catchment area woe

[caztil1201]

Anyone know what the 'compelling reasons' are for getting a child into a school thats not in their catcment area. My daughter is in the school but we have moved and I dont think my son will get in as its oversubscribed. Shes flourishing in yr 2 and loves it so I really dont want to move her.

Do you get sibling priority?

Queue-jumping factors tend to be things like being a "looked-after child" (by which I understand "in care") or having a statement of special educational needs. Neither of which you can, or would want to, fake. However, sibling priority is pretty strong as a criterion. What does your admissions information say?

Not if you no longer live in the catchment area

Not that I have heard! In our neighbouring LA lots of people are that situation. Sibling priority was taken away as so many people moved etc

You'll need to get on the waiting list then. Is there much movement in and out?

It all comes down to what the admission criteria is. I assume that it is something like Looked after children, siblings in catchment, in catchment and then siblings out of catchment, distance.
I am afraid that you will have to consider the alternatives because there is a fair chance that you will not get a place offered if there are lots of kids in catchment.
You can go to appeal and say that you already have a sibling at the school, but it will not be as strong case for admission. There is also a strong possibility that the infant class size regs will pertain if the admission number of the school is 30,45 or 60 etc. If that is the case then there is a very very low chance of success at appeal as you effectively have to prove that a mistake was made and you should have been offered a place. The panel is not allowed to consider your personal circumstances under theses situations.

Not that I could find, DD didn't get into DS's school because we were out of catchment so sibling rule didn't apply