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Primary education

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Original poster

Primary school admissions - Help

84 replies

ThisAintALoveSong · 29/09/2016 14:23

Sorry if this kind of question has been asked to death but I'd love some advice.

I have to apply for my sons primary school for September 2017 start. My preferred choice is a faith school (CofE) which I believe is out of my catchment area. I'm not 100% certain of this though as I don't know how I would find out the boundaries.

I work in a completely different city to where I live. My children attend a CM who lives down the road from my preferred choice of school and her son attends said school. Suffice to say she does drop offs and picks ups from this school and I have cited this as a 'reason' on my application form to the LA. The other reason being that my parents live round the corner from this school so if CM was unavailable my parents could step in.

Do you think this is a valid reason to cite as to my preference? I am out of the house from 8 am and don't get home til after 6pm. I don't follow any particular religion (I'm catholic by default but non-practicing. I've attended church a handful of times since my eldest son was born).

It makes sense to me that both my sons are happy and settled with CM, her son attends the school I would like them to attend, she is on hand and already does pick ups and drop offs for before and after school club. Does this go in my favour for admission? Most of the criteria is based on children with a previous looked after sibling, those with social or medical needs, then all the faith criteria after that.

I think I fall into the criteria of 'other children'. I'm getting stressed about the whole process as there is no way on this planet I can finish work any earlier than I currently do!

Can anyone advise??

OP posts:
Original poster
ThisAintALoveSong · 29/09/2016 15:24

There's an after school club til 5:30. I'm not home til after 6pm plus I'd still have to leave my baby with somebody.
The beauty of my CM is that she is my friend from when I was at primary school, we've grown up together, our kids have grown up together. My sons absolutely adore her and I trust her 1 million % with my kids. It sounds daft but I can't imagine them being looked after by a stranger now.

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titchy · 29/09/2016 15:25

You don't have to be churchy or believe. You just have to turn up every week or fortnight for six months. But you didn't so you can't use that...

GiddyOnZackHunt · 29/09/2016 15:25

If you look online at the admissions info you should be able to view the admissions criteria for the schools, the lowest category from which a child was admitted and if distance was applied as a deciding factor, the distance between that child's home and the school.
That will give you a guide.

Original poster
ThisAintALoveSong · 29/09/2016 15:26

Yep titchy life gets in the way and religion comes bottom of my priorities when I find my faith particularly lacking...

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mouldycheesefan · 29/09/2016 15:27

Was your friend attending prior to 1st September? Presumably they are looking for a years regular attendance. Every fortnight is regular. But some vicars require more frequent attendance.

Original poster
ThisAintALoveSong · 29/09/2016 15:28

No she only started attending when she had to apply for a school place.

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SuburbanRhonda · 29/09/2016 15:45

No she only started attending when she had to apply for a school place.

When she told you this, was there any reason you didn't think maybe you should start going to church as well if you knew you wanted your DC to go to the same school?

Original poster
ThisAintALoveSong · 29/09/2016 15:54

SuburbanRhonda - yeah but my main reasons for not doing is due to being busy, plus I don't want to feel like a fraud. I'm open-minded when it comes to religion, but don't necessarily follow it myself, I only tend to go to church at Easter, Christmas and for events such as christenings. I'm not even sure I want my own children to be baptised, I would like them to learn about different religions and then make up their own minds. hence they've had 'exposure' to church every so often but I'm not too fussed about it being indoctrinated if that makes sense. It does somehow feel 'wrong' to me to start attending mass when I'm not fully convinced by it all. Each to their own.

I just rang the LA and asked re catchment areas. The man on the phone said they don't necessarily go by catchment areas and he couldn't tell me the last admissions for the three schools I've picked who was furthest away by proximity. He just kept saying that they don't have a catchment area policy per se. So I think my best bets are my second and third choices which aren't bad schools

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AndNowItsSeven · 29/09/2016 15:58

Op still put your first choice school down as number 1 on the form. It won't affect you chances of getting a place at school two or three.

LIZS · 29/09/2016 16:01

How many preferences can you list? Make sure you include the closest school you'd be happy with, even if lower down. If not and there are too many meeting the criteria ahead of you you may end up being allocated a less desirable school in a more awkward location.

Original poster
ThisAintALoveSong · 29/09/2016 16:03

Thanks AndNow - my 1st choice is 0.7 miles away and was over subscribed for the last year. The other 2 are 0.4 miles away and were under-subscribed last year. Apparently my house was 'inside the admission area in 2016' for the latter two schools according to data on Rightmove.

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SuburbanRhonda · 29/09/2016 16:04

I agree with you that pretending to practise a religion in order to get your children into a faith school seems immoral but tbh I'm sure faith schools know it goes on and don't seem to do anything to stop it. I can't blame people for taking advantage of such a big loophole.

We are always oversubscribed and the next on the waiting list is always the child who lives nearest by the safest walking route.

