School catchment experts - can anyone help me out.

[tallmummy]

DS1 and 2 are both at our local, very good village school for which we are just on the boundary of the catchment area for. DS3 is due to start next Sept 2007. There are already more than 40 children vying for the 30 places. This summer I have met 4 new families who have moved into the village who have children same age as ds3, they all live closer to the school. Does this put them higher up the list than our ds?

I'm no expert, but I would have thought that as you have two children there already, it would put you in a strong position.

No because your DS has siblings there and siblings are the priority.

Nope - so long as you're actually in the catchment area (even if it's only just), children who have siblings already at the school generally get priority over those who don't.

The local authority website normally has the admissions criteria if you're still worried.

Oh that's good. I'm now off to work out how many of ds3's potential classmates have older siblings. Was there a little babyboom in 2003?

lol!

Thanks MrsB I will check that out too.

At our school it works like this:

special needs statement specifying the school
children with siblings attending and in the catchment area
children in the catchment area on an "as the crow flies" basis
children out of the catchment area with siblings attending
other children

Think what I am saying covers what celia has mentioned. ie just siblings is not enough. But someone with siblings and towards the boundary of the catchment area would get in before someone else without siblings next door to the school.

You need to contact your LEA (or look on their website) to find out the specific criteria - it is not the same for all LEAs particularly for things like sibling priority.

Maybe talk to the school now - they might not have had this situation before and their addmission policy might not be up to it. Unlike Bozza ours doesn't say siblings and catchment - just catchment first. But I think this is because it has always been able to offer places to all children in the village and has never had problem. I think in a few years we will start to see this problem - siblings on edge of the parish and new families in the centre vying for same place. If there really are as many children as you suggest maybe you will get 2 small classes?

Agree with Bozza, those are our criteria too. I'd be very surprised if anyone in catchment with siblings at the school was refused a place.
But it is worth checking.
Lizp it's unlikely that the school will be able to increase its intake unless other years are well undersubscribed.

Bozza our LEA has the same criteria - children in catchment with siblings already attending are 2nd on th elist..

My worry is that the four families I know who have recently moved into the catchment area already have a child at the school too. It really might the case that all the eligiible kids, that is those in catchment with older siblings already at the school, won't get in as there are so many with sibs.

They havn't got space for two classes - it will definately be just the one class of 30 children

Some of the eligible kids not all.

Definitely check the criteria, give your LEA's Primary Admissions a call and talk about it, and speak to the Advisory Centre for Education , who are an independent charity - they were excellent when we had a problem.

At KS1, there is still that "capping at 30" rule, which is only ever overturned if someone gets in on appeal. Yes, it could be the first time your school has faced this issue.

Are all 40 families vying for the 30 places definitely within the catchment? You'd be above someone outside, even if they have a sibling there.