School application help!

[zannary]

I live in an area where there is only 1 school in my catchment. This is not a school I want to send my dd to! We've been viewing a lot of schools in our area and there are a lot but there are also a lot of children!
We have fallen in love with a school 2 miles from us and we are in complete panic that we won't get in.
Can anyone offer any advice or experience with their primary school application. Did you get the school you wanted? Did you not? Did you appeal? Did you settle? I would appreciate any comments as I'm becoming obsessed with this!

Is the school 2 miles away over or under subscribed?

Ask the school if anyone living 2 miles away has got in over the last 3 years - that will give you your answer if the answer is no. You have to realise that appeals for reception are only won if an error has been made in dealing with your application - you don't win just because you want a particular school and not your local school.

Do some background research before you start setting your hopes on a school that may not be realistic.

You can put your desired school at top of list but should also include the local one otherwise you could be allocated a distant even less desirable one if the ones you list are oversubscribed and other applicants are looked after or sen /siblings/live nearer (if those are given priority). The booklet/website should list how many were admitted under which category in previous years.

As a pp has said, primary school appeals are very difficult to win as there is legislation about class sizes etc. It really does depend on whether the school is (or is likely to be) oversubscribed, and if it is, where you fit in in the oversubscription criteria. Invariably it is looked after children, siblings and distance but you need to look up the particular school. If you don't get a place you can go on the waiting list but there is usually little movement in Reception (unless there's a good private school locally and people are hedging their bets by applying to both state and private).

It might be worth trying to keep an open mind - you may not get the school you want and you need to be able to 'sell' whichever school you get to your child so they feel positive about the experience.

All of the schools in our area are oversubscribed.
The school we like has accepted children from our area in the past but we live on a new development that doesn't have a local school.
The only school in our catchment is still quite far and has a very bad reputation. I would be devastated to send my dd there.

Holiday start your own thread on this

Sorry, I’m new to this and posted in the wrong place. I’ve asked to have it removed.

You can only try to be honest, and see what happens. In terms of appealing unless a techincal error on their part you wouldn’t be successful. Then you just put her name down on the waiting list for the school in the hope that lots drop out / move

I don’t think you’d win an appeal because you’ve been given a school you don’t like- unless the school 2 miles away can cater very specifically for your dds sen or something else, and even then you’d be applying under social medical criteria if the school has one.
Your best option is to just apply with it on the top and than ask to be put on the waiting list if you don’t get in. Even if your child moves in year 1/2 they still have their very important years left in a nicer school, if it is that nice. I think people have forgotten that actually unless you have a medical need or are or were a local authority child you really don’t get a choice at all, you get the school that’s close to you with a space. I really don’t understand why leas are still giving ordinary families people lists they can put down it just gives false hope.

Have you visited the bad rep school? It might not actually be as bad as you think. A lot of reputation is rumour and gossip. Also schools can turn around quickly - my dd's was 'in special measure' one year. Two years later it was 'outstanding'. To be fair I didn't notice much difference before and after!

What is so terrible about the catchment school? Are they issues that could be changed? What are you basing your opinion on. Sat results? Ofsted? Local gossip? At my daughters school many parents of year 4/5/6 are a bit negative about the school because of some issues several years back but those issues aren't relevant to the newbie 4 year olds.

My DC went to a junior school with a bad reputation.

It was funny how so many parents who'd never so much as set foot in the school knew more about it than those who actually had children there.

What don't you like about the school (that's based on fact, not gossip)?

Things change year on year. High birth rate / lots of siblings / new development goes up close to school. Even if people have got in previously, given that you say you're on a new development it would expect you'd have little chance.

If you feel that strongly about it, saying you're devastated, Can you move? Drastic but worth considering.

I've calmed myself down today as I have read through all your comments. So much so I have called the local school and booked a visit because you're absolutely right it has all been based on gossip! And where I live can be awful for that! They were lovely on the phone and it's really calmed me down!

Oh that's great to hear Zannary. You might find yourself being pleasantly surprised...