Prospective school open day visit - am I being OTT

[car25]

My little one isn't due to start school until September 2009, so will not get an application pack until this time next year.

Am I being over the top, or do you think it is a good idea to visit at least our catchment school this year, and if it is rubbish then I have a year to move house to a better school catchment area? (I have seen this year's application pack and a great number of local schools to me were oversubscribed!)

Another question, just out of curiousity and not the situation I'm in, with religious primary schools, do they also have a catchment area? I guess they do, but what if you lived in that catchment area but didn't want a religous school for your child?

Regilous schools often have their own entry requirements, but are generally available either direct from the school or via the LEA.

We visited independent schools when DD was a year old, catchment year before she was due to start.

A lot of areas now alter the catchments each year according to demand and prioritise allocation of places on walking distance , and some LEAs are removing that as a selection criteria. Religious schools may stipulate attendance at a particular church or baptism etc as a criteria and place those ahead of non practising catchment, then siblings of those already attending and if it then became oversubscribed, some of those remaining children would then go to the next nearest, provided they had named it as a preference and there was space.

There are two categories of religious school - voluntary aided and voluntary controlled.

One of them is allowed to select based on religion, which might include preference for residency within a certain Parish if it is CofE. The other doesn't select - just follows the standard LEA system, which generally includes an element of catchment area.

Helpfully, I can't remember which is which!! I think Voluntary Aided is the one which selects on religion, but I wouldn't like to swear to it.

Thanks very much for your replies, I have contacted the likely nearby schools and explained, and they are happy for me to visit early.

I wouldn't have been too worried, it's just I have seen this year's application packs are all my nearby schools were very oversubscribed for the last intake, in fact over 50 pupils were refused places at one of these schools with two reception classes!

Our catholic primary is voluntary aided...they have a catchment area which requires that you provide copies of utility bills and your council tax form. They carry out a home check too!! They also request copies of baptismal certificates and a parish priest reference.

Wait 'til you have to look for secondary school places, that's when the fun really begins!

re your question about religious schools in your catchment area, you apply separately to the school in question for a place. Therefore, if you are not wanting a religious education for you child, you will be allocated a state school place by your LEA