Primary school applications - how much do you write?

[CountessDracula]

Am applying online for dd's primary school. We have no special needs, no siblings etc and have been told it will be decided purely upon distance. So is there any point in writing lots of blurb about what a fab school we think it is etc? Do most people?

Depends on whether it is over subscribed or not, and whether you live in the catchment area or not. If you don't think there will be a particular issue about getting in, then no I wouldn't write anything! Or perhaps just a line or two saying you enjoyed your visit and think it will provide the right environment for your child to learn in.

If it is oversubscribed, you had better start on the essay!

no, I wrote nothing on mine (we applied for a state school)

I think some people who applied for church schools sent more information in (but then they had to anyway).

if you are doing it through our borough system, it's all done by the LEA anyway who have no interest in additional info unless it is pertinent to the admission criteria

That's what I thought foxy

Hmm

For non-church schools they will just apply the stated over-subscription criteria, ie. some variants on the siblings, special needs, distance from school gates formula. Writing an extended syrupy essay won't change how far your house is from the school gates, so I wouldn't waste your energy. Possibly worth putting in a one-liner about liking the school, but not much more than that.

it's a mare isn't it! Are you close enough to a good local school?

I'm so glad we don't have to do it all again for a few more years

Your best bet is to make sure you include a second and third choice - FWIW. The last thing you want is to fail to get into your school of choice and be assigned to the local sink school.

Though, the impression I got was that unless you put the school first, you would not be considered anyway, so I am not sure of the point of second and third choices....

When does it have to be done by? The closing date round here was 20th October.

I wrote nothing on ours, just the choice of schools (panics now that should have written something and have irrevocably damaged my DD's chances by thinking "what will be will be"). I think if you are citing church attendance as a reason for admission, you have to include a letter from your vicar.

We should be close enough to get the school we want. A bit dependent on siblings of course.

I think I will write a little bit just to be on the safe side. And yes we are putting 3 schools

I doubt there's any point in writing anything that is not pertinent to the criteria. After all, state schools are not supposed to discriminate on the basis of how articulate the parents are. But if you want to be nice, and put a smile on the face of a school secretary, go right ahead.