Secondary school applications - how to improve chances of getting school you want

[TeenTimesTwo]

AIBU to point out that out ways to improve chances of getting the school you want?

1. Apply on time, using your own address by 31 Oct
2. Put the school you really want top

That's it.

Then fill up the form with other schools you like or could put up with, ensuring there is at least one school you are as guaranteed as you can be that you will get in.

Things that won't help:

• only listing one school
• listing the same school multiple times
• only listing outstanding schools you have no hope of getting into.

Other things you could have done or have been luck on that would have given you more options but are too late now:

• find religion / meet religious criteria even if you don't believe
• be rich / well off enough to pay for private (flying pigs)
• move house
• have a clever child (a bit hard to guarantee)

Do not lie. It isn't a victimless issue. It is depriving a child who according to the rules should get a place over yours. Plus councils are getting much better at spotting things.

Yes, now when there are still a couple if days to go, is the time to triple check that everything has submitted properly, you have screenshotted any key pages, and have kept a note of all reference numbers.

Also have you done any SIFs that might be needed, and submitted all required evidence (usually proof of address and DC's age, but also supporting docs as required for social/medical need category etc).

I have the shit memory in this house. That's why I applied on 1st September. One ticked off the to-do list.

One word if advice I will give althiugh not so much about getting the one you want as much as it is abiut perhaps looking into the ordering.

Check/call the local transport service

Round here the bus companies all changed just before the beginning if the school year. Meant increased costs in some circumstances. Also meant that instead of one ticket you had to buy two because of the service to the bus station and the service to the school being different service providers. Also some routes were changed.

Some previously 1 bus journies became 2 bus journies.

Worth looking into when deciding the order of your choices.

OP I agree .

Every year without fail when places come out for both primary and secondary admissions there are people hysterical on the local Facebook groups that it didn’t pan out how they expected. Which would have been completely avoidable had they simply read the admissions brochure.

Oh and if all the choices are shit. Go with the one that's easiest to get to and shit. Use the money you save on bus fares for tutors

like your style giles.

we have only two options available to us. catchment school and siblings school.

when we applied 2 years ago for said sibling, we had catchment, 0.5mile outstanding, faith school, further away okish school, gulag school (it was horrid)

in the end we only qualified for one on the list, as the distances shrunk considerably that year and have shrunk again.

Clock is ticking.
Are you sure you actually pressed submit, and didn't think 'I'll do it later'?

Pressed submit, swapped first two round, pressed submit again, got 2 confirmation emails. We're good. Hurry up offer day!

This advice is only for England and Wales though? If you are anywhere else in the UK, you need to check the advice for your area as it may be different.

Absolutely. England & Wales only.

Scotland & NI (and the rest of the world) have their own systems.

Just your op doesn't say that

Agree, I should have mentioned England & Wales.

When do we get the confirmation? Is it March?

We've put our catchment school as first choice so if we don't get it then there will be a lot of people who live out of catchment missing out too. I think we can be pretty certain which does make the wait easier. We did put 2 other schools though. I'm a bit of a rule follower 

I've got a top tip - spell dcs name right on the form!
A mate applied and missed a letter out of the name (so Thompsn not Thompson) and got a, letter on offer day allocating a space to James Thompson at the worst rated school in town (as they figured he hadn't applied) ... The letter offering James Thompsn a space at the chosen school arrived the next day - phew!

m0ther Offers day is 1st March 2019.

The rule on offers day is accept whatever school you have been given, even if your initial reaction is over my dead body . Then make sure you are on wait lists, consider whether you have grounds for appeal etc.

Just giving this a little bump, as it's Deadline Day

Why would they allocate a school to a child that hasn’t applied? There are lots of children (parents) who don’t apply for one reason or another and I’ve never heard of any of them being allocated a school

Just made me double check my email from the admissions office. All done.
We only put one school down, but it’s the only non-selective in our town with plenty of space.

The silver lining of having a child with an EHCP - school admission dealt with over the phone directly with the LA, no need to complete application process.

Definitely good for current Y5 parents to get familiar with their LA admission policies and our LA also tells you which categories of admissions got places (and how far away the last placed child lived) for all over subscribed schools in our area. Very helpful to see if you have any sort of hope or not!

Our LA also prioritises new pupils over siblings in catchment and the same out of catchment, which is also useful to know. It has recently changed in our area so definitely worth checking current admission criteria if you have older children in school.

We will also be putting a local catchment school as our 3rd choice because otherwise we could be left with a place at a school DD can't easily get to. If she's going to end up in a less than ideal school, it's more convenient if it's close to home!

As we only qualify for any of our choices by catchment, and we're slap bang in the middle of the catchment for our first choice, we'll probably get offered that. It's an 8 minute walk!

Done! Made 6 choices. Living in a really competitive area of Birmingham wanted to have all bases covered so DD gets into a school we'd like rather than leave it to chance and she gets into a school we would never choose.

Maybe it's been said before here, but if you don't get your first choice, accept the second choice within the time frame and go on waiting list for first choice ASAP. Check criteria as to how to put your child's name on the waiting list for 1st choice. Call regularly to check that said child is still on the list. Be patient - there is loads of movement during the first few months. Don't buy uniform until the last minute!!!

4.5 hours until deadline...

Look at this stress caused by Birmingham City council - apparently their phones lines were very busy today because of this mess up!
mobile.twitter.com/BhamCityCouncil/status/1057576082361253888