Primary and Secondary School recommendations

[MandyMcinnes]

Hi mums.

We have just moved to the UK, to this beautiful part of the world. We have a 12 year old daughter (13 in September) and a 6 year old son (this last April). We realise that our daughter would need to go to Secondary School and our son Primary School. We would love to send them to schools next to each other, to save time travelling from one area to the other. We also only have one vehicle right now, so we'd need to drop off and get to work.

We have done lots of searching for the best options for both of them, in terms of schooling and have really been impressed with both Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School and Winchcombe School (Secondary). They seem to be the perfect schools for our kids.

My first question is what are your opinions on these schools please? We come from a 'farming' community back home and love the open spaces (grass) for the kids to play and do sports.

My second is districts... I am concerned that we may not be within the required distance to be considered. What are your thoughts on this please.

I am going to be contacting the Schools and the Council tomorrow morning, to speak with them.

I would appreciate any advice please. Thank you so much. Mandy

Assuming these schools are in England and are state schools, you will be applying for an in year place, so distance is less important.

Do these schools both have space in the year group you would need? If they do, then it doesn't matter how far or near you live, you can have the place.

If they don't have space in the right year group then you could go on a waiting list, then distance (and other criteria) come in to play, those who are higher up the admissions criteria will come ahead of you. But wherever you are on the waiting list, you would need to wait until a child leaves in the correct year group which could be next week or not for many years, just depends on the school. If you really want them to go to these school and they are full then you need to find alternative schools, or home school, until a place becomes available, but be aware that a place might never become available.

Op I suggest you repost with the area you live in in the title, to get more relevant local responses. As xyz says, if there is a space at these schools you will get it regardless of distance; on the other hand, you might wait in vain for a space to be available, especially if you are a long way away and the schools are popular.

The secondary school you mention is very very small, 500 students, which I guess might make places less likely to come up.

It is usual in the UK tho for 12yos to make their own way to school, on foot, by bike or by bus, if that might make your decision easier and open up more secondary options, HTH.

Your daughter is in a massive baby boom year. There were huge problems with school spaces for her year and the years either end of it, in many places. I would check space in school before setting your heart on it.

waves to OP. Winchcombe is small and has taken quite a few children from Cheltenham due to lack of places there recently (it's really not THAT close!) so it might not be as "empty" as you'd hope. However PP are correct that if either school has a place then the LA should offer it to you. Bear in mind though, things aren't as "transitory" here as London, so all the talk you see on the education boards of regular place movement doesn't tend to happen as much. Good luck with the council!

Looking on the GCC website, Winchcombe School allocated to its PAN (Published Admission Number) of 98 for year 7 entry for the current academic year. Which doesn't mean that it won't have a mid-year place available, but unless only 98 people placed it as a preference higher than any other school they could be offered, may mean that it currently has a waiting list.
www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/education-and-learning/school-admissions-scheme-criteria-and-protocol/allocation-day-statistics-for-gloucestershire-schools/

www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/media/2087280/secondary-allocation-day-2019.pdf

Looking at the same table, 110 people alone named it as their first preference, so it is likely that some of the 12 of those (plus any of those who didn't put it first, butl got a lower preference school) who weren't allocated a place are still hoping for one.