Do sibling rules still apply if you move?

[TourGuideBarbie]

My oldest DD is going to a lovely primary school, one form entry and we live on the same street...

My DH wants to move (for various reasons) though not far away, only within the same town but not the same street (which is about how big the catchment is!)

I want to hold off because we have DD2, and I want her to go to the same school.

Do siblings get rated on distance? How does it work?

Depends on the admissions criteria. Some will place siblings over distance. Others might place siblings within the catchment ahead of other catchment children , then siblings outside on distance.

Hmm, okay, thanks.

The school is great but the website is rubbish so having trouble finding this information

also rules can change every year

The rules will be by education authority which might make it easier to find out.

Around here, the sibling rule is very far down the list of criteria & catchment counts for much much more. If I were you & you want both at that school, I'd wait until your DC starts school before moving.

As people have said it varies from one LEA to another. This year none of the local children were allocated a place in our village school because of the sibling rule (most won their appeals but it increased the intake by 50%) and caused a lot of ill feeling.

All three of out closest schools put down siblings first, then by distance. And if more siblings apply than places they put closest siblings first.

You could give the school office a call tomorrow and ask.

It might also vary individually to that school, if it is its own admission authority.

Also, as pp pointed out, admissions categories (including things such as how siblings will be treated) can change following public consultation (which is really easy to miss, if you're not looking out for it). There is however a set timetable, and changes for the applications window opening this September (for Sept 2016 entry) must be announced by April 15.

Of course, if it is a small school and a bumper year for siblings (or just 2-3 years after a bulge class) there could be more siblings than places. Then (as distance from school gates is far commoner a tie break criterion than lottery) it is those who have moved furthest away who will not receive an offer. They will probably be high on the waiting list though.

My LA obviously have LAC & statements in the highest categories. After that it goes:
Children in catchment with a sibling at the school
Children in catchment
Children outside catchment with a sibling at the school
Children outside catchment

So you'd drop below every child who lives in the catchment area if you lived here.

Varies depending on school even in same LEA. Also can change yearly often happens if they get a load of families moving in getting 1st child the. Rely on SRto get subsequent DCs in ,then quickly move out of catchment.

No one here can tell you. You need to look at your local authority website for the admissions criteria for the school. But yes bear in mind they can change.

What year would dd2 start school? Around here they have just set the admission rules for 2016 and the new rules are in the minutes of the council meetings. They review admission arrangements about this time of year for the Sept of the following year so if it is 2017 or later you won't know yet what the criteria will be.

We live 6 miles away from our primary school, 2 DC in on the sibling rule

DD2 is only 20 months at the moment so ages until we apply!

It is a really oversubscribed and tiny school... The catchment was 385m last year. We better stay put!!

You need to stay put to be safe.

Round here you can move up to 2 miles away and retain sibling link so it does vary from local auth to local auth.