Primary school admissions - Help

[ThisAintALoveSong]

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??

It's looking like an option LittleBearPad but they adore their current CM so I'd feeling bad taking my business elsewhere. She's a family friend, I've known her years and was so chuffed when she set up her business cos she's amazing with children

But they can still see her at weekends.

Reality is that you'll have to move them. Kids adapt though and you'll find someone new you like. DD went to three nurseries and had a nanny. All the changes weren't planned but they had to happen. She was fine.

Sorry the bit about seeing her at weekends is cos she's a family friend.

If a school is undersubscribed they don't give a 'last distance'. They put 'all applicants admitted ' or some similiar phrase .

You have found that your favourite school had space to admit one child in the 'other', distance based category. Your second choice was under subscribed , so no 'last distance given (because other people from miles around could have applied and got a place, if they wanted). If your 3rd choice gives no distance it could be because all places were admitted on siblings and faith, and that there were no successful distance admissions.

Put your school's down in the genuine order of preference. You might get a place at your first choice, if for example, there are fewer sibling places taken up this year. Also you automatically get put on the waiting list for any schools higher up your list if you don't get an offer straight away.

Could your CM not do a pick up from the other school? Or is it too far?

Can I ask how you know your second and third choices were undersubscribed last year?

You will only be given an offer of one place: if for example your 2nd and 3rd choices would both be able to offer you a place according to their criteria, the LA will allocate you a place in your 2nd choice and turn down the 3rd choice place for them to offer elsewhere. In that event they will then put you on the waiting list for your 1st choice.

Can I ask how you know your second and third choices were undersubscribed last year?

Our council has a list in the admissions handbook with the PAN and how many children were admitted (including how many siblings, LAC, EHCP and last distance offered if full, plus how many appeals were lodged and upheld) so if the PAN is 60 but the number admitted is 51 (an example from our area, then you can tell it was undersubscribed.

I've just checked the list, and 22 primary schools in our city were undersubscribed last year, including 3 Catholic/CoE ones. Secondary is the problem here this year.

Yes, that's the kind of info that most LAs publish - and very helpful it is, too. But I think the OP is saying that she can't find that data for her area - but says in her post of Thursday 16.03 that her 2nd and 3rd choice schools were undersubscribed last year. I am wondering where that info came from. Because if it was from a reliable source then you should be fine not listing your closest school.

Otherwise, it might be a good idea to put it in last place .