Aibu to think parents need to be more sensible when applying for school places

[WorkingBling]

Obviously, applying is stressful ans there are lots of reasons to be genuinely concerned. But today i have been biting my tongue all day.

1. The whatsapp group of existing families at a school terrified their second child wont get in (we have a siblings policy and on average, 50-60% of new children are siblings).

2 the woman i got chatting to whose first, second ans third choice schools are ALL way outside of the all previous years' catchment zones. She is very very upset she got her 4th choice. But what did she think would happen?!

Dont get me wrong, i am sympathetic to the overall issue of worrying about school places. When applying for ds we were on edge of the catchment zone from previous years so i knew a few extra applications could easily mean we would not get a place at preferred school. But at least our choice was within accepted catchment area (around here primary school zones vary from about 0.4 miles to 1 mile). I just dont understand why people dont read the guidelines correctly, giving themselves so much unnecessary stress.

Bloody hell some parents are converting to catholicism to get their kids into a faith school?!! Think I’d eager become a web cam girl and go private 🤪

The system in England is a bit messed up. Whilst it used to be everyone locally knew the good schools, Ofsted reinforces and publicises that. If good schools could expand to take more children that would leave dwindling failing schools but children would still end up there getting a teerible education. Meantime people who can move home to get a good school.
Local Authorities can't open new schools so you end up at the mercy of academies and free schools who don't have to target a need. The LA has to allow home building but can't force school places in the same place. They can see the problem coming but can do nothing.
And then a lot of parents just don't understand the admissions process.
Having said all that, the primary allocations for my dc went smoothly but I was a bit jittery just before the day just because it mattered.

Spartacus - that sounds awful and I agree people can be real sheep. Unfortunately in our case the junior school is truly awful and completely deserves it's poor OFSTED rating. I know, my children went there! At first I thought it was good but DS2 has SN. They insisted he was just naughty (you know for not making eye contact, covering his ears during whole school singing and performing below expected levels). Turns out this is how they are about SN generally and explains why they have very low numbers of children with SN. Thats not the half of it either...They bring down the feeder Infants hugely which is a shame because it's actually lovely.

I can't actually blame parents for not wanting to touch the school with a barge pole. However to think that putting your child into the pre-school of an oversubscribed primary you are way out of catchment for secures a place for them in the school is ridiculous.

The fact that there are clearly many schools failing, often behind closed doors because they can fill out the paperwork and manipulate OFSTED is a fundamental flaw in the system itself.

We moved church to get ds into the choice of school we wanted. (Were already religious and church attendees and was same denomination). Best thing that we ever did though.

Im glad it isnt just me who finds it astonishing that people dont read the instructions. Obviously, issues about quality etc are all valid. But ther needs to be better understanding of genuine issues vs made up ones because parents arent paying attention.

if it's 2.6 miles then County council will have to pay transport

OP appeal appeal appeal