Selection criteria for secondary school

4 replies

mousiemousie · 02/03/2006 12:52

My dd goes to our closest primary school but we are just out of the catchment area. All her school friends will go on to the nearest secondary school but again we are just out of catchment.

Are you more likely to get a place at a secondary school if all your class mates go to the same school or is poor dd quite likely to lose all her friends and have to start again?

OP posts:

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 02/03/2006 12:59

Mousie - have a look at your council's website - the LEA have a criteria for allocation of places which is probably published there. If you are just outside catchment it will depend on the numbers in the area and whether the school is oversubscribed.

Jennypog · 02/03/2006 16:55

My daughter was in this situation and she didn't get into the school that all her friends were going to. However, she got into a really good school that was closer to our house. She was devastated, but I have to say that it was the best thing that could ever have happened to her.

She still has all her old friends and regularly sees them, chats with them on MSN, etc. She has also made a new set of very strong friendships. It was hard at first - but only for about a day or two.

Also, the school that her friends went to changed headteacher and went really downhill. People are desperate now not to send their kids there and are trying to get them into my daughter's school! It is surprising how much things change in such a short space of time.

We tried to appeal based on friendships, but the headteacher of the primary wouldn't support us and so we gave in and sent her to the allocated school - so glad that we did.

Original poster

mousiemousie · 03/03/2006 16:48

jENNYPOG - so pleased it all worked out well for your dd - it must have been a worry

OP posts:

joanna4 · 04/03/2006 19:08

Only 6 out of 30 went up to my sons school he too made a whole circle of new friends as well as staying in touch with some of his old mates it has worked very well.The school most went to is rubbish i wouldnt have sent mine there although it is our nearest school.The boundary just shifted a little thats all it takes if yoiu are on edge of an area you might just be ok.

Flip