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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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:
FiveGoMadInDorset · 30/09/2016 09:30

Their admission criteria should be open the schools website

Witchend · 30/09/2016 09:36

Suburban we have a faith school locally that has just been upgraded to good status. It's undersubscribed and a few years ago I believe they actually were one whole class under pan.
It's picked up slightly since the initial terrible ofsted, but still majorly undersubscribed.

t4nut · 30/09/2016 09:48

So jealousy it is then?

Original poster
ThisAintALoveSong · 30/09/2016 10:27

I'm sorry t4nut but if you are going to leave a single comment, at least back it up with something. No need to be bitchy! No it's not jealousy, if you'd taken time to read my post, 1) it's my preferred school and 2) it's for logistical reasons.

Who the feck am I jealous of? Do you speak to people in RL this way if they ask for advice?

OP posts:
Shurelyshomemistake · 30/09/2016 11:37

No it definitely doesnt put you out of the selection process. Put it down anyway: previous years are only a guide and intake areas can vary massively from year to year.

Original poster
ThisAintALoveSong · 30/09/2016 11:45

Thanks Shurely - I'll just have to see what the outcome is and panic about logistics when I know where DS is going. I'm more worried that my son will finish school waaaaayyy before I can even pick him up and that there will be no-one around to help out. Working out of town is a faff, thats for sure.

Anxiety sucks!

Thanks for all the helpful comments.

OP posts:
LarkDescending · 30/09/2016 12:34

Have you looked the relevant school(s) up on Findaschool?

Original poster
ThisAintALoveSong · 30/09/2016 12:56

Yes Lark, I viewed this information, some of it isn't complete though.

OP posts:
Shurelyshomemistake · 30/09/2016 13:11

The info on that site is unclear and potentially inaccurate. It it the admission area for children who meet the religious criteria? Other children? All of these? Really not clear: la or school should give correct info.

Overrunwithlego · 30/09/2016 13:31

Can you tell us what LA you are in?

Overrunwithlego · 30/09/2016 13:42

Somewhere on the LA website must be an explanation, for each school, of what criteria the school admitted to last September and to what distance. The one for my LA looks like this

Overrunwithlego · 30/09/2016 13:58

Also on the LA you will be able to find what the subscription criteria are for each school. In Cambridgeshire the criteria most schools use is:

  1. Children in Care, also Looked After Children (LAC), and children who were looked after but ceased to be so by
reason of adoption, a resident order or special guardianship order;
  1. Children living in the catchment area with a sibling at the school at the time of admission.
  2. Children living in the catchment area.
  3. Children living outside the catchment area who have a sibling at the school at the time of admission.
  4. Children living outside the catchment area who have been unable to gain a place at their catchment area school
because of oversubscription.
  1. Children who live outside the catchment area, but nearest the school as measured by a straight line.

So if last years information states criteria 5 up to a distance of 2.3 miles, that means that everyone falling into criteria 1-4 got a place, as did those in criteria 5, with the last one living 2.3 miles away (I think in Cambridgeshire that distance is as the crow flies). Of course both the criteria that a school admits to, and distance within that criteria, can change markedly year to year, but it is something to go on.

So for example the year my ds started primary, they admitted to criteria 6 and a distance of about 3 miles. Three years later when my dd started, they only admitted to criteria 4 and a distance of about 1.2 miles.

The LA have to be able to provide this information to you in order for you to be able to make an informed decision.

A quick word as to how the system works. Your 3 preferences are simply that - preferences. For each of your 3 preferences, your child will be ranked, according to the criteria in which they fall (and then by distance within that criteria). Preferences only exist to ensure that a child is not offered multiple places. If you are lucky enough that your child is high enough in the ranking to be offered a place at more than one of your preferences, your preference will then be taken into account. So if you meet the criteria to be offered your first preference you'll get it - even if you were much higher up the list of your second and third choices. This is why you are advised to choose your catchment school as one of your preferences (even if it is third). If you don't get your first or second choice then you should be assured to be high enough on the catchment school criteria to be offered a place. If you don't put your catchment school down, then everyone who has listed it a preference gets a place above you - even though they may live much further away. Its only if there are still places left that you would be offered place - otherwise you will simply be offered a place at whatever the closest school to you with capacity is. Rather a school that you don't want that is close to you, than a school that you don't want that is miles away.