Original poster
ThisAintALoveSong · 29/09/2016 16:05

I can only list three. To be honest I'd be perfectly happy for DS to go to school #2 even though it's a logistical nightmare. I liked this school when I went to look round, it exceeded my expectations. My bias still lies with school #1 though

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Original poster
ThisAintALoveSong · 29/09/2016 16:07

I agree with you there Rhonda - it does seem so many can take advantage of the loophole but it still doesn't sit right with me. Am I therefore being discriminated against for having scruples Grin. 'Tis a damn flawed system

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mouldycheesefan · 29/09/2016 16:13

But if you are not religious why would you want your child to go to a faith school anyway?!

RustyBear · 29/09/2016 16:19

Please don't base any important decisions on data from RightMove. It's frequently inaccurate or out of date, or both.

Original poster
ThisAintALoveSong · 29/09/2016 16:26

Cos it's a flippin' good school mouldy, one of the best around. Ofsted reports are brilliant and I don't mind my kids learning about religion as I don't enforce it too much

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smellyboot · 29/09/2016 17:27

What LA are you OP??? the admissions inform for previous years should be available otherwise you can't make an informed decision.
It should, be on their web site or in a booklet.
In our area it's all on distance after siblings etc. no catchments. Except parish schools. Neighbouring LA is totally different.
As others have said, your personal circumstances are not considered at all.
The computer simply doesn't care.
You either qualify for a place or not

PatriciaHolm · 29/09/2016 20:53

Your childcare arrangements are irrelevant for admissions (and appeal) requirements I'm afraid. The "reasons" box is there to ensure those who are applying under a specific category (say medical needs) can flag it appropriately. Nothing else is taken into consideration.

if you fall into "other children" then your application will be considered under the oversubscription criteria for that category, normally distance.

Shurelyshomemistake · 29/09/2016 23:22

It's really not good enough for the council to say they can't provide information. They actually have a legal duty to provide admissions advice to parents.
Your 1st choice may be a voluntary aided school and if so it will be able to give you information directly. Just ask what places were offered last few years under each criteria. If they refuse make a FOI request.

LittleBearPad · 29/09/2016 23:30

Are you sure the furthest distance a child was admitted isn't on the council website. Rightmove must be pulling it from somewhere.

Childcare arrangements are irrelevant I'm afraid otherwise everyone would use them as a reason to get into the local outstanding school.

Ditsy4 · 30/09/2016 04:46

Have your children been christened? This can make a difference.
Your children are going to learn about religion in any school as it is part of the curriculum. A faith school has a bit more,mainly assemblies. You may get them in anyway depending on how many fulfil their criteria next year, the birth rate that year etc.

meditrina · 30/09/2016 06:45

"The schools just don't give out catchment area map"

If they actually have catchments and do not do this, then they are in breach of the Admissions Code, which is a serious matter. There is no way someone can accurately apply for the school for which they have priority as an in-catchment applicant if they do not know which school's area their address falls in to.

Do however remember that

a) some areas simply don't have catchments, so there isn't anything to put on a map, and
b) even living in catchment may not be enough to qualify for a place if there are more children in the catchment (possibly siblings as well, if all siblings come ahead of catchment) so you also need the actual admissions footprint. You need to ask what is the greatest (sometimes termed 'last') distance admitted. If the school doesn't tell you directly, the LEA should be able to.

The box for 'reasons' in the form is a requirement of the Code, but only makes a difference if it is signposting information that makes a difference to what admissions category your DC falls into. For example 'my child uses a wheelchair and it would be perverse to offer a school with doorways narrower than XYZ. All the schools listed can accommodate the chair' or 'our eldest child was placed in this school as it was the only one with vacancies when we moved. As such, our younger DC are to be treated as qualifying siblings despite living outside the catchment area. Ms X's email of (date) confirms this'

SuburbanRhonda · 30/09/2016 07:24

But if you are not religious why would you want your child to go to a faith school anyway?!

Because we all know that any school that practices selection will attract pointy-elbowed parents in some way or another, which will lead to standards rising. I've asked on a similar thread whether anyone knows how over-subscribed (or not) poorly-performing faith schools are.

And judging by colleagues who have children in the local outstanding RC primary who then go on to the outstanding RC secondary, church attendance goes out the window once the child has got a place.

Original poster
ThisAintALoveSong · 30/09/2016 09:26

There is no catchment areas as such for the school I'm applying for. School #1 and #3 are prioritised on faith, one being CofE, t'other being RC. So they will sort this out according which category I fall into....

School #2 is non-faith and I haven't even seen any admission criteria for it... I can't find it anywhere. When I went to visit the school, the headteacher did explain they do tend to give places for this school based primarily on proximity as the crow flies. I'm only 0.4 miles away, the school is pretty much round the corner.

I've done some digging around, the last person admitted to school #1 fell into the category of 'Other children' - they were the only one that did! And their distance from this school was 0.47 miles away. So with me being 0.7 miles away I guess that puts me out of the selection process.

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