Primary School Allocation Day: Thursday 16th April Thread 2- let the positive vibes continue!

[MTWTFSS]

I only want good news for all of you- Do not disappoint me!!! :P

It wasn't my friend's mistake.

The thing is that sometimes oversubscribed can be sudden and unexpected.

Infant school dd1 went to in her year there were 42 1st place applicants for 60 places.
Next year they got 120 1st place applicants. Only one thing had changed in the school (or surrounding ones) They had been graded outstanding, up from good. So much for people saying they ignore OFSTED. And the school who in dd1's year had been vastly oversubscribed has never been oversubscribed since-despite also getting an outstanding a couple of years back.
Although they were hopeful for more applicants, they never expected it to be that much of a swing.

Another school (junior level this time) whose catchment area when we arrived was measured in metres, has not changed, but another junior school has been turned around by a new head, and now the people who bought the houses next to the school to be certain 5 years ago are complaining they can't get into the other one-and their catchment is three or four times the size.
Another local juniors, who was always slightly oversubscribed, now has shrunk a size of class because they didn't get enough applicants.
The only school that changed was the one with a new head, the others are as good as they ever were.

So one school changing can effect the others quite dramatically.

So one school changing can effect the others quite dramatically.

Ive seen this as well, our school was outstanding and everyone bypassed the next school along (good), next oftead report ours was downgraded to satisfactory and the other one outstanding so it switched to everyone including people in catchment for my school trying to get in the other school. Next ofstead the other one stayed outstanding and ours went to good with oustanding features. The other 2 in my town, one is outstanding but came from being poor, the other one was in measures and is now satisfactory. I think thw oftead reports cause more problems than anything else. A lot can change, during my 3 dcs primary years ive been at an outstanding, satisfactory, good school and not much has changed tbh

In my locality where I've lived all my life a popular infant school which has a 6 form entry has a tiny catchment. When I attended the same school back in the 1970s children came from about five miles around. The local houses nearby were mostly owned by the people who'd first bought them in the 1930s and their children were grown up. Demographic has had a major shift and now it is mostly young families. Catchment is a smidge over a mile, South East London is crammed. But then we have no key secondary unless grammar material or independent so many who have grown to love the area up sticks when DCs are 9 or 10 to move. Where is the sense, community or downright fairness in any of that?

Hello, I've stumbled across your thread while browsing and starting a thread ("hey Ho, hey ho, it's off to appeal we go" one- can't link on my phone).

Can I join in for support and advice? I'm not in a scrum from places down south but in the North West, applied for a village school that isn't our local one as it's small- intake of 15- and does forest school work and various other things I think will suit my dc. I have dts to follow next year. It isn't normally oversubscribed and I know 4 they have offered got in as their second choice. One is definitely appealing, one definitely accepting, 2 I don't know.
I'm on the waiting list. I have let them know I'll appeal. I really don't want our local offered school.

dreaming have you had a look at your local school? It may not be as bad as you think.

Otherwise do you know what space you are on the waiting list?

I sympathise as I didn't get my first choice either. I am having a bit of a wobble about the school I have been offered but will he going to view them shortly. I'm in London so the schools with places still available are dire

Thanks fluffy . Our local school isn't 'bad' at all. It gets an Ofsted outstanding. It's just on the most religious side of a church school, does this mixed teaching as they take an intake of 35- which means my September born DD goes into a mixed R/Y1 class instead of staying in the pure reception group. I hear 4 are appealing to get in so potential class size of 39 for KS2 (which they have done before and not particularly well I've heard) and I hear from many parents that the children moved up- which is done on ability by the end of reception- consider themselves the brainy bunch and tease the others. My DD is not advanced, not doing well at our busy local preschool for the school, has some dyspraxia issues I think (I was a paeds physio before SAHM). I also hear from multiple people the head is good unless you have a problem then she basically tells you it's not a problem

So various reasons I really really want to get into the small school on appeal or waiting list. I think but am not sure we'd be top of the waiting list. Depends whether anyone else is appealing. I've heard of one but he lives just slightly, marginally further away than us. I hope!

oh- I did look around twice. I really wanted to like it, it's 500m from us not nearly 2 miles down country lanes we can't really walk down as too narrow if any cars come and quite hilly.

dreaming fingers crossed for the waiting list.

