Cross-London borough applications.

[MiaSparrow]

Hi all,

We live in quite a remarkable area in that it borders FIVE London boroughs and will be applying for Primary for DD for next September. We've recently moved outside of the borough where DD goes to preschool but dearly want her to continue there into reception. Am I right in thinking applications are done purely on distance (is that what the whole Pan-London system is all about?). Or are we less likely to get in now that we've moved to - and will be applying through - a different LB? Technically we're nearer our second choice now, although there's not much in it. The catchment areas here are tiny.

Thanks! x

All schools have different oversubscription criteria. Annoyingly, you need to check for each school. But being in a different borough definitely will not count against you.

The relevant local authorities will publish booklets saying what the admissions criteria are and the last distance offers were made to if distance is used.

Pan london admissions just means the applications and offers are administered centrally, not that the admissions criteria are harmonised....

Thanks Concerned that's good to know about the boroughs at least. Yep, it seems they're all over-subscribed around here, which has led to them creating a brand new free school too, so at least we have that as a separate option too.

We're in the same situation, but with four London boroughs. You apply to your local borough, but can list any school you want from any borough and it's then allocated by distance.

Ah yes, and check out the free school's application procedure. Sometimes in the first year of operation/ first wave of applications, they can be outside the co-ordinated (pan-London) admissions arrangements. I think you must live near a friend of mine somewhere around St John's station??!

It's not necessarily allocated by distance. Some schools will prioritise siblings above all others, and have distance as a tie-breaker for non-siblings, others prioritise practising members of the relevant faith (and this can be very strictly defined in London). Some schools you don't have a hope of getting into unless you attend the appropriate church/ synagogue/mosque. Community schools tend to go on distance though; there are also rules about certain groups, like looked-after children, getting top priority. It ain't as straightforward as it might seem...unfortunately.

Borough boundaries are, by law, of no relevance in admissions decisions.

The only sense in which the Borough matters, is that you apply for schools through admissions in the Borough in which you reside, and it is the Borough in which you reside which is legally obliged to provide a place for your child, should you otherwise be unable to obtain one.

So go ahead, cast your six preferences, and ignore the Brough boundaries.

if you are, as you say, moving closer to school 2, and that school uses distance, then your chance of getting in to school 2 is greater than it was, despite the fact you are now in a different Borough.

My children are at Coleridge school in Crouch End, Harringey, in London. Its only a few yards fron the border with Islington and it has quite a lot of Islington children.

Most boroughs use distance as a tie-breaker, but some use defined catchment areas (Tower Hamlets of example), so it's worth checking. All the information should be on their websites.

I wouldn't say your borough residency doesn't matter. Our nearest primary states: siblings, looked after children, closest distance applicabts within the catchment area, children of the borough outside the catchment. I doubt they would prioritise a child outside their catchment area over a child that is slightly further out but in the borough. I live on the cusp of two boroughs and the primary we're hoping for has a very clear cut catchment area. To one side of the school there is the other borough, literally 2 streets away but the catchment finishes there and goes well into the school's borough on the other side.

That sounds like it might be it might contravene the Greenwich judgement if they specifically prioritise borough, rather than catchment, which happens to follow the borough boundary.

I'd be concerned that siblings are placed higher than LAC too. The admissions code states that LAC and formerly LAC should be given the highest priority.

But the catchment is within borough only. Just because the next borough starts a street away from school, the children on that street (i.e. even one side of the street) will not be prioritised. They can surely apply but because London schools are oversubscribed, those children will not make to the top of the list.

I think, as long as the admissions criteria refer to 'catchment' and not 'borough', it's fine, although I'm no expert.

Do they prioritise siblings over LAC?

They cannot legally put siblings ahead of looked after children.

Having a catchment area that coincides with the borough boundary is fine but they cannot legally prioritise children outside the catchment area just because they are in the borough. So "children of the borough outside the catchment" is not allowed. And if they don't have a formal catchment zone but simply use distance as a tie breaker they must not give any priority to children living within the borough.

If the admission criteria are as stated this school should be referred to the Schools Adjudicator.