Feeder school without enough places..

[movingprimaryschoolanyadvice]

Hi all. Can anyone help with this question.

My child is in year 2 at infant school. We need to apply for a year 3 place very soon. The school is linked to the nearby Junior school as a "feeder" school. The admissions policy for the Junior school top 3 criteria are as follows:

1. Looked after or previously looked after children.
2. Children with exception social or medical need or statement of SEN naming this school.
3. Children attending X Infants school. (The one he attends).

There are 90 children in the infant school. There are 90 places at the Juniors. Not other Junior school nearby and all other nearby (ish) primary's very full with long waiting lists. These are the only two schools in the village so pretty much everyone will apply.

If ANY kids are admitted under criteria 1 or 2 then there won't be a place for that many children under criteria 3. We have since moved quite a distance from the school so I believe we are the only family this far away. If they have to choose which child they can't offer a place to under criteria 3 due to places being given to children under criteria 1 and 2 then will it be the child who lives furthest who doesn't get the place under criteria 3?

Sorry if that's confusing.

Duh. Posted in wrong section sorry.

get HQ to move it :-)

Yes, it will be the child/ children who live furthest away who won't get a place.
The infants my DC3 goes to has increased the intake from 60 to 70 for his year. However, the junior it is a feeder for hasn't Therefore, some of his year won't get a place at the juniors and it will be decided by distance.

Do they specify a length of time dcs have to attend the feeder infants school OP?
When we applied for Junior schools they gave feeder school priority only to children who had attended the infants school for the full 3 years i.e. since reception, then those who had attended for less than 3 years and then distance.

Are you sure there are only 90 places in the Juniors? It's not uncommon for junior classes to be up to 33 or 34 children.

It is usually distance but this is not a given and the admissions criteria should state how they manage oversubscription. It doesn't seem clear here. Do they not go on to say something like 'if more children than places that those living nearest will be given priority?'

I am afraid that what you say could possibly happen but not that likely. The LA will have to find you a school place but from your post this maybe a considerable distance away from where you are at present.
The only alternatives are firstly to consider what other schools are a viable option (even if they appear to be full) and put them down as preferences and then see what happens. If you do not get a place at the junior school, then you need to go to appeal and appeal on the basis that you are from the feeder infant school and need a place at the school. Given it is not an infant class size case there is no maximum on the class size of 30.

In a similar situation, a friend of my child obtained a year 3 place on the basis that he would be the only child not progressing with his friends. Definitely appeal if it comes to it, and come back on here where there will be excellent advice.