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

[seamstressmummy]

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!

Just bumping this thread as it is important.

2 weeks to go!

My sister only put once choice because she didn't have any other they gave her a school across town dispite telling her just putting once choice won't force there hand

bumping this thread just for kicking my arse into gear. have submitted DD's preferences and i've realised now what a mess i had made the first time around. good luck everyone!

kohl really???

That's awful! Those poor kids. What are the parents thinking?

most of the time it is genuine (they think having an older sibling means they don't need to apply, or being in catchment means they don't need to apply).

I am so shocked some people really think it's that simple!

Bumping.

I got really panicky about this with dd1. We were told to list all schools in catchment to stand a chance of getting a local school. There's only one bloody school in our catchment. Nearest in county is 8 miles and nearest out of county is 6. So dh and I discussed it. Ruled out nearest in county as not practical travelling wise. Ruled out out of county school as it had more applications than places. I did write in social reasons that it was our nearest school etc.

When ds1's application was due in, we luckily had sibling priority as the school had more applications than places. But did take on extra dc.

Am bricking it again this year at its dts turn. Both ds1's year and the year which followed were large intakes compared to previous. Going by preschool numbers it looks like there may be a huge drop this year. But it is still worrying. What do you do if there is no reasonably near 2nd/3rd choice school because you live in the arse end of nowhere?

Late to the thread but my issue is that we only have two primaries in the town I live (and only one of those is non denominational). My 3 choices aren't really 3 choices if I'm putting down a school in the next town, more than 2 miles away to a C of E school, to which I'd never send dc1. It's a bit daft isn't it??

I understand that in bigger towns/cities where there are lots of primaries within a short distance the choice of 3 makes sense but what are those of you with just 1 or 2 schools within a 2 mile radius doing?

I live in a village with only one school. Next nearest school is slightly over 2 miles away. I put down the village school, the next nearest school, and then a school further out (4th or 5th nearest) on the grounds that I really didn't want to send DC to the third nearest school.

So using all 3 choices despite the village school being the only one that's easy to get to and the only one I wanted.

For our village school, the waiting list for reception for the September 2015 intake hasn't moved at all since the waiting list was compiled following school allocations in April.

That's probably due to the combination of it being the only school in the village, and the local population being pretty stationary.

Thanks for the advice! I shall get onto it this evening

Thanks all. I filled out the admissions site in September but need to go through again with DH and make absolutely sure that we're happy with it.

A lot of people (especially on here) say they will just go on the waiting list, but it seems such a long shot. There has been no change in my DC's year group.

(I know because I get daily updates of everything )

Luckily we will still get sibling priority (after LAC) as our two eldest are still at the school. But they don't make it easy for anyone do they. Having double checked, our nearest in county was also oversubscribed last year. Probably because they've gone from failing to outstanding over the course of a few years, had money thrown at them etc.

Will discuss again with dh as I've learnt another local village school has recently closed, with parents wanting their dc to come to our school as its nearest but not in county. Otherwise they would be bussed right past our school to get to their nearest in county (odd shaped catchment areas) I appreciate travelling won't be a concern for LA when allocating spaces. But oh it was so much easier when it was a case of if you live one side of the river you went to X school and Y if you were the other.

Could please someone advise me (again)?
I've spoken to my council's admission people on the phone but in one thing I'm not sure.(going to call them again)
My (only) local will be first choice even when she won't get in. Next choice is the next village where she has hopefully more chance (and confirmed school bus-essential as I don't drive and no one else could be responsible to ferry her. It's 2 miles away)
But there are 2 schools in the neighbouring borough (1.65miles) and they are a bit closer than my 2nd choice. There is no bus to any of those 2 schools from where I live. I haven't spoken to them yet about possible school transport but my question is that do I have to put those 2 schools down as well even if they can offer no school bus? But even if they do, it would be a right pain to get to school for me in possible emergency situations, would have to call a taxi each time. Oh and one of them is a catholic one, which would be fine but they will prefer religious children obviously.

I'm in a disadvantaged position (can't drive, no family/reliable friends nearby, partner leaves long before 8 am for work) Could they "make" us to walk to school even if it's an hour each way at least? Would they care? Tbh I've walked a few times to a school exactly 2 miles away and took me an hour.(when non pregnant)
With dd it would take 1.5 hours. Will have a small baby by then, just to make the situation better. There is no way I could do this 4 times a day, 5 times a week, especially dd on the way back.
(all schools are horribly over subscribed in the area, feel like she will be lucky to get in anywhere grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..)
Thanks in advance.

A child under 8 can be expected to walk 2 miles under the government's guidance, unless there was no safe walking route.

www.gov.uk/free-school-transport

An adult normally should manage to walk 3-4mph, so a walk of 2 miles might be expected to take 30-40 minutes, rather than an hour. With a reception aged child, they might find it easier being on a buggy board or scooter, although my DS was able to walk the mile home from school in 20 minutes (with my baby and toddler in the pushchair).

Your other option (assuming DD is over 5 so she has to be in education) is to home educate while you wait for a space at a more local space. You don't have to put anywhere down that you don't want, but that might mean not getting a space anywhere close by.

1.5h is at least three times longer than I'd expect for 2 miles, ursuslemonade unless you or dd have mobility issues? 2 miles is the cut-off for free transport, but only if you didn't chose the school, ie it wasn't on your form. If you did put it on your form you will have to organise transport yourself or walk.