Applying to London primary schools outside of current borough

[eversomuch]

New to the UK school system, so would appreciate some enlightenment regarding applying to schools.

We're starting to think about which London primary schools to apply to for DD for her 2015 start. There are a few good schools in our current neighbourhood, but we're not 100% sure we're going to stay here and there are other neighbourhoods/schools in London that we're interested in as well.

We are renting and willing to move to wherever she eventually goes to school. So ... can we go ahead and just apply to the six state schools we're most interested in, even if several (or all) of them are outside of our current borough? I thought they had to offer you a place at one of your six schools, but is that the case even if you don't live near those schools? Or is it possible (or even likely) that we'd be put on a waiting list instead?

If you're put on a waiting list, when do you find out if you're definitely going to get a place?

Thanks!

You can apply wherever you like.

But if you use your choices on schools for which you don't stand a hope of getting an offer, then you can be left with none of your choices and whatever place the LEA allocates to you from the schools which were undersubscribed at initial allocation.

Much of London does not have a formal catchment system (ie defined priority admissions areas) but the population density is such that it is possible to live in catchment (in those places that have them) and still not get a place on distance.

You need to find out the 'greatest distance offered' for the schools you are interested in. It's OK to have a long shot or two amongst you preferences, but you also need a coup,e where you do have a realistic chance of getting a place.

There is nothing to say you have to be given a place in the schools you choose I'm afraid. These are merely your preferences; all the LEA has to do is give you a school place somewhere.

You need to check the admission criteria for the schools. Most regular state schools will admit by distance after looked after children/siblings, and you should be able to get an idea of last years maximum distance from the LEA. If you don't fall within that for any if the schools you have chosen, you run the risk of being given whatever is left at the end, quite possibly a school you have never thought of at the other end of the borough.

London is a bad place currently, most boroughs have too many applications from children living in it, I doubt they can accommodate a child outside of the borough.

Very soon the councils will publish the forms and information booklets for the 2014 application. I would download it and see what the distances to the schools in your current borough are so you get a clear idea what in theory is available around your address.

It often fluctuates a schools have to take bulge classes, extending the distance, or a large sibling intake, shortening it again. Our school went from 0.4m one year to 0.7m the next, to over 1m (bulge class) and back to 0.5m this year.

If none of your chosen 6 preferences has a space the council will then allocate a place wherever a space is, regardless of your personal view and where you live.

If you rent I would have a look into relocating where you think you may want to be in the next 5-7 years and then look for schools.

Waiting lists: even if you are on top a child can by-pass you because a sibling may have gotten a space in another year group and the sibling counts higher. We had this in DD's class.

Another child in DD's class who joined in January was on waiting lists for 6 schools for over 3 months before 1! space became available.

No obligation to fulfil any of of your 6 preferences whether in or out of borough. If you live further away than other applicants, for example, you are likely to be well down the priority list so ideally name at elast one which is near by. Some schools prioritise specific religions and siblings ahead of those living close by too. You need to look at the data from this year to see how far away places were allocated for each school and according to which criteria. By naming only out of current borough schools you may end up being allocated somewhere you would not have chosen. You may also have to request those you wish to be placed on waiting list for after initial allocations have been made and even then there is no guaranteed place by September.

If your preferred out of borough school is your nearest school and it allocates on distance, put it first, because LAs can't restrict places to pupils within their boundary. But most popular schools are oversubscribed on first choice so your six options are in effect, usually just one unless you qualify for faith schools. Putting down other options is only useful if you have a preference for one undersubscribed school over another where you would otherwise be allocated a place.

And while councils are obliged to offer you something, I don't think this is guaranteed until the term your child turns five. I know of people who have not been offered one of their choices or even been allocated a place further away.

Thanks, everyone, you've been super helpful. We're currently just a few streets away from a very good primary school and a short walk to two others we'd be happy to send our kids to. It's just a question of whether we'll be staying where we are ... which we need to resolve relatively soon. Thanks again!