Primary school admissions, I've no clue...

[CoffeeLover90]

Hi, I have one DS. he'll start reception next September. About 3 weeks ago I was told by a friend that I'd need to apply for school places from next month. I'd no idea, I'd thought it would have been after Christmas I'd need to apply! Anyway, I do not want to use my closest school, it's got a terrible reputation, I got in touch with another 2, only one has answered me. I visited, I liked it. The other school hasn't got back to me.
The school I visited is within walking distance, small class sizes and 1 teacher and 1 ta in each class. Also an additional support class and a SENCO as well as an additional TA.
The school that hasn't got back to me has a good reputation, its a large school, classes are split in 2, I'm unsure of the sizes and use of TAs as, obviously, I haven't had the opportunity. They're further away, would require a bus journey and buses are not reliable at all around here.
DS is awaiting assessment for ASD and, I may be overthinking, but I need to know that a school will cater to his needs.
Now, when I come to giving my choices do I need to provide 4? Can I apply for only one? I am in the catchment area for the preferred school although they are under another council.

Just be aware NHS speech therapy is usually delivered to children your child's age through curriculum or small groups. You won't get regular 1-1 sessions. The only way you would get provision like that is if EHCP directs the local authority to provide it. And, unless you pay a speech therapist to write a very convincing report setting out their case for it, they won't do that unless you appeal.

"Catchment" means nothing. You need to check the actual admissions criteria. If a school is oversubscribed (which most good/outstanding schools are) they will list the order of priority that pupils will be admitted. Usually goes something like looked after children (in care/adopted), siblings of current pupils, pupils in catchment, pupils out of catchment. For pupils in catchment if more children apply than there are places for it goes by safe walking distance.

Some years less children are born so there's less competition for places. You are absolutely not guaranteed a place just because some other kids in your street go to the school.

If he has v few coherent words i would definitely be looking at special schools, they have staff trained in delivering speech and language interventions. If you send him to local school, even if they give him a 1-1, it could be someone's aunt Doris with no experience of language delay or asd.

I did. I think we've just been left. Considering I've raised concerns for 2 years it's disgusting really.
I've found 3 in the area praised for their response to SEN, including the one I've visited, 2 are very hard to get to but I'll go for them when I complete the form too. I'll still start the process for an ECHP on the off chance it will lead to SALT.

Oh and my HV was going to get in touch in July, after her holiday. We'll, I'll assume she never returned since no contact again. I'm not chasing them anymore, it got me no where for 2 years.

If you send him to local school, even if they give him a 1-1, it could be someone's aunt Doris with no experience of language delay or asd.

Only if the EHCP is rubbish. A good EHCP will specify the qualifications/training/experience of the 1:1.

A good EHCP is generally only brought into existence through appeal.

For many yes, but I didn’t say otherwise.

I would still visit the local school and see for yourself. My children's school has a bad reputation and is currently 'requires improvement' for ofsted (inspected about 3 years ago). The school SENCO is amazing and some parents from the more middle class 'outstanding' schools have moved their children with additional needs to our school as they get more support.

Some local still slate the school and call it rough. I personally think it's because it is more diverse and it's pure snobbery.

Don't go by local gossip. Look at the school. Speak to the SENCO and make your own decision.

In our area applications open in November not October. Are you sure it's October as I would have thought the dates would be the same across England.

Ours opened last week.

Normally Oct

“Don't go by local gossip. Look at the school. Speak to the SENCO and make your own decision.”

This 100%

Sometimes the schools that don’t as well in the league tables are because they spend their time and money in prioritising the nurture and bringing on children with SEND. They are sometimes where vulnerable children thrive best even if the academic outcomes aren’t immediately obvious. Conversely ‘outstanding’ schools can sometimes concentrate on the outcomes at the expense of well-being and the progress of less academic pupils. You need to visit to know.

Open dates do vary, but the closure date is the same across England - Jan 15. There is no advantage to applying early.

Oh right just checked and both our local authorities next to each other are November closing in January. Just wanted to point that out to stop anyone thinking they were doing something wrong as they couldn't apply now in their area.

I start applying from 3rd October, says so on council website and been given the info from nursery today with dates.
I visited local school when DS was a baby for the health clinic. It's large, with large class sizes, I think that's overwhelming for DS. I've seen/heard the kids and parents during school run as we travel the same way for nursery. I know 1 parent who pulled the child out the first week of their nursery and I know two others trying to transfer. Their ofsted report is 'good' same as my first preference school but not rated highly when it comes to SENCO/SEN according to the report.
I've spent hours reading online. There's only one school in my catchment rated 'outstanding' and it would take almost an hour to get to on public transport since our bus routes aren't the best. It's also a very large school, again I think DS may be overwhelmed. He needs the opportunity to withdraw a little and he likes to observe, if too much is happening at once or there is too much going on he gets upset and distressed. All of this I discussed with the head during my visit, he didn't flinch and was very reassuring and empathetic. I'll use the 3 options/preference/choices and I'll pick the ones with the good responses to SEN. I'll put the one closest as my first.

I've spent hours reading online. There's only one school in my catchment rated 'outstanding' and it would take almost an hour to get to on public transport since our bus routes aren't the best.

