Primary admissions

[untiedairlines]

I don’t know what to do

We live equidistant between 2 schools that are very good.

After Looked After Children, they both take churchgoers as a priority. Percentages vary between 5-10% over last 5 years. No way to check this for this year.

Then it’s siblings. Percentages from 15-80% over last 5 years. No way to check this for this year.

Then it’s proximity. The distance charts made available by the schools don’t remove the children admitted under church or sibling rules so there’s no way to meaningfully check this.

I like both schools. Hard to tell this year because no tours. Friends with children at both have given good reviews.

Both are ++oversubscribed but the data says that families putting A as first choice never get into B even if as second and vice verses.

It’s literally a gamble. How can I choose?

Do you have other schools closer?

No. These are the closest 2. Schools 3,4,5 haven’t admitted anyone from my road for the last 5 years. School 6 has been in and out of special measures for a long time.

The order of schools is irrelevant just put them in order of preference. If school A is oversubscribed and school B isn’t you will still get a place at school B even if you put school B second.

Sounds very competitive. I would assume you would get into the second choice if first was full. Maybe call the head teacher and have a chat see what they think. They will have a rough idea on siblings entry and your location I would think. But if you have 2 good schools close to you I would hope you got into one of them

Or get your child baptized if that might help

If they put A as first choice and get it then they wouldn’t get B because they got their first choice, and vice versa

The schools don’t know where you rank them. Your ranking ONLY matters if you would be eligible for more than one school. You don’t get offered more than one place, so you’ll be offered the place at the one you ranked highest of those you’re eligible for.

Both are ++oversubscribed but the data says that families putting A as first choice never get into B even if as second and vice verses.

I don't know how you think you have worked this out, but it isn't how school admissions work.

The applications for each school, irrespective of whether you have put the school 1st or 6th on your application form, are ranked in order of how the applicant meets the criteria. They then allocate based on your preference - giving you the highest preference that you qualify for. They won't give a place at your second preference school to someone who qualifies less than you, but put the school down as their first preference, in favour of giving you that place if you need it because you didn't get your first preference.

Schools sometimes say things like "if you want a place at our school, you must put us as your first choice". That's misleading. What they mean is "if you want a place at our school, in preference to any other, you must put us down as your first choice". But that's probably more of an issue where schools are undersubscribed and competing for pupils.

@baubll I think it's a bit late to get the child baptised now, most schools will ask for consistent attendance at church for a considerable period of time to be considered as "churchgoers"

@NellePorter yes your right. Our local religious schools required a baptism certificate rather than having to be a church goer, but definitely too late for this year admission.

They don't choose by your order of preference, so if you apply for 3 and make it to the criteria for. 2 they then see which is. Your pref and the space in the other one goes back to the pot for the next child meeting criteria.

I was sure the schools got to see preference order. Why do they publish the number of first preferences?

@untiedairlines no they definitely don’t see it, they publish it so you know how many parents got the school of choice.

They as in the LA not the school.

The schools don’t even get to choose who gets in - it’s all don’t by the local authority!

The local authorities decide school places, the schools don't get a say.

I rank admissions for a group of schools. We don't know who has put us as 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th preference but we know how many of each preference we receive so we can make planning decisions for staffing structures. We treat every application the same and rank them according to oversubscription criteria and then sub ranked by distance.

Schools can see how many applications they have that are top preference. Or the one I’m a governor for can anyway so I presume all those in our LEA can. That said, schools don’t have any choice over which child is allocated to them, so whilst they can see how many e.g. if they’re oversubscribed or not, it’s pointless data really because they can’t do anything with it.

Somewhere on the list stick a banker you’d be happy with.

I honestly think the church thing is a red herring. Concentrate on the siblings. Ask your friends if there is likely to be a big sibling intake in your year .

The church thing - my kids attend an over subscribed C of E school that claims church attendance as a factor, literally no parents have ever been asked about this. In another scenario my friend moved house to ensure she got in a catchment for a good school as she was worried she wouldn't get in to nearby church school. Put church school as second choice and ended up with that instead of the one she moved to be near!

Church schools do their own admissions, not the LEA.

Hi I wonder if anyone can help me. I have moved recently and thought I'd move my children to the school closer to our home. My daughter is 11 year 6 and son is 7 year 3.
My daughter got accepted and left her old school on 05/10/21 and started new school 06/10/21 but she hates it. Misses her old school. She misses her friends as she had been there since nursery. I have never seen her that upset.
I asked the old headteacher on the 07/10/21 if I could bring her back to the old school and was told her space is still available and I have to reapply through school admissions.
Just wanted to know what are the chances of her going back to old school?

Also I applied for my son at the same school as he has a ehc plan and he got accepted but his start date isn't till 01/11/21
Would I be able to withdraw my application for him too. As he is in the routine and if I was going to change his school it would upset him.
So basically I would like my children to stay at the old school.
Anyone help please all advice will be appreciated as I am a worrier and its been constantly on my mind thanks

If their is dpace when you apply they will give it to your dd, so you should do that right away before someone who lives closer to the school applies.

For your ds it's even easier - just withdraw your application

This is why people indulge in faking religion. But be warned, many churches are wise to it and demand a year's attendance or more. No quick Sunday visit.

A child's religion shouldn't be cause for discrimination from their local schools, but that's the British way. Vile, but the sharp elbowed defend it. "On their knees to avoid the fees."

Here the church schools take 100% churchgoers because they've played the game for years. They haven't taken non-religious applicant in 12 years. That means my 4 nearest schools were denied to my kids. The only non-church school had to get special permission to take extra students.

Campaigning is ongoing, but the church know if they lose their stranglehold on schools their congregations (which now resemble noisy nurseries) will shrink even more and they'll lose their last relevancy.

Thanks for yr reply I applied on Thursday 07/10 so they should have received it on Friday fingers crossed she gets her space back.
And my sons I hope they withdraw the application as I called them on Thursday too and she said as we are employing someone for him as he has 1 to 1 it might be difficult but surely I should have the right to where my children go.

Go see school 6. You might be. Pleasantly surprised. My kids go to a school whose last foster was RI - that was 7 or so years ago. If ousted came today then it would be at least good with outstanding features - if not outstanding.