Measuring distance from home to school.

[twinkle1010]

Does anyone know how to do this please x

My local council has a tool on their website that does it for you.

I think it varies from area to area - some do the shortest walking route, others as the crow flies. Your local council website should tell you

You need to do it however the LEA does it, as otherwise the two measurements won't be comparable. You should be able to see from your LEA's school admissions booklet whether they use safe walking/driving route or straight line distance between your home and the school. You can do your own calculations using programs available online but, to be sure, your best option is to contact the LEA and ask them to do the measurement using the program they use for school admissions.

The rules vary from LA to LA. Some use the straight line distance, some use the safest walking/driving route. The kind of tools you find on websites (including council websites) are generally not accurate enough as they measure from the centre of your postcode to the school. I would not regard them as anything more than a general guide.

The LA will use software that gives a very accurate measurement. I have known people use trundle wheels or other measurement methods to challenge the LA's figure. This never works as these methods are inherently less accurate than the LA's software.

If you are thinking of challenging the distance they have come up with you will find it very difficult to persuade an appeal panel that the LA has got it wrong unless they have measured from the wrong address or, if they use shortest walking/driving route or similar, there is a shorter route than the one they have used which meets the requirements laid down in the admission arrangements.

Thank you for your advice.

Am going to appeal just no idea how to do it. School admitt 50 children per year and she is fourth on waiting list. Its just so heartbreaking, she attends the nursery and has made so many friends.

What grounds are you appealing on?

My friend sent me this tool: www.freemaptools.com/distance-between-uk-postcodes.htm

It's not the most accurate by any mile but will give you a fair idea... Good luck.

But if it's for an appeal, accuracy (and comparability with the LEA's measurement) is exactly what you need. In appeals, as little as a metre can make a difference between winning and losing.

With 50 as the Admission number, I'd have thought you'd stand a chance at getting in at No 4 on the waiting list. We are no 5 on the list for 25, and I think we will move up to No 2 very soon, so I wouldn't give up hope just yet.

Also you could appeal on the basis that providing they have room they could admit up to 30 in a class - depending on how the classes are organised sizewise. Have a look through some of the other primary appeals threads which have some great information on them about this. Good luck - we are also trying to get a place at our village school, adjacent to DS's pre-school.

I don't entirely agree with GiddyPickle. The LA will have used special software known as a GIS to measure the distance. Unless you have several thousand pounds to spare you will not be able to use the same method yourself to check it. Any alternative method you use for measuring the distance will be less accurate.

You certainly need to know whether they have used straight line, shortest walking route or whatever. If they have used the straight line distance your only chance of disputing it is if you can show they have measured from or to the wrong point.

If they have used shortest walking route or similar you should ask the LA to confirm the route used and see if it actually is the shortest route. However, you need to check carefully what the admission criteria say about the route used. They may, for example, require that there is lighting along the entire route, in which case you can't suggest an alternative route using an unlit footpath.

As you are currently fourth on the waiting list you have a good chance of getting in that way. However, looking at your appeal:

How many classes do they have in Reception, Y1 and Y2? If they have 5 classes in total your appeal will be infant class size which means you need to show that a mistake has been made. However, if they have 6 it will not be infant class size and you will have a better chance of winning your appeal.

Do you have any reason to believe they have got the distance from your home to your school wrong?

Have you checked that your daughter was placed in the correct admission category?

I have no reason to think they have miscalculated distance just grasping tbh.

The head teacher has said he will help me with the appeal and give any advice so will check on the class sizes/how many of each year group.

I need to know how to check parish boundaries to ensure that she was placed in the correct parish/admission category.

Although fourth on the waiting list is good I know that this can go up/down and also hardly anyone turns down a place at this school as its the best Catholic School in the area.

Thanks for your help

50 is a difficult number for admissions and how the school splits up the classes will determine what kind of admission appeal it is. If the school has across the infant classes (reception, year1 and year2) 5 classes of 30 then the appeal will be an infant class size appeal. If however it is any other number of classes across the infant phase then it should not be an infant class size case as the classes will not have 30 in them.
An infant class size appeal you effectively have to prove a mistake by the admission authority to win at appeal, whereas in a normal appeal, it is much more on the strength of your case for admission.
Hence the need to be sure how the school classes are set up.
Parish boundaries can be a difficult subject at appeal and I would recommend that you do ask in writing from the school exactly what the parish boundaries are and where they believe you are situated. I have sat on a number of appeals where the boundaries were lets say vague and the committee deciding the order of admission were making their best guess which parish the address was in ! You do need to get this checked out before the appeal because such an argument on the day is always going to be difficult to win.

you should all get a life hahahahah :D

you should all get a life hahahahah :D
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