What happens if you put down schools outside of your catchment area?

[TheFairiesAreBack]

I am putting a school in my catchment area down as my first choice so will probably get a place there but I was thinking of putting two other (Slightly better) schools that are nearby but slightly out of my catchment down. In previous years they have been fully subscribed with kids from their catchment year but not overly popular so I thought I might just put them down to see what happens.

If I don't get the first choice and they can't accommodate my son in the two other schools will they just pick the second nearest school in my catchment area?

I have heard there are no stupid questions so go easy on me!

Ok risk 1 you risk not getting them and also risk getting none at all so always put least one close to your house should work failed for me.

have you visited them yet.

looked at all the local schools

have you worked out if went tits up which local school is under subscribed and thats most likly be allocated school ie nearest unders ubcribed school to your house is? then look at why ofsted/sats normally play a part.

locally there are 2 under which everyone gets allocated or no one really wants.

eldest goes to out of catchment school we love it.
we have no regrets but we moved her mid year admission out catchemnt in year 2 much harder get reception place.

we cant get younger siblings in due to being out catchment so thats been a pain so check with la if have younger siblings.

If I don't get the first choice and they can't accommodate my son in the two other schools will they just pick the second nearest school in my catchment area? Depending if there are places left after the preferences are dealt with. If you have space on the form put one dead cert you'd be happy with in a lower spot as a back up.

Ah - ok. I only have one dead cert that I would be happy with and so didn't want to risk putting that in second place but I guess if I put the out of catchment schools in first and third then they may just give me my second choice?

Or is it likely that because I put it in second choice they may give me the the other school in the catchment area (The one I really don't want) instead?

its equal preference.

so put dead cert 3rd like I did.

on criteria you live closer than someone who put dead cert as choice 1 you will get it.

bar faith/siblings

it really is just down to distance straightline from school-front door.

Ask you council for furtherest distances from schools you intresred in.

if you way outside furthest distance for last 2years bare in midn birth rates and applications rise every year than you maybe wasting a preference.

see as many as you can.

look at size intakes as here intake of 30 or 0 half could be siblings meaning the 30nearest 1st borns get a place.

our dead cert has 75intake close and big intake/

but last year had 52 siblings this year 44.

There aren't catchment areas where I am, so it just goes on distance. I put first choice as a school we really wanted but weren't certain to get in, second choice as one we liked and had a good chance of getting in, and 3rd choice as a school we were pretty much guaranteed and wouldn't have a problem with. We got 2nd choice.

didn't want to risk putting that in second place

There is no risk involved. They do not give priority to people naming the school as first choice. Someone who names a school as third choice can get admitted ahead of someone who names it as first choice if they come higher in the admission criteria. If you prefer the two out of catchment schools put them first and second, leaving your catchment school as third choice.

Ok - many thanks for all the info.

he won't have a sibling so I am not worried about getting a second child in.

Reality is that he will most probably end up going to the school closest to me - I just don't want to make it any more likely that he would be offered a place in the school I really don't want him at which is the second nearest to me.

The crucial thing is to put the schools in what is YOUR order of preference.

You will then, as has been pointed out, be offered the highest preference school for which you are eligible.

I put an out of catchment school down as first choice and got it.

Rural village school, intake of 16 and somehow Dd still managed to get a place.

Assuming you don't put it on your form, the only way he could be offered the school closest to you is if all the schools which you do put on your form fill up with with children who fit the criteria better than you, and the local school still has places after all the allocations have been made.

You say that you have a "dead cert" school, but how dead cert is it? And how many spaces do you have on your form? If you have more than three, you might be wise to put
1&2. Out of catchment schools you really want

1. Local dead cert

4&5. Any other schools you would consider

1. Local school you want to avoid

The reason being in case something weird happens and you don't get your dead cert or any of the other schools, you might prefer to be in the local school you don't want, rather than a school miles and miles away that no-one wants either (which is what might happen if you can't be offered a place at any of the schools on your list). Putting it last on your list won't have any effect on whether or not you would get any school above it in the list.