Primary school application help- I don't know what to do!

[billiegoat]

Can I ask your opinion on school application and what would you do - mumsnetters are so wise!

DH has ruled out one of our local schools, (the local catholic one) didn’t like it, that’s the only one I really liked in our catchment, the other one in catchment wasn’t awful but it felt very big and overwhelming and chaotic, it wouldn’t be the end of the world and it is a good school but we definitely have preferences ahead of it.

Both the schools we both like are in villages about 3 miles from us. They both have long wait lists each year and last year the last child offered a place lived much closer than we do which makes me feel like they’re wasted choices. They are both faith schools and we are not religious so that puts us further down the list.

The other we like is a town school about 2 miles from us but the last space offered last year was a sibling space and again they have a long wait list each year.

There are other schools the other side of our town that are good, and they don’t tend to have wait lists so we would potentially stand a chance with them if we viewed but it’s such a drive across town every day and means our child would potentially go off to secondary school alone. I haven’t viewed any of them and don’t have much time left.

Do you think we should just put our current top 3 and hope for the best and worst case scenario we get none of them and get offered our local catchment school (or would they potentially allocate us another completely random school?!)

We are lucky in that probably 80% of schools around us are 'Good' so I don't think it's going to be horrendous whatever happens, but I don't want to waste my choices.

I don’t know what to do 😫

If you are satisfied with local school, put it third.

If you genuinely prefer other schools... put them 1&2. Burth rates are falling in lots of areas. Do try a practice drive at 8am though. I had a 2 mile drive for a couple of years that could between 7mins and 45 minutes depending on time!

How do you see if a school is over and under subscribed every year?

Councils publish the data for admissions on their website.

A 4 form primary will have 4 times as much funding and benefit from economies of scale...so in essence more £ for your child.

Slightly hyperbolic, but a village school can be very cliquey...if you have the son who doesn’t play football, or the daughter who doesn't dance. The "oh, you're not in the village" comments are there.

As they get older, your DC will not have the same "village school" experience as they will not becable to walk home via the park/village shop. They will not be able to call round to go down to the rec with friends as easily. You would not necessarily be "outside" the village school life...but a strong enough possibility.

Big schools..more friendship options. More lunchtime/after school club options. More resources. More money.

I would put the village schools as first and second, every year is different and you may have a small chance if getting in. Mine go to a village school which in my oldest year only took from the village, but my youngest was a low birth year and about a third come from at least 2 miles away.

In our village there is no cliqueyness against those who live outside, my daughters best friend lives 3 miles away. Yes you will likely need to travel to the village for play dates, birthday parties etc, but as long as you are happy being a taxi then there won't be any issue.

And then a guaranteed catchment school third, so you don't have to battle across town if you don't get into top 2.

I wouldn’t judge it based on kids without jumpers and a fall in the playground. Listen to other parents and go back if you think you need to. Local friends is definitely a factor to consider.

A fully subscribed 1 form school will have 30 children and one teacher (plus any support staff), a fully subscribed 3 form school will have 90 children and 3 teachers (plus any support staff). The ratio of adults to wrangle kids into coats etc doesn't change with the size of the school.

Referring to the last paragraph, yes. Absolutely.

As you describe your catchment school as goof, with a good reputation, then it is quite likely that it will fill up with families who lost it as a preference on the form

Its not like Scotland, where of your placing request is denied, you get your catchment school (not least because so many parts of England don’t have catchments at all - it’s all done by sibling/distance)

So what you need to do it work out which schools near you are regularly undersubscribed. The closest of those is the one you are most likely to get. Are you OK with it and the journey to it?

I’d list the two village schools you like (hoping for demographic trend to work in your favour - which it might, though specific localities might not match national trend) plus your catchment school. And stop looking at (and falling for) schools which you stand no chance bar miracle of getting an offer from.

Are you sure that the village faith schools have faith as a criteria? Some do, some don't. Do definitely put the catchment school down but put it last if it is your least favourite.

