Catchment Area too far, ds1 already in nearest school, but no spaces left for ds2...what to do?

[welliesandpyjamas]

Will try and keep it brief...

DS1 is at School A, which is 0.9 miles away on foot, and which had a space immediately available for him when we returned to the UK a couple of years ago. But this isn't our Catchment school.

School B, our catchment school, due to the odd way this town is split up for schools, is just under 2 miles away on foot. They don't have any spaces left in DS1's year and are always oversubscribed, even with double intake.

DS2 starts reception in 2013 but have had him on School A's Nursery waiting list since he was born. I recently applied for him to get a Nursery space allocated for April 2012 start but was rejected because it is out of catchment. They are bursting at the seams. Such a shame because the two boys would have been able to be at the same site.

Without a doubt, given the problems with school spaces here, the same will happen when I apply for DS2's Reception space at School A...he will be rejected because of being out of catchment, despite it being the nearest school.

The key issue here is that we don't own a car. We walk to school every day (nice and healthy like the Education department wants us to be ). Were DS2 to be allocated a space at the already oversubscribed catchment School B instead of at the closer School A, the round journey to get both of them to school would be 7 miles on foot...and one of them would not be in school for 9am, of course. I did explain these circumstances in the nursery application but still got a rejection.

Has anyone been in similar circumstances? If so, what was the outcome? What on earth can I do? I've written, politely, to the Education dept asking what happens in these cases, but haven't ever been sent a reply. I guess they don't know the answer!

Just to clarify, I can't move DS1 to School B (catchment) because there are no spaces left in his year), so potentially they would be in different schools, each with a 9am start...half an hour's walk away from each other!

you can appeal, (not sure about nursery but definatly for reception) which the parents of a little girl in my daughters class had to do. But i have no knowledge of the process. (parents won!!)

Are you in England or Scotland? If England what is the exact admissions criteria for both schools? Is there any priority for siblings?

If the admissions criteria doesn't include siblings, I think you're in real trouble.

Nursery and School have different admissions systems, usually.
Do either of the schools have siblings as a priority admission criteria?

Firrestgump - that's encouraging! Was distance an issue for them?

In Wales, Mummytime, but don't know how different that makes it. Education is the assembly's responsibility.

The admissions criteria is

1. in catchment with sibling
2. in catchment, no sibling
3. out of catchment, with sibling
4. out of catchment, no sibling So we are third in the list :(

Siblings have a higher priority than those living close to the school in my area, i.e a sibling who lives 1 mile away from the school will get in before a non-sibling who lives next door. Unless the family has moved more than 2 miles away since the first child applied.

I think siblings are higher up than distance on the over-subscription criteria in most areas.

I'm guessing that catchment schools are usually the closest schools for most people?!

Thanks combineharvester. I don't think that's the case here, but I could always ask again. There's always a lot of fuss about catchment areas in the papers etc so I might have missed a change in priorities [hopeful]

X-posted sorry. We don't have catchment areas (you must be in a city?), everything goes by religion/sibling/distance if the school has too many applicants. Your situation is a nightmare, how can your catchment school be 2 fecking miles away? Can you find out last year's stats on how many got in on each criteria? (they are in the admissions booklet you get from our council).

Anyone on your street go to either school?

combine yes, a city with a very rapidly growing population. Ironically, if the catchment school was 0.1 miles further away, DS2 would be allowed free transport to school but I guess they considered that when deciding on catchment areas too . Good idea to ask for the stats. First to decipher the Education section of the council website (what a mess!).

indigobell No, no-one nearby. Two things affecting that. We're living in a very studenty area. Bleugh. And also, I'm talking about welsh medium schools, so they are taught through welsh, and there are fewer schools, compared to english medium schools.

Is moving an option?

What year will your DS1 be in when DS2 starts? Thinking that if DS1 gets into Reception of school B, you may be able to get a place for him in the same school on appeal (and infant class size won't apply if he is Y3 or older).

Other than that I think you have to use a child minder/before&after school club/share with other parents. Where I live the catchment infants and juniors are a mile apart so even sending your DC to catchment schools is a pain if you don't drive.

It look that bad, eh, blu?! well, as it happens, there is the chance we will be moving in the summer due to DH's job, and with any luck it'll be a long, long way from here It'd break my heart to move DS1 out of his school, as it so lovely and caring, and he is so very happy there, but we may have to. On the other hand, there's an equal chance we'll be staying here, and we're unlikely to be able to move in the short term.

No advice but could be in the same situation. DC are in one school but we have moved very slightly out of catchment though it is still our nearest school (like you our "catchment" school is not the nearest). DC's school is oversubscribed and siblings out of catchment are also 3rd on the list.

I approahed the council about it as the catchment school does not have spaces for DC. Basically they told me they could offer me a totally different school, not even walking distance for all 3 DC and that was their solution!! DC would have to change school and none of the kids would be close enopugh to walk and/or hang out with school friends after school.

We have applied to the same school for DD2 and if she gets offered catchment school we'll just have to have them in 2 different schools. It's logistically hard, but not as hard as them all at a school we have to drive to.

Admissions/catchments suck sometimes!!

Home school one of them till a place comes up? It is rumoured that is a strategy that will "open doors" for you- not officially but unofficially...

elvis sorry to hear you are in a similar situation. Sometimes there's just no logic to it, is there? I do understand the need for clear rules, but really wonder whether such rigidity is necessary when it comes to enabling children to attend school.

theas interesting approach...I think I would be too chicken to do it but I'd definitely drop it in to the mix if the Education dept every deign to get back to me

I would find out how lOng the waiting list for ds1's year is at catchment school is and what position on the waiting list he'd be based on your current address and get him on it now.

When is ds2's birthday month? If it's later in the school year then would keeping him at his pre-school/nursery until he turned 5 help buy some time?

If ds1 is in juniors when ds2 starts I'd be appealing for a school place at catchment school using the sibling reason and seeing how I went. A junior place is easier to appeal than a infants place as there are no class size laws governing ks2.

Your final option would be to pay for someone to do the school run for one of your boys. A local childminder who drives would cut down on the daily walking.