Help with Primary School Admissions....

[curiousgeorgie]

Hello, I probably sound completely stupid but I don't really understand the application process for schools. (much as I read!)

I live in Ewell. (So schools under Epsom & Ewell borough)

In Ewell there is a school called Nonsuch Primary, which apparently comes under Sutton in terms of application.

I called the school and they said anyone can apply.

So how does this work? Ideally I want to put this school as my first choice and have other choices in Epsom & Ewell.

I'm very confused. Can anyone help?

You can apply for any schools but you may have a very slim chance of getting a place at school further away from your home.

The admissions criteria are usually available online.

If you have 3 choices, make sure that one of them is a place where you stand a realistic chance of getting a place, as a back up. Put this third/last.

If you cannot be given any of your choices you will be allocated a school which may be further away or you may not be keen on.

Is it your catchment school and the one you want? If so, put it as your first choice.

You may still not get a place if there are lots of siblings or people living nearer the school who have higher priority on the admission criteria. Do mention any relevant special circumstances eg exceptional social/medical reasons that you would be using if you had to appeal, you will need to send evidence with your application.

You still apply to your local authority even if you are asking for a place in a different area.

Thanks, it's very close to us, our second closest school I think, but weirdly comes under a different LEA.

You should put the school as the first choice on your application form, if it is your first choice. Epsom and Ewell will then co-ordinate with Sutton to pass your application on, and will co-ordinate the offering of a place to you next year.

You do need to be realistic about your chances of getting in, though. Nonsuch has a one form entry - so just 30 pupils - and siblings take priority over non siblings, and it's in a highly populated suburban area; it is always oversubscribed. Depending on where you live in Ewell, you could easily live too far away to get a place - I would imagine, though I can't find it online, that you would need to live within a few hundred metres. If you don't, then you need to make sure you have an option on your form that you are likely to get into, otherwise you could end up at a school you didn't put down that has spaces which might not be very nearby.

Depending on where you are in Ewell I would also look at Ewell Grove and Wallace Fields they are likely better bets for you to get into to before nonsuch. Danetree is another if your in West Ewell I would still put nonsuch first if that is your preferred choice. However ensure you see all the others and get a good feel of them to see what one you prefer.

Thanks everyone...

Aren't Ewell Grove and Wallace Fields ridiculously oversubscribed as well?

I was trying to avoid infant schools on the whole as I don't want my daughter to have to change schools again in a couple of years... I don't love Meadow Primary but will put it as my second or third choice. Need to research another one! I think Cuddington Community Primary School is pretty close as well.

If you really don't want an infant school, and don't put them on the form can you still get allocated one?

I absolutely hated school and I think it's because we moved schools so much, and just have this plan of a primary school giving her a bit more stability.

Yes, you can be allocated a school you haven't named on the application, if none of your preferred schools can offer you a place and the unwanted school is the nearest one with a vacancy.

Don't put your 'issues' around school on her - in reality you will probably find that most kids at an infant school all transfer to the same junior so in effect they retain a lot of stability. It's often just like staying at the same school but being in a different building!

Are you looking for 2013 reception or is it an in year admission? The distance for Nonsuch primary was 617.80 metre this year. I have experience of both Nonsuch and Meadow. I think they have different strengths and weaknesses but wouldn't say one was necessarily better than the other. I would suggest that you don't discount Meadow.
Wallace Fields is very oversubscribed. I'm not so sure about Ewell Grove but you have to ask where you would go from there for juniors.

Wallace Fields and Ewell Grove are always oversubscribed, yes - reception allocation distances this year were 688m and 1.19km, so not bad for the latter though.

I'll have to apply next year...

I went to Meadow when it was Stoneliegh Middle School... I don't know much about it as it is now.