When was it last inspected? All the previously outstanding schools in our area have been severely downgraded in the last few years, now they do get inspected again. They were all previously exempt from regular inspection. They’re all requiring improvement now. Unless an ‘outstanding’ was awarded in the last 2 or 3 years I’d steer clear of those ‘outstanding’ schools anyway, never mind travel an hour to get there.

I'm a little concerned about how you are using the term "catchment" - it's pretty rare to have more than one catchment school - and being in catchment might not be enough to get an offer - if there are more DC living within the catchment than there are places, then it will be decided on distance.

Catchments are part of the criteria, and there will be maps and/or detailed descriptions as part of the admissions information, and the criteria will be something like 1) LAC/SEN, 2) in-catchment siblings, 3) other catchment, 4) other siblings 5) all others.

Many areas do not have catchments, and it's all down to distance, which can vary year on year.

If you do not apply for your catchment school, you do not get it by default if you do not qualify for your listed preferences - if it is filled with applicants who listed it as a preference, then you will not be offered it. You will instead be offered the nearest undersubscribed school (which might be just as dodgy as your catchment school and with a pig of a journey thrown in for good measure)

So do try to work out at least one 'banker' for the last slot on your form. It might not be a school you like much, but it needs to be one you can be as sure as you can be that you would get in to. Better a crap school 5 mins away than one that's equally crap 35mins away

* I* start applying from 3rd October, says so on council website and been given the info from nursery today with dates.

I'm still not sure you understand this. Applying is not a months-long process, it's filling in a form and submitting it.

You can do that at 9:30 am on 3 October if you like, but there is absolutely no need to do so. You will be treated exactly the same as the person who submits their form at 4pm on 15 January. There is no need to rush into anything, use the time available to do your research and thinking.

OP if you have an EHCP in place you can name any school, no matter how far away, and they have to take your DC. The only reason they might refuse is if they think they cannot meet your child's needs, but even then the onus is on them to step up and try.

I think you need to go to IPSEA online and read up about EHCPs. They will be a part of your life, sooner or later. You say you read a lot online. Read there.

Not rare, if you do enough research.

Don't go solely on OFSTED rating, given they're at best a snapshot from a day/ few days, often years previously. And they place large weighting on results- you can be an amazing, caring school that does the best by its children, but with lower attainment due to deprivation and be rated 3 or be outstanding but be an absolute hothouse with huge pressure on pupils to achieve, a head who doesn't seem to like children or their staff and is then suspended due to financial irregularities. I've volunteered in one of those and worked in the other, which nearly broke me.....

DS does not have SEND but we didn't get the closest school for which we are the edge of the catchment- there were 2 full forms of children closer. He goes to the next village school, which is only 21 in the class, same Academy Trust and is thriving. Less said about our school run the better now we are the wrong side of a land slip road closure that's not fixed after 9 months and is likely to be another 9.................................

Yep, about 5 minute job once you decide your order of preference.

And note, it is just that, preference, not 'choice'

I'm sorry I used the word choice instead of preference.
I understand the catchment. I've explained I am in the catchment for my first preference. Kids in my street, with no siblings, attend that school.
I understand I don't have more chance if I fill the form in straight away. The letter I got from nursery says to complete as soon as possible, so seemed that way, council website does not. After the comments on this post I understand now it makes no difference. I'll still fill it soon as, if something needs doing I believe it best to do as soon as possible and I already know my preferences. My question was only if I could just put one or if it was best to fill in all the spaces. There's 4. I'll fill in them all.
I'm not going solely ofsted reports. I have read them all. I've made notes of good and bad points. I've visited the one school that answered me to arrange a visit. If the others don't answer my emails will I just show up?
The school closest to me is 0.6 miles. To get there you walk along a busy road. Turning into where the school is there is a row of houses opposite, some have windows smashed or boarded up, some have evidence of recent fire, couple of the residents are sat on the doorstep with a joint or a can of Stella (yes, at 9am) and the parents will stop and chat with them on the school run. I walk right by the street on my nursery runs but not through it.
First preference is also 0.6 miles away, takes a little longer to walk as its uphill. Busy road also but not as bad and you can walk down the back street. You do walk through what some locals say is a rough street but I've never seen anyone out and about there. You then walk past the community garden and a field where there are often horses.
Both rated good, first preference with same number of TAs as the local but half the students.
Not going off local gossip. This is just common sense.
Second preference 1.8 miles away. They haven't returned my call or answered my 2 emails asking to arrange a visit.
Third preference the school is being rebuilt, lessons currently in cabins. Rumour has it this will be done by September 23. I emailed them yesterday.

Primary schools often have specific open day(s) for prospective parents, which are advertised on their websites. You can usually just turn up to those rather than have to book a specific appointment.

Of the two schools that are both 0.6 miles away, one will be your (single) catchment school. The other won't be. Are they both in the same Local Authority?

Your (over?) investments in catchments, OFSTEDs and distance are detracting from the real issue here - securing provision that will benefit a child who could possibly have quite severe difficulties and a high level of need. As I said before, if your child has an EHCP you can request any school in your borough and they have to take your child - the catchment question becomes irrelevant. But are any of them going to be right for a child who needs to learn to communicate more than they need to learn phonics? Based on what you've said your child almost certainly needs an EHCP (they are non verbal).

You know your child. Do you think they will be diagnosed? Do you have any idea how behind they are in terms of their communication and understanding? If it's significant none of those schools you've mentioned might be right for them.

Focus on the child and their needs, not the catchments.