To expect DD to get into this high school?

[cricketmum84]

I'll try to keep this brief/
We live on a "naice" new housing estate on the edge of a not so nice area. I love the house, I love the views of fields and horses from all windows, I love my garden. I don't really want to move.

When it came to high school choices for DS (now yr 8) we put down a fantastic school as first choice. 6 miles away, different EA from where we live, outstanding Ofsted reports, rates as a "world class" school, the 3rd best high school in a very large city. Somehow (I have no idea how) he was allocated this school rather than the struggling high school 10 mins walk away. He is flourishing there and I am so proud of him. The travelling is no issue for him either.

Now - DD starts yr 5 in September and we are getting ever closer to choosing high schools for her. I desperately want to get her into the same school so she can have the same opportunities. AIBU to assume she will be granted a place because her brother is there? Or so we need to think about moving closer to boost her chances??

'AIBU to assume she will be granted a place because her brother is there?'

Yes, YABU and rather unwise to assume

What do the entrance criteria say? There is sibling priority only if it is written in the criteria.

Many secondaries don't, btw, as pupils would normally travel independently, so the need for a family to be together is less.

What does the admissions policy say? Is there a sibling priority policy? You would have to read the document to decide what your chances are, based on where you sit on the oversubscription criteria, and perhaps talk to the admissions secretary who will be able to give you a far better idea than any of us can!!

You really can't assume. My DCs were allocated different schools and we lived a lot closer than 6 miles away from the one we wanted. Your DD won't get in if they don't have space for her at the time.

Oh and their policy does have sibling priority, but it's third on the priority list.

OP, are you in England or Scotland (or indeed elsewhere)? You mention ‘high school’, which makes me think perhaps Scotland as that is the term that is used there.

I’d get this moved to the Higher Education section of the Education Talk section. There are proper admissions experts on there who will be able to help, but as the other PPs have pointed out, they will need more info, e.g. are you in the catchment area / is it a faith school (if so, do you practice that religion) / does the school operate sibling priority etc.

Good luck!

Chrck the admissions criteria, and ask the council/school about “last distance admitted” info for the last few years for some idea of the picture.

Ah I didn't think of the admissions policy! So I've just had a quick read and priority 1 is looked after children. 2 is children with SEN, 3 is children with siblings already at the academy, children who live closest to the academy isn't until priority 5. Do you reckon this would be ok then?

@CampariSpritz we are in England

I'm not an expert but I'd imagine you stand a good chance of getting in with those admissions criteria.

Yes you should be fine.

If you didn't' move to get your DS into the fab school, why would you move for your DD to get in there?

Sounds like you should be ok then, providing they're not oversubscribed by the time your DD is due to go.

If you didn't' move to get your DS into the fab school, why would you move for your DD to get in there?

There may be lots of new houses going up in the area which would have an impact. Or the school may have a specific provision that the OP thinks would benefit her DD. Or she just wants them both to go to the same school. They may be loads of reasons I guess.

This year, the admission policy here changed from 'children with siblings' to 'children with siblings, who live in catchment' so I wouldn't assume.

@lljkk for various reasons we weren't in a position to move when we were choosing DS school. We just had to put it as no 1 and cross our fingers. We are in a better position to move now but I love my house so don't really want to if we don't really have to?

It sounds very likely he will get a place based on the admissions criteria and the fact that your ds got in first without a sibling there so, presumably, on distance alone.
You could try contacting the admissions team at the relevant LEA (when I worked with ours about 11 years ago it's the sort of query they were able to discuss).

OP, there's not point asking us. You have access to the admissions policy so just read it. It says siblings get third priority, so she'll get a place. If that meant you had to live within a certain catchment it would say so. If you need further reassurance then just call the school and ask.

I'd be asking myself why I could live with the risk years ago but now it's intolerable.

@lljkk it wasn't a case of living with the risk, we had no choice and just weren't in a position to sell our house and move. In a way I wish we were renting cos it's so much easier to just up sticks and move. It's certainly not intolerable now I'm just worried that DD won't get the same opportunities that's all.

sounds like you live down the road from me! They built a new 'garden village' of huge detached boxes out of locals price range - the nearest school has just come out of special measures, the one down the road - different LEA, is outstanding and over subscribed - in our case you'd have no chance! Sorry

Join the PTA or become a parent governor etc, just integrate!

If sibling is above distance then you're fine! There won't even be a question about it. There's a similar situation where I work - that the school people want is in a different county - and if there's one sibling there the others get in automatically!