sibling rules in inner London please

[Melmagpie]

If you move, say, 3 miles from primary school and drive dcs there, would the youngest still get in on sibling pref or is there a distance limit?

Melmagpie
Where in inner London? In theory siblings usually come first after Looked After Children but it will depend on the rules for that Borough and possibly for that school if it is a faith school.

So in theory there is no distance limit but in practice you would need to check the specific oversubscription criteria for the school.

some schools and LAs have admission criteria that give higher preference to in-catchment siblings, then people living in catchment and then sibling living out of catchment.
So you need to look very carefully at the admission criteria for the schools concerned.
Also be careful as to when sibling starts, the problem with schools being over-run with siblings is becoming much more of a problem and I know more schools are considering the admission criteria above for September 2014 admissions. These are not agreed yet, only open for consideration and will not be agreed till April 2013.

Thank you. In Camden. Apparently sibling rule still applies. admission do you happen to know if this is one of the boroughs considering the change?

Mel
If you check here
camden.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/education/camden-schools/schools-admissions/

I looked randomly at St George the Martyr (a faith school)

1 Looked after children and previously looked after children.
Previously looked after children are those who were looked
after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or
became subject to a residence order or special
guardianship order).

2 Children either of whose parents is a committed Christian
attending either the Church of St George the Martyr,
Queen Square, or Holy Cross, Cromer Street .
Applicants should provide written evidence of their
attendance with the application form this should be a letter
from the minister of the church or equivalent.

3 Children either of whose parents is a committed Christian
attending a church which is a constituent member of
Churches Together in Britain & Ireland, & the Evangelical
Alliance .
Applicants should provide written evidence of their
attendance with the application form this should be a letter
from the minister of the church or equivalent.

4 Children with a brother or sister currently at the school
who will still be attending the school when the applicant
starts school.

If you don't meet Criteria 2 or 3 then siblings are 4th on the priority list.

Even if you meet criteria 3, children whose parents worship in the designated parishes have priority so you may not meet that criteria if you move away.

So bear in mind that faith schools can override the general borough rules.

Thank you. I've got two years till next dc due to start.

melmagpie,
Not heard anything to suggest that they are considering such a change in Camden but most London Boroughs have had some problems with the number of siblings being admitted. As there is in effect no catchment for a maintained school in Camden, it is difficult to see how they could make any changes to the sibling rule. However as tiggytape says if a school becomes an academy and there probably will be some in Camden then they could set their own catchment zone and introduce a modified admission criteria.

Some areas are changing sibling priority rules because they are faced with their schools being filled with siblings from miles away, and children resident locally having no places. So I predict there will be more priority catchment areas, so children do have a chance of a reasonably local school place (or indeed in the weird black hole areas, any place at all).

And shorter school runs tend to mean fewer vehicles and less congestion (and fewer parking wars!), so it could be good for neighbourhoods in many ways.