If it doesn't come through then a lot of people end up loving the school they end up with. 39 in a class is nuts I agree, but hopefully that won't happen again.. I really don't understand how it was allowed.

When does the waiting list open in your area?

They get to 39 because they split in KS1 so the 39 are into 2 classes, a reception and a mixed reception/year 1, then half move up to Y1/Y2, half stay down, then all together from Y3. I just think either way 39 seven year olds is a bit nuts.

They told us that on the 1st May they look at any spaces and the reserve lists, offer any possible places by May 4th?? Then if you still haven't had any joy, appeal paperwork in by May 22nd. I've booked a private OT assessment today as I doubt the NHS one would happen in time. I know their priority system and how it works

I'm also looking at 2 other schools, one with a place which we did look at once and one without, tiny 2 class school but they were incredibly positive about us getting in on appeal. I just don't know who or what to believe about the chances of success.

Do you know much about the one you've been offered fluffy? was it any of your preferences?

It was one of my preferences, but I stupidly had my heart set on my first choice, which is my local school. Dd goes to nursery there, and all her friends will be progressing to primary. We missed a space by metres!

I don't feel the school I have been offered would suit dd so well. It is also nearly 2 miles away which can take an hour with London traffic.

I'm surprised the school is positive that you could get through on appeal. I was under the impression it was nearly impossible at this level. On what grounds are you planning to appeal?

If it is a tiny school with only two classes they may be positive about appeal because it is only about PAN and not ICS. If they reckon they can squeeze in a child with little bother and it isn't ICS then you won't have a particularly high hurdle on appeal.

Oh that sounds good penguins . It is that I think, with both the first choice school I'll appeal for and the tiny one. PAN not ICS. Though the admissions team said our appeal will be under a Prejudice appeal, that I will have to clarify what they mean.

We are appealing for the small first choice one (and the other 2 class school) with DD's motor skill difficulties, wanting a non faith school, DD struggling in her busier preschool but having no social issues (so far!) in the Reception class setting at our first choice school (they do a free wed afternoon session so she's been in their reception classroom every week since November). And hoping with it not being ICS as such if the school will show how they accomodate numbers. Plus the Head has said she has one family with 3 children emigrating and one family with 2 children moving to the north east so that may help once the class we are appealing is past reception- which is stand alone 15 children so fine to have an extra as far as I can see?! Any opinions?

Is it worth you trying to appeal fluffy ?

Oh- and the smaller school already runs and will still run both fine and gross motor skill groups which will benefit my DD. (my main fear for getting in is she's not great by any means but also not dire; as a paeds physio I saw many worse. She has been overtaken in most motor skills by my just turned 3 year old twins though... she's just over 4 and a half now, an early September birthday)

Dreaming - you will still be ICS if you are appealing for a school which has 30 per class up to the end of y2. It is called future prejudice. So 15 in reception then 30 y1 /2 is ICS.

quick question for the experts. If you decline the place allocated, will you still stay on the waiting list for your top choices? I gave six choices, none of which we got, instead got allocated undersubscribed worst primary in the borough. We have a private school offer as a backup, so I want to decline so they know we will never take the offer we got, but I also want to stay on the waiting list for the decent state primaries. The letter and the online info doesn't state clearly if you stay on the waiting list after declining a place. They just say you can accept and will still stay on the waiting list, which is fine, but it doesn't say if you also stay on the waiting list if you decline (and I am not worried about not being allocated any space, first because we can send DD to private school and second because I am quite confident things will work out via waiting list).

sanam - No. You accept the place offered and stay on the waiting lists. It is pointless to try and 'send them a message' that you'll never accept the failing school - to be blunt, they don't care.

Sorry, I wasn't very clear. What I meant was, there is no benefit in declining the place. It does nothing. And it increases the chance that there is some cock up which takes you off other waiting lists. Accept, stay on the waiting list and you are following 'normal' procedures, which decreases the chances of something going wrong and does you no harm at all.

Oh my goodness, none of 6 choices sounds tough. Seems like good advice already though.

I think the reason why the small school appeal is a prejudice appeal not an ICS appeal is because the children in KS1 can be split between the current reception and the Y1/Y2 class. The school has a high proportion of SEN children so I'm sure will have some who would benefit from this arrangement. The tiny school because it's just one class for the whole of KS1 taught together and isn't over numbers anyway. There are are several schools like that round here.