Waiting list

[Mamumu]

Hi all, DD will enter school next year. Is is true that some state schools (especially the good ones) have a waiting list, then first come first served? Wouldn't it be enough to live inside the 'catchment area' and just send her application on time?

Waiting lists for state schools are for people who have failed to get a place through the normal application process.

Yes, normally you will be OK if you are in the catchment area and put in the application on time - but if it is a very popular school, the size of the effective catchment area may shrink some years if there are a lot of children of the same age applying for places.

The decision on who gets a place is usually based on exactly how close you are to the school, so some children living on a street within the official catchment area may not get in one year, if there are too many children living closer, even if children on the same street got into the school in previous years. Hope that makes sense...

Should have said - the waiting list is for any places that may come up if children leave the school, and who gets the place usually depends on the same criteria as the original application procedure (distance, siblings, special needs etc), not on who has been waiting longest.

I might be moving to the same street as one very popular school... Some 0.2m away... I wouldn't be doing it JUST so that she can enter, but it would be great if she could. It's a big pro! Anyway, she should get in, right?

In theory it shouldn't be a problem - but all very dependent on where you are, how many kids they take (30? 60? 90?), how many younger siblings have applied, as they will usually get allocated a place before distance is even looked at, whether it's a faith school with their own separate criteria...

Contact the school and the LEA - they should be able to give you an idea of how admissions went this year, ie how close to the school you had to be to get in, what the movement on the waiting list was like etc. Certainly don't rely on info from estate agents, as I've seen some here (London) advertise houses in particular streets as 'within catchment' for a popular school, when in fact there's no such thing in this area, it varies every year.

All of my immediate neighbours were accepted into one school last year and my DD hasn't this year. We are in the so-called catchment area too.
It's very dependent on siblings from year to year and where we are, even 0.2 miles doesn't automatically mean you're in!

We're on a waiting list.

Agree with all the above, definately call the school and the LEA. Also just wanted to add that it usually makes no difference if you get your application in early. All applications are likely to be considered in exactly the same way as long as they are recieved by the closing date. That's how it works in our area anyway, and I think most are the same.