AIBU to ask what you would do next year...secondary school nightmare admissions issue

[Postcardsfromstress]

Namechanged for this, for various reasons.

We've just learnt that 50 families a stone's throw from our two local schools didn't get secondary school places this year. The catchment is huge, not enough (good) schools. These two schools reneged on an extra bulge class, as they don't feel they have the communal facilities (toilets, corridors etc) to accommodate more children. They've said this is the case the coming academic year too - but hoping admission figures fall as of 23/24. Until then, there's every chance you'll be sent on a bus/es to not great schools quite far away.

This is going to affect us as we will apply to go for next September.

I feel like that's a lot of families locally who got affected, and there's every chance it could be us.

So, I need to be strategic and think about what we can do - if anything? Move? consider private? Sit back, let's see what's coming to us.

I guess my post is as much for thoughts about what other people would do...whilst I think on our strategy

I think I would move closer if its genuinely likely you may not get a place.

I'm already as close as you can get.

For secondary, within a catchment area, distance isn't relevant.

I'd go and look at the 'not great' schools to get a true picture of where my child might end up.

A bus ride wouldn't bother me though, that wouldn't even factor into my decision.

The application date is (as I'm sure you know) less than 8 months - so if you want to move house you should start looking now! Is private an option financially speaking? Are the schools your child may get really that bad (even if it was your 3rd or 4th choice)?

Move, I’m doing the same. I live just on the catchment line of a half decent school. For the last 10 years kids on my road have got into the school in all but 2 years, this year being one of them. It’s not worse the risk to your kids. If you can afford to, move. My house goes on the market this week. I love my house

If distance isn't relevant, how does the admissions policy distinguish between two children both within catchment?

@Postcardsfromstress

I'm already as close as you can get.

For secondary, within a catchment area, distance isn't relevant.

It does at some. You need to be within catchment and then it’s distance within that category. My school works this way and this year about 15 within catchment didn’t get in as they were the 15 furthest away. Double check the admissions policy to be extra sure.

What is the tie breaker they use to decide between people in catchment if not distance? Is it done on a lottery system, or something else? If it is basically just luck, you might get lucky.

Would private be a serious option as a back up?

Depends on the school. Distance is 5th in the oversubscription criteria of our local high school, so a long way down. For various reasons very few children got in this year under the distance criteria. So like for many I would guess, it is relevant but much less so.

I wonder if they have reneged on the bulge class as squeezing more into the same communal facilities isn't great while covid is causing problems

I would firstly try to speak to parents of children at the other schools to find out whether they are any good.

All these parents scrabbling doesn't make sense to me, when the biggest factor in child attainment is parental engagement.

I certainly wouldn't waste money on private school!

0. Choice is a myth, you express a preference
1. You need to understand the tiebreak within each criteria, it is almost always distance. So eg EHCP, (exLAC), catchment+distance, siblings+distance, others+distance.
2. When published you need to look at this (and last) year's admissions info and work out which schools you would have half a hope of getting into.
3. Make sure you have at least 1 school you have a good chance of getting in to, even if you think it is dire. Better a dire school on your doorstep than a dire one 60mins away.

If the only schools you can get in to a dire then move if you can, but this includes severing ties with existing house (normally that means selling, you can't just rent it out).

Remember that reputations of a school in a local area can often be 10 years out of date.

I didn't think catchment existed anymore?

Just several criteria (eg looked after child, maybe sibling at school) and distance is one of these criteria, but not number one.

Remember that reputations of a school in a local area can often be 10 years out of date.

This is very important.

Also in my area, the 'best' school is also widely reported to have a high bullying issue. I work in a big organisation with a lot of parents, the feedback from the 'best' school is really not great. But still they flock. We chose the 'not best' school and have had very happy outcomes.

Do your own, meaningful, research.

I am very close to both good schools. Really close to one. The problem is not my distance. The problem is the oversubscription to this school. Therefore, even though if it came to a tie breaker, I would win - it won't come to that - because there's such a huge number applying. If that makes sense

Mine has “children of staff” as one of the top options so a lot of people get work as an invigilator to push their child up the list.

Catchment does exist

I still don't understand. If there is a large number of people applying, how are the places allocated? I understand that it's different for different schools, but how does it work for the two schools you're talking about?

Whats the actual order of admission criteria?

We have just been through this. Lots of people very upset they didnt het their first choice high school as they are a couple of streets away. But their children didnt attend any of the feeders, and arent even baptised. Distance was category 8. It for to category 5 this year.

What are the admissions criteria?

OP. If there are too many kids 'in catchment' what is their deciding criteria? You really need to understand this (and to tell us).

It is usually distance.
It could be lottery.
I'm not sure what other options there are really.

Setting aside catchment, what are the criteria for admission?
Where in the UK are you as school admissions differ between some countries and some of us might be talking about England admissions.

@NotBabiesForLong

I didn't think catchment existed anymore?

Just several criteria (eg looked after child, maybe sibling at school) and distance is one of these criteria, but not number one.

Some areas (eg mine in Hants) have pre-defined 'priority admissions areas' (colloquially referred to as catchment). Some areas don't.

Some areas have official feeder primary schools giving priority.

Some schools prioritise siblings over catchment, some the other way around, some ignore siblings.

But all schools need to define how they separate applications from within the same priority group. It is normally distance.

That sounds very like Brighton, in which case I think there is a good chance it will resolve. There are currently a displaced 62 for V/DS that figure will go down over next few weeks. And then there may be pressure to take the remaining ones.

It is rubbish overall that catchments were never sorted when this happened 5/6 years ago; that the uni backed secondary was blocked; that there is such discrepancy across the eight secondaries.

Doodle So how do they differentiate within a criteria in Brighton? Lottery or distance or something else?

@Postcardsfromstress

I am very close to both good schools. Really close to one. The problem is not my distance. The problem is the oversubscription to this school. Therefore, even though if it came to a tie breaker, I would win - it won't come to that - because there's such a huge number applying. If that makes sense

That really doesn't make sense at all!

Many schools are oversubscribed. How do they decide who gets in? Distance is usually a major criterion (after LAC and school nominated due to SEN and siblings in catchment).