Primary application - have I messed up!

[hi2736]

Applying for our first child for primary school in September. We looked around 4 local schools which we are within the catchment for, I don't know how or why I've found this such a difficult choice but things to consider include location, mixed classes, wrap around care and so I have made my decision and will register and apply tomorrow.

However a friend said as I've left it so late we will be bottom of all lists, is this true? I'm now incredibly worried we won't get any of the places.

Is it really done on a first come first serve as I really wasn't aware of this and only viewed the last school just before Christmas!

TIA

As long as you make the application before the deadline then all applications will be treated equally and places allocated depending where you come in the qualifying criteria categories. If you apply after the deadline then you will be classed as a late application and will only be allocated a place once all the on time applications have been dealt with.

Don’t worry! Your friend is talking nonsense. It’s not first come first serve. You could apply on the first day or the last day and you’d have the same chance of getting in.

Well, when's the deadline? Everything submitted before the deadline will be considered at one time.

15th Jan, you are fine!

It's not first come, first served. You just need to submit by the deadline to have your preference considered.

The deadline in my area is the 15th jan (state primary, England.)
As long as you apply before then it doesn’t make a difference.

Are you in England? I think the window is August to January? It makes no difference when within the window you apply.

@donkey86 @BrieAndChilli @GeneCity

Thanks for the quick responses. That's great to know,

The deadline isn't for a few weeks but I've agonised about this decision for weeks and finally really happy I've made a decision and I'm really happy with it!

As long as you make the application before the deadline it doesn't matter. It doesn't work on a first come first serve basis. Applying early is of no benefit.

Thanks all,

Will have it all completed tomorrow!

All applications sit on a database until 15/01/23. Then the LAs sort through the applications and allocate places. Nobody gets priority for applying early.

Your friend is talking big bouncy bullocks.

Fab 🙂. How many choices do you have? It's a good idea to use all of your choices, otherwise you could end up with a place really far away (although obviously this is only in worst case scenario).

Glad everyone else has confirmed and it's a bit rubbish of your friend to worry you like that.
If peoples aren't sure they really shouldn't give out advice. I applied for a school out of catchment and lots of people told me if I didn't put my catchment school first i wouldn't get a place anywhere if I didn't get in to first choice non catchment school. Utter nonsense and clearly explained in the admissions documents.

Also it's a preference not a choice.

Well, you have to choose your order of preference 🤷‍♀️.

Good luck OP.

Does it work differently in different areas? Here you can only be in the catchment area for one school. You could still put other schools as your choice and you might get them,(we did for dd2), but you can't be in catchment for multiple schools.

I hope you get the school you want.

Coronado are you in Scotland?

I suspect OP is using "catchment" to mean " a school that historically we would have got into based on where we live", rather than a fixed catchment area (where, as you say, you are normally only in 1 catchment area, and occasionally two).

Yes, I think a lot of areas are low birthrate this year -where I am you can have your pick of local schools as none are going to be full (schools have confirmed this).

Yep I have tried to explain this to so many people, but no one believes me. If you don't get into your first choice, your second choice gets treated the same as if it was a first choice. The schools don't know which order you've put them down as, they just list everyone in order according to their requirements (usually distance mainly) and then the council use your preference to decide which one to give you. If you don't get your first choice, you will be offered your second choice school over someone who put it first, if you live closer, for instance.