Buying but confused about schools

[confusedhubby]

Hi All,

So heres the deal. Wife loves a flat in Portsmouth Road, Putney, SW15 (Highland Heath) but the only two schools that I believe are in the catchment area are:
Roehampton CofE Primary School and (0.4 miles)
Our Lady Queen of Heaven RC School (0.4 miles)

I am perfectly fine sending my son to either of them. The problem is that they are Christian and Catholic schools (from whatever research i have done). The issue is Not whether I want to send but will they accept my son? We seem to be towards the end of the priority list as we aren't from the same religion, don't have another child in the same school, etc.

The other school nearby is Prospect House School (0.4 miles again but independent). But the Mrs wants to send him to a state school.

I am clueless about these things. Should I make an offer to buy? I am confused about:

• Will either of the state school take in my son?
• What happens if both refuse?

Wish i was more God loving/fearing and would go regularly to my temple/church but that won't be happening for sometime soon.

Any suggestions (I repeat any) would be helpful - I am that clueless about this. My son is 16 months and want to buy where a preferably outstanding/good school admits him.

Thanks

Looking at those two schools, their catchments (the specified parishes) apply only to ranking the churchgoers and so won't be relevant to you.

As you don't go to church, you'll be in the lowest category for both of them, and that is by straight line distance (no catchment) and will vary each year. Have they actually admitted any children from the category you'd be in at all in recent years? (Neither school, on current published criteria, has any quota of community places).

It's quite possible that the schools would fill all their places before reaching the last category, and so would be unable to offer a place.

You would need to use all the spaces on the application form, putting down more distant schools and hoping that you qualify for one you like (or at least have an easy journey to). If you qualify for none of them, the LEA has to find you a place somewhere, and it would be the nearest school with a vacancy (with free transport for your DC if over 2 miles). If you're in a black hole, and there is no school with a vacancy within a reasonable distance, then (if a lot of chikdren are affected), a bulge class might be opened somewhere, or a school could be forced (under the fair access protocol) to admit an extra pupil, but it would be the school the LEA decided was best able to cope, not necessarily one you preferred.

Are you in the catchment for Ronald Ross Primary School? Of course being in the catchment doesn't mean you get a place!

I think Highlands Heath leaves you in a bit of a non-church state school lacuna

Do as Tiggy suggests and conduct a bit of research but I think most people conclude that it's a non-starter I'm afraid

Not sure if this is in catchment but it is a school I didn't spot earlier.

Will look into the details.

Thanks

Thanks All for your replies.

Will go back and do some more research. Hate the idea of being put into a lottery and the council deciding where the child will go.

Do you understand the basics of the system? You talk about schools refusing to take him and not wanting the council to decide? If you want a starting guide we could do one?

You may well have enough time to meet the churchgoing criteria of the C of E school, if you so wish?

What about Granard and Hotham school?