"support your application" box ???

[ClickyPenguin]

Hello, just doing our primary school application and are on to the reasons for our choice - which are not very exciting, just that the attached pre-school is good (ds has just started), the school seems fine and it's just around the corner, with the next nearest 2 miles away. It's C of E but as far as I can see they put distance from school first and only look at churchgoing (we don't) if they have spaces left after filling up from the designated area. They are usually slightly oversubscribed.

There is box to put something to "support your application" (after some tick boxes for "distance from home" etc.) The teacher at the pre-school said not to leave it blank as the governors read it and they're human. I just wondered what's best to put - it's just not clear to me how personal this is supposed to be, whether it's about the school being good for us or us being (somehow?) good for the school. We're not religious and while I'd be happy to put something about Christian heritage my dh wouldn't let me. so far I've thought of:

• trying to plead on our son's behalf? The only thing we would say would be that ds has an August birthday and since the pre-school and reception are mixed up in a Foundation Stage Unit it might make starting "school" a few days after his 4th birthday a bit less of an issue. (Though the one thing they've told us repeatedly though, is that having a pre-school place has no bearing on the school application process ...)

• saying more abstractly why we think attending local schools is good (strengthening communities etc) without specific reference to our own situation

• Flattering them with compliments about the school, ethos, reputation etc.

Any advice gratefully received ...

I applied for the school a few yards away. IIRC I just put something like 'this is our catchment school' . The LA allocate school places so you don't need to worry about what the governors will think
AFAIK it is the place to mention if you have any special reason to need that school - eg 2 siblings already attend this school, or they have a specialist service that your child has been assessed as needing, out of the ordinary stuff.

If you are well within catchment - you can look up how far away the furthest pupils have been admitted from online - and the criteria is distance first then you probably won't need to worry. Siblings and looked after children would usually be given first chance of spaces. You can also look up the admissions criteria online.

I am sure one of the experts will be along to explain it all better though!

Your school is very much part of our lives and we would feel very fortunate to continue to play a part in this great community.

It can't be right that what you write is part of the admissions process. Can it?

These boxes have no baring on if you will get a place or not and seem to exist only to make you feel like you have done all you can and they also I think give you the chance to put your case for entry under exceptional arrangements/medical if there is such a category for the school.
When we applied for dd 3 years ago I wrote a plea about it being our village school, that we wanted to send her there to continue our active roles in the village community and that we would be unable to get her to another school. It made me feel a bit better but I knew it didn't mean anything. This time round I simply stated it was the village school and his sister was already there.

I doubt whether the govenors have any say on distance admissions (as opposed to church ones) In fact I doubt they even see the application forms. Governors have better things to do with their time.

Most teachers (including head teachers) know next to nothing about admissions. I wouldn't trust what they tell you. Some give good advice but many give very poor advice.

All that matters is the school's admission criteria. Nothing you put in this box (or, indeed, the box for your reasons for choosing the school) will have any effect on the outcome unless you can give evidence that will move your child into a higher admissions category such as special medical needs (if they have such a category).

The admissions process is designed to be objective. The school is not allowed to make subjective judgements based on things parents write on the application form.

what you write in the box is only relevant if you are claiming some sort of social/medical "exceptional circumstances" (and assuming the school have this sort of category on their admissions criteria) - but in any case this claim would generally need to be supplemented by evidence from experts (doctor, social worker etc) to count

If church attendance is in the admissions critieria then there is normally a supplementary form to cover the evidence of your "faith commitment"

I have yet to see a school that has a "they wrote nice words in the box" category on their admissions criteria

Honestly, don't worry about it, write something if you want to, or leave it blank.

x-post with PRH :)

I did a two-sentence job and it's out of our hands. Thanks everyone for your advice & reassurance.