Don't just assume you will be given your local school it needs to go on the list. Other people are doing what you are doing - putting down a school they are hoping to get and this could be your local school and you will be pushed out.
It might be different where you live but where we live it was not well known you could write the list of schools before closing deadline - and while you could not add any new ones to the list there is a Jan deadline where you can change the order of the schools. Ask your council if you have this option so might give you a bit more time to think about the order / visit schools.

Have also to think of the school run - seven years at least especially if there are younger children.
Could you face that every day in traffic.
At secondary level DH and I argued about second choice school - my preference was fairly local and easily reached by public transport his was in the next town which would be a train and a bus (he needed the car for work).
I said if DC went to that school then he would have to do the school run which he willingly agreed to - I can drop off on the way to work. Yes but what about picking up at 3:30.

Put them down in preference order- not based on your assumption about most / least likely to get a place.

Why? Because they stop looking at your list once they allocate your child a place. You will also be automatically placed on the waiting list of any schools that were higher on your list than the one you have been allocated.

Eg. You have schools listed 1-5. You are allocated school 3. You are automatically placed on waiting list for 1 and 2. You aren't automatically placed on waiting list for 4 and 5.

Slightly off topic - my kids went to small local independent primary, 20 intake - my own kids would still run about in v cold weather , rain, snow whatever in shirts and t shirts, no coats. Teachers gave up asking as kids hate them. Not something I Dan get stressed over , they’re not out long enough to matter and now they’re grown up now harm was done 😀

But why apply to faith schools when they are not religious?

mine went to a catholic faith school and we are not catholic or religious. It was a great school, welcoming, respectful, taught great values in general and had good educational outcomes. They’re not sat in prayer everyday !

If I had my time again, I would opt for a 2 form entry school. More choice of friends for kids.

I thought they’d stopped the sibling thing a few years ago? I know where I live (there are about 7 primary schools within a 3/4 mile radius!) you don’t automatically get a place anymore if you already have a child there. I chose my son’s school by working backwards… each primary is a “feeder” school to the high schools. I decided which high school I preferred and put the schools down that were feeders for it. Got my first choice as well.

I thought they’d stopped the sibling thing a few years ago?

Admission policies are set locally and still prioritise siblings in a lot of cases, they certainly do in my area.

I agree, I think 2 form entry is the optimum, 3 form ok but not ideal and 4 form definitely too big. A wider range of friends, teachers, clubs etc than a 1 form, with the potential to swop children between classes if the dynamics need this. But not so big that they get lost in the crowd

Birth rate is seriously declining. Most schools in our area in Nursery and Receptikn still have a few spaces. Some of these schools usually have waiting lists and have been historically difficult to get into.
However, having local friends for your child would be really helpful and supportive for transition to secondary school.

Personally I would put the two schools that you actually like and the catchment school as the third choice to avoid being allocated a random out of area school. I am surprised that the schools are over applied for, the majority of primary schools local to me are struggling for numbers and some being asked to reduce their PAN as there aren't enough children to fill the spaces.

Put the schools you (you and DH) genuinely like in the top places.

Put a local school you are likely to get a place in (based on previous years' admissions) in last place as a fallback option.
Otherwise you run the risk of being assigned any old school that you like even less and is miles away.

Assuming these are 4-11 schools, remember you need to look through the lens of this being a school that your child will need to be catered for, for the next 7 years. Not just one that you see your current 3/4 year old in.

When all the schools are oversubscribed in your catchment area - it’s not really a decision you just have to out down your nearest schools in order and hope for the best.

We didn’t even view any of the schools for this reason, seemed pointless knowing we didn’t have a real choice and if we had our sets on a particular one - it would just be a massive disappointment

Agree with PP that choice 3 (assuming you get 3 choices) needs to be one you have a realistic chance of getting into - sounds like that's your catchment school.

Then decide between the 2 x village schools and 1 x town school which are your top two and put them in choices 1 & 2.

If you get offered the catchment school and are still not keen, you can go on the waiting lists for 1 & 2 plus the other one you weeded out at shortlist stage.

If you still don't get a place at any of the schools you prefer, you were always going to end up with the catchment school, so at least it's close by and you know lots of people who go there!