As we are in admissions season again...some top tips for first timers

[BetsyBoop]

On this thread a while ago, I posted some top tips on the admissions system, which people found useful, so here they are again...

1. Visit every school local to you & make your own mind up - don't go on reputation/gossip/Ofsted reports/league tables
2. Find out how likely it is you stand a chance of a place by looking at the last few years admissions (eg what category & distance)
3. Put the schools in your genuine order or preference (schools are not allowed to operate a "first preference first" system, despite what people tell you)
4. Use all your preferences - but be realistic about your chances of getting a place - don't waste a preference on a hell-will-freeze-over-first option.
5. Always include one "safe" option (even if it is as last preference) which you are okay with & are pretty much guaranteed to get into (ie "catchment" school) . (Or you run the risk of getting a random "worse" school miles away if you don't get any of your preferences)
6. You will not be able to bully the LA/school/appeals panel into giving you the school you want by only putting that school on the application form & refusing places at other schools.
7. Read the admission code - you need to know the "rules" as if the rules are broken it gives you a valid reason to appeal.
8. Submit any exceptional social/medical circumstances evidence with your initial application, whether or not you are fairly confident you will get a place anyway - much easier than trying to win an appeal based on this later (which will typically fail if it is an infant class size* appeal)

• "infant class size" =YR/Y1/Y2 classes can have a maximum of 30 pupils per teacher

prh47bridge

Thank you for that. The problem here is that there are no direct (or even minor indirect) tubes, trains or buses to get the schools. I suppose I was hoping that they might have to lay on a school bus or something.

It's also a bit of a non-offer because children under 10 travel free on tubes and buses (if accompanied by an adult). Yet Camden would not pay for the adult who needs to take the child to the school a million 2 miles away from where they live. Ho hum. Another fight for another day.

They will have to lay on a bus. That or taxis. If there is no suitable public transport they can't just give you a bus pass and claim to have met their obligations. That wouldn't be good enough. You may have to kick up a fuss to get them to sort it out but they have got to do so. But it is true that the free transport is only for the child, not the parent. That isn't a problem if they lay on a taxi, of course.

Do all LEA share admissions figures etc? I cant seem to find any anywhere.

They are required to share certain information, although some are better than others. If you tell us which LA I might be able to find it for you.

prh47bridge

Thank you very much for that advice. I will pass on to those in need and see where it gets them. Really, thank you.

prh47bridge- If you dont mind that would be fab. :) Were in West Sussex.

prh47bridge

one final cheeky request. Please could you point me in the direction of the relevant legislation?

Many, many thanks

pigleychez
you can find the info here :)

tablefor3 this might help - para 52 onwards

tablefor3 - The Education Act 1996 Section 508B and Schedule 35B. Note that the version of the Education Act on www.legislation.gov.uk is out of date so you need to look at the Education and Inspections Act 2006 Section 77 and Schedule 8 to see the current state of the law - these added Section 508B and Schedule 35B respectively to the 1996 Act.

Ohh thank you very much Betsy! Why couldn't I find that!

Some council websites are about as user friendly as a cornered rat.

Can anyone explain what this means on my LEA admissions form:

Over-subscription point at allocation date for September 2011

Out of Area
706.39

Is it to do with distance to the school?

Last year the school filled their 30 places and refused 15 places.

Have done DS's application, you have freaked me into adding one more school, the one I have always anecdotally said that if my children didn't go to the village school it is where I would be happiest for them to go. It is not the next nearest school as that one if a fairly big school (to me, it is a 30 per class one form entry but with attached 2+ preschool, it is very different to our village school) and I don't feel that would be best for my seriously speech delayed DS who doesn't do well in very busy settings plus the fact we would be unlikely to get a place there, they fill from catchment every year and have to to away non catchment siblings, non catchment no sibling haven't got places for at least the past 4 years. The extra school I have put on is smaller then our village school, has mixed age classes which would suit DS, a friends child does very well there and we would be likely to get a place, they have historically been able to offer places to all who want them.
So in the extreme event that 20 siblings and cared for children moved into the village closer to school then we are I have at least got an alternative I know a little something about, however, question, as this school is not our next closest would transport still be provided? both nearest and the one I have put are over 3 miles with no safe walking route but would they be able to say no transport as you picked it?

Pigleychez - They could make it clearer but I'm sure that is the distance in metres for the last child admitted.

prh47bridge- That was my first thought too. Thanks :) and yes, I wish they made things clearer!

We are well in that thankfully. We are only 300 metres away from the school.

lady

I think "Catergory 6 Other Applicants including any Diverts
9 (.466)" means they took 9 children under category 6, with the furthest distance being 466m away, have no idea what they mean by "any Diverts" though

As they took some children in category 6 then all the children in categories 1-5 (for whom this school was their highest preference with the space to take them) must have got places.

I agree with PRH, some LAs write things that are as clear as mud...

roadkill just to check I understand what you are saying, you have put your closest school (A) as 1st preference & another school`(B) (not next closest) as 2nd preference?

As you have got your closest school as first preference, then in the unlikely event (from what you have said) that you don't get a place then you should get transport to school B.

LAs won't usually fund transport if you put others schools as higher preference to your closest school (or in some areas a defined catchment school, which is not necessarily the closest one) as they see that as your choice to go to a further away school when there is a suitable one which is closer. (Some will fund in certain circumstances, eg for nearest available faith school, but a lot of LAs are cutting back on that at the moment)

lady your order of preference will make absolutely no difference to the allocation of places. You will get offered a place at the highest preference school where you make the "cut", the schools are not even aware of what preference you put them down as.

lady the waiting list would be made up of all the on-time applicants for whom this school was a higher preference than the one they were allocated (who would be in cat 6 onwards) together with all the late applications slotted in at the appropriate point (who could be in any category from 1 onwards). Waiting lists are kept in the same order as the admissions criteria, so it is completely possible for a late applicant to jump straight in at or near the top of the list, pushing those on-time applicants who missed out first time round futher down the list.

lady no worries, it's important to understand to get it right. I was the same as you a few years ago until being the control freak that I am I decided to educate myself in the ins and outs of school admissions. :)