So you can see that within the system, the opportunity to use childcare as a reason for your choice is non-existent. It really is only things like medical conditions that would be taken into account.

Original poster
ThisAintALoveSong · 30/09/2016 14:13

I'm in Lancashire.

OP posts:
Original poster
ThisAintALoveSong · 30/09/2016 14:18

Overrun how did you obtain that info? I can't seem to find it on my LA website...

OP posts:
LittleBearPad · 30/09/2016 14:23

Usually it's on the website. Are you sure there's nothing on the website.

Which LA is it if you don't mind saying. My own has a massive admissions book online with distances, criteria etc. It seems odd yours doesn't.

meditrina · 30/09/2016 14:29

Section 2 under 'how to apply' gives the criteria for Lancashire (subdivided by three regions)

www.lancashire.gov.uk/children-education-families/schools/apply-for-a-school-place/apply-for-a-primary-school-place.aspx

Are your candidate schools all missing from that? If so you need to get on to the council asap so it can be rectified.

Overrunwithlego · 30/09/2016 14:30

OK - this page seems to include a lot of information for each school, including catchments and the over subscription criteria (links for each school at the bottom of the page)

www.lancashire.gov.uk/council/strategies-policies-plans/children-education-and-families/school-admissions/determined-admission-arrangements-2017-18.aspx

Original poster
ThisAintALoveSong · 30/09/2016 14:32

Meditrina.... my schools are listed, that's not the problem. I've looked on Lancashire county council website for previous years admission info to no avail, which is what I'm looking for if anyone can guide me in the right direction.

Then again as pointed out by Overrun they might admit pupils based to differing criteria this year than last year based on how many people apply this year etc.

OP posts:
Overrunwithlego · 30/09/2016 14:37

Had a quick look and can't find at present the allocations information for last year....but they must have it. Might be worth sending them a copy of the Cambridgeshire one as an example and asking them to supply it?

Original poster
ThisAintALoveSong · 30/09/2016 14:38

Thanks Overrun I may just try that. Our council is sloppy haha

OP posts:
flowery · 30/09/2016 14:41

"My second preference of school...is the opposite direction to my mother's house but closer to me. Meaning DM would have to pick DS up every day and its a bus ride away... she's not in the greatest of health."

Have I missed something why would your DM 'have' to pick him up? Surely there must be other childcare options near that school rather than your mum in poor health having to travel on the bus every day?!

LIZS · 30/09/2016 14:44

It is unlikely the criteria will change, there has to be a consultation period well in advance to do so, but the number of applications falling within each category will vary. However if a school is usually oversubscribed I would expect that the distance to anyone admitted in the "other" category, assuming admissions go that far, is typically tight.

Overrunwithlego · 30/09/2016 14:45

Good luck.....and unless the system has changed, you can amend your form right up until the closing date, so if you do discover information that would change your approach then you should be able to do so.

I view the process as a delicate balancing act. Understand that it may be necessary to approach it as needing to do your best to ensure that you don't get a school you really don't want, rather than doing your best to get a school you really do want. A bit pants but it is the reality in some areas I'm afraid.

LittleBearPad · 30/09/2016 14:49

Once you know where he's going to school you find a local childminder to look after your baby and pick him up. It will be fine.

Original poster
ThisAintALoveSong · 30/09/2016 14:58

Sorry I meant differing criteria as in the numbers in each criteria category may alter year on year. So last year they may have admitted to a category 7 whereas this year they may admit only up a category 4... Not changing the criteria altogether.

I've applied to the three which I think are the most suitable. None of them are particularly bad schools. The school nearest to me is one I haven't applied for. It's utter crap, hence its not made my shortlist. I'm hoping I get offered at least one of my three choices and they don't send DS to crap school

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