Wow this is a huge projected sibling intake

[listsandbudgets]

Has anyone come across this before?

My friend has just bought a house (at huge expense) and moved into the catchment area of a school she really wants her DS to go to in September 2015. She went to visit today and has just rung me up in a panic saying that the head teacher has warned her that the projected sibling intake for September 2015 is 26 and that's before taking into account any children starting reception in September. The school only has 30 children per year group so friend now convinced she won't get her son in. I'm feeling rather sorry for her right now :(

Alibaba the school in our neighbouring village has a pan of 11.

Last year 4 places were taken up and there are 7 spaces. So a safe choice. .....

Except this year there are 8 siblings. So it's possible that people living within metres of the school won't get in.

It's been the reliable back up choice for the villages around here for years, but not this year!

Looking at last year's data means nothing. And for this school the data for the previous few years too.

Our actual village school had 15/30 siblings in September 2012, and was oversubscribed. September 2013 only 24 spaces were taken.

I really think schools should adopt a siblings in catchment area or within a certain distance criteria. One of our local primaries it's 1.5 k . London.. Prior to this people were moving miles/away and still getting siblings in. Same for statemented children. One of our local secondaries has siblings from miles out of the local area.
Not only does this disadvantage local children it increases the school run traffic. It is ridiculous when you can't get into the school next door

You can't always guess in advance about these things, no matter how carefully you read the admissions guidelines.

A few years back, the local 'safe bet' village school admitted two sets of triplets, in a single-form entry.

Basically, in London there aren't enough school places and the various estimates for the growth in pupil numbers over the next few years is scary.

Basically, every London parent who cares about this should be supporting every single Free School proposal that is at all workable, for all these children need schooling, and no more school sites should be sold off for housing (even if the vacating school has gone to another site - more are needed, and the association of London boroughs does not exclude any areas as unaffected by the pressure - as not that many sites are suitable for school).

OP: your poor friend will just have to sit it out and hope for the best (but look at alternatives). If there is huge pressure in the area, then bulge class might be something to hope for - or new school (even if some distance away) which might shift the pattern of applications just enough that the knock on effects ease the pressure on a number of schools.

When we moved house the schools and local authority were very tight lipped about catchment areas, probably for this reason. Firstly they said "we don't have catchment areas we have priority admission zones" (!) and then said very strongly that even if you moved into a priority admission zone it didn't guarantee a place, boundaries could shift etc.

Laura: that makes sense - come people use 'catchment' to mean admissions footprint (ie distance from school that offers are made, changing each year) and 'priority admissions zone' is often used instead. But maps of that should be readily available alongside all other application information.

But unless in Scotland, living in a priority admissions area may not be sufficient. If there are simply too many children living within it, then a tie-breaker (usually distance) will have to be used. And priority admissions areas can be changed, introduced or abandoned (following consultation).

Sounds like your friend mistakenly believed that the school had a 'catchment area' when most schools don't. It really pays to do thorough research befor moving for schools, had your friend visited the school earlier she could have found this out befor the move. Hopefully thee are other good schools in area.

Our local school has an intake of 120 children per year group. The year my daughter started in reception 90 of those places were taken up by siblings.

My friend lives well within the catchment area and her daughter didn't get a place until the start of January even though she was first on the waiting list after the initial allocations. She had to send her to a school in a different borough for a term.

The following year was a low birth date year and they accepted children well out of catchment.

2015 looks to be a huge year for intake.
DCs school normally has 18 ish children applying from the playschool. It has a class of 30 and normally about 40 people apply.
This year the playschool has 34 people who will be applying plus then the others who go to private nursery etcetc. I know about 25 siblings so unless you have a sibling or live really really close to the school it is unlikely you will get in.
Ds2 has 2 siblings so hopefully we should be ok

Has the school had a bulge year in the past. That might account for the stupid number of siblings. I feel for your friend. I feel that sibling priority should only apply for people who live in 1 mile of the school. It stinks when someone buys an expensive house and then moves to a poorer area and all their kids get to go the popular school.

i have a school near me, has taken 2 bulge years, no room for any more. 23 siblings for September 4 SN and possibly more as it specialises in teaching children with autism.

tiggy please could you let me know where those figures for Chelmsford come from? I'm in the area and would be very interested. Thanks.

I wasn't sure if my info was right on it being across the country but I definitely recall in our old LEA that there was a specific clause about English not as a first language because I remember thinking that could cause them issues!

Yes one year no non-siblings at a SE London state school.

Thanks tiggy, I'll have a look.

I got DS into school on the out of catchment sibling rule - thank goodness

reading threads like this makes me sad for people ten years younger than me

• unaffordable homes
• no school places
• austerity

its all a bit depressing

The place shortages are worrying (I don't agree that means we should automatically accept free schools though, there are other solutions!).

Planning law is also an issue with intake, both primary schools in our small town are at capacity, and the area High School significantly over capacity with a large waiting list on top, but there are plans to build many more houses close by without additional school places.

I disagree that bulge classes are always negative though; since having to run them and becoming a larger body our school has become far friendlier and more inclusive across the board. I have no more young children looking for places (youngest is in year 1) and we live so close to school that they'd have been admitted without sibling rules anyway, but it is worrying for people.

Here, everyone is guaranteed a primary one place at their local catchment school! People only normally do placing requests to go to catholic school or for language provision. If you live in catchment at the time you start school you are legally guaranteed a place. Same with secondary starters.