you. That comes before a sibling link.

LoveActuary · 23/12/2015 18:26

Can I ask a question? About to send DC3 to school next Sept so really ought to know this by now! Blush

We live 3 miles from the border of another county. We live in one county,
DC1 and DC2 go to school in the neighbouring county. We are hopeful that DC3 will get in as a sibling (of two) but have also put another small primary school in the neighbouring county as second choice and would put DC3 on the waiting list.

I'm thinking - after rtft - that we should put our catchment school (same county as home address) as 3rd choice. (They tend to have different school holidays to the neighbouring county where my dc1 and dc2 attend, hence my hesitation).

But something I read on here made me think that we would be offered a place at a school in the same county as dc1 and dc2? Is that right?

Original poster
seamstressmummy · 23/12/2015 19:23

Not sure, but bumping for you!

But something I read on here made me think that we would be offered a place at a school in the same county as dc1 and dc2? Is that right?

I would worry that you would get a horrendously far away school in the same county. Surely it is better to put down one that you know that you will get into and can manage, logistics-wise?

OP posts:
internaldiscord · 23/12/2015 19:57

before i go to read the other thread, thank you thank you OP for this Flowers. i had such a horrid experience with DS's application (i eventually got him into a good school after receiving an anonymous letter) that i've actually been too scared to look at DD's form Blush

and thank you haddock your earlier explanation, most helpful Flowers

Maiyakat · 23/12/2015 20:12

The thing that baffles me is no-one tells you to apply. The council managed to send me information about 2 year funding, Sure Start activities that I didn't want to go to and various other random things, but school admissions I'm expected to just know... Surely the council or Health Visitors should write or visit and give some guidance? This is too important to assume people will go online and figure it out, because not everyone does.

internaldiscord · 23/12/2015 20:43

right, thanks to both threads i've set up my application online, and used schoolsfinder.direct.gov.uk to get exact distances for schools from my postcode. i've got three preferences, the first being a sibling one and the next two based on distance. i know this guarantees nothing but i think these are the most careful preferences i can specify. that leaves two... Blush

in terms of catchment area, does anyone know this works please?

tiggytape · 23/12/2015 23:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tiggytape · 23/12/2015 23:06

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MiaowTheCat · 23/12/2015 23:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Enjolrass · 24/12/2015 06:40

loveactuary you may need to call the council where your kids go.

I live on the boarder of councils. The kids go to school in a different council area to where we live.

Both councils here have a rule that if one of your children go to school in that council area, their are obliged to find a school for your other child. Because the two areas have. Different holidays and it would make it impossible to work, go on holiday etc.

It doesn't have to be the school you choose, if it has no space but they must offer you one in the area. We didn't find this out until the day of our appeal.

I don't know of if that is a country wide rule though.

Maiyakat in our area you are sent the application through the post and/or given them at nursery. We live in a different area to where our kids go, so our were sent in the post. If yours weren't it may be worth calling them.

Enjolrass · 24/12/2015 06:44

right, thanks to both threads i've set up my application online, and used http://schoolsfinder.direct.gov.ukk* to get exact distances for schools from my postcode

Just be aware that this website info may not match the councils.

On this website my house is half a mile closer than what the council said it was. Part of my appeal disputed that, I asked for what software they used, the council were very cagey. That half mile was the difference between us getting in and not getting in.

I submitted screenshots of the website at the appeal.

internaldiscord · 24/12/2015 07:00

oof Enjol this is exactly what i had to deal with for DS. my council used a map that didn't even have my street on it (new build that was at least 10 years old by then) and also expected us to climb over the fence at the bottom of the garden, jump a 5 metre drop into woodland to walk to the school they had allocated DS. and none of this convinced the appeal panel.

i'm going to call the admissions team tomorrow to confirm distances then, hopefully they will have forgotten my many many calls from DS round.

is it worth mentioning that not all guidance is printed out for you? my council has an additional 80 page document on their site with figures for last years school admissions, which helps me with the being realistic approach.

BondJayneBond · 24/12/2015 07:29

Maiyakat / Enjolrass You don't automatically get school application forms through the post where I live. I know some councils do this - my sister's did - but it's not a nationwide thing. My council will send the application forms out if you contact them and request one, but obviously that relies on the parent being aware that it's time to apply for a school place.

You don't automatically get any official information from the council at all about school applications. The council send out a free quarterly magazine about stuff happening in the county to all households, and last year, they didn't even put a reminder about school applications in that.
There were posters up about applying for schools at DS1's nursery and at the library. I suppose they assume that most parents will see a poster at nursery or when they're out and about. But it's easy to imagine that a few families will fall through the gaps and not realise they have to apply until after the deadline.

Enjolrass · 24/12/2015 11:08

i'm going to call the admissions team tomorrow

I don't think they are open tomorrow Wink

Enjolrass · 24/12/2015 11:09

bond I know that's why I said 'in my area', I was giving a suggestion that hers may do it, but it didn't arrive

internaldiscord · 24/12/2015 12:42

Enjol doh, drafted my post last night! rang them this morning and you're right, the distances are actually lower than those on the direct.gov site! thank you for that! Flowers

ursuslemonade · 24/12/2015 13:02

Could someone advise me please about admissions?
This will be my first application and also a foreigner so have no experience.
My dc have no chance of getting a place in the only local village primary as children with siblings get preference and there are not enough spaces available.Would be ideal as it's a walking distance...
I don't drive and the next closest one in the next village has a very awkward public transport link (bus would get there by 8.15 , is it normal/usual?)I'm thinking wtf will I do hanging outside the school for 45 mind with my baby in tow as well? And it costs about 30 quid a week.
Dp leaves for work at 7.30 the latest and I'll have a 3 month old by Sept.
Do school buses (council founded) exist? I know I have to call the council about this specific info and will do but I'm rather worried about the whole thing. Oh and we have no family/friends i could rely on drop offs, pick ups.
I appreciate any advice, thanks.

needmorespace · 24/12/2015 13:15

very risky not to put a back up school in second place even if you do live in 'catchment'. I have a friend who put only one school as she lived about five houses away (on the same side of the road) from her nearest primary school. her son did not get in - because she lived virtually next door to the nursery entrance and distances were calculated from the main entrance which was in a parallel street.
She did eventually get a place but it was very stressful.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 24/12/2015 13:20

Are you sure there is no chance at all of the village school? Do you know how many children it takes per year?

A before/after school club might solve the transport issues for the second school. A school further away with better transport links might also be an option.