primary school admissions in haringay

[deedar]

Does anyone have any experience of admissions criteria in haringay? Specifically St Aiden's School on Albany Road, but any general info would help. Basically, we've just offered on a house that might be within the catchment area, but only if they measure catchment area to the postcode, not the school office or the main gate, etc. Also, do they measure safest walking distance or straight line?

I've phoned and emailed the admissions office at the council but they won't respond, and we're not sure whether we ought to proceed with the house or not.

From memory, it is straight distance (ie as the crow flies) from the main school gate to your house.

If you are able to speak to someone in primary admissions at haringey council, they can give you the distance of your house from the school and tell you whether you would have got in in the last few years. No guarantee that you would get in for the year in which you are applying, but it does give you some idea of your chances.

Haringey measures using the straight line distance from the address point for your house to the address point for the school. The address point is defined by the Ordnance Survey and is somewhere within the property.

The actual straight line distance that was the last of the 30 children accepted in 2010 was at a distance of 0.186 miles, it was 0.15 miles in 2009. So unless the house is very close to the school you will probably not get a place in reception years.

Thank you, that's really useful. Will try and call admissions again, and see if they can confirm where the address point of the school is.

The house is about 0.18 miles away from the main gate so I know it'll be a close call!

The address point on the school depends on exactly what computer system is being used. In some it is the mid point of the buildings, whereas in others it can be moved and the front entrance or gate used. If it is not the midpoint then they really should be quoting this in the admission booklet. If for instance they use the gate then by definition they should also use the gate of the house not the midpoint of the house!

Being realistic you have to say that you are right on the edge of the probable distance that may get a place. It is going to come down to how many applicants get a higher priority like siblings as to whether a place is offered. I would check out the other schools in the neighbourhood as there is a good chance that you might end up getting an offer of a place at one of those schools.