If you work at a school would your child be prioritised for admission there?

[Flingmoo]

I am thinking of applying for a TA role at my local primary school. Incidentally I would like my DS to attend that school in a couple of years time, unfortunately it is oversubscribed. I don't think I'd want to work there if I have to send my child to a different school as the convenience is one of the main things that appeals to me! Do you know if a parent working at a school makes a child more likely to be offered a place there?

I doubt it does help but thought it would be worth an ask!

In short no. Check the school's or council's website for details of the admission criteria. There's a child of a teacher in my child's year and on the initial allocations the child didn't get in as they were furthest away and only got a place when others declined places

You need to check the admissions criteria for the school. Children of permanent teaching staff do get priority at our school

No wouldn't be consideRed a factor at all

Only if it is in the admission criteria. I have seen it but usually there is a time period in advance of applications that you need to work there for. If it's not in the admission criteria then even the Head's child won't get a place.

If the school specifies a category for children of staff (which is permitted, but most schools do not choose to have) and that category is high up in the hierarchy of categories, then yes your chances of a place are rather better.

But, do check which staff and what length of service is required to qualify. This is something governed by the Admissions Code (which has force of law) and they cannot nudge through a near miss.

And if there is no such published category, then working there makes zero difference to your chances of securing an offer.

It depends as others have said.

H teaches in a (secondary) academy & our children would get priority as its on the admissions criteria. That would not be the case at my (primary, non-academy) school.

It's in ours. Staff children get admission if working more than two years on a permanent contract or children of teaching staff recruited as part of difficult to fill posts at any time on a permeant contract.

My local community school gives staff nursery places for their children before they are three!

Generally no but look at the published admissions criteria. A few academies have some limited exceptions for staff.

You need to check the admissions criteria.

Staff children aren't on the admissions criteria for non-religious, non-academy schools in my LA.

A few (not all) of the religious schools have staff children on their admissions criteria, although not as the top criteria.

Near me that is

You definitely need to check the admission criteria. Is it a community school? - if so the information should be on the councils web site. None of our local community primary schools give priority for children of staff, however our secondary schools which are academy's all do so it will depend.

Our school began to just this year subsequent to becoming an academy.

Schools being convenient for parents' lives applies to everyone, you being a TA shouldn't prioritise you in any way.

NB Don't assume anything from nursery attendance either: all our primaries have a seperate admissions criteria for Reception and stress that attendance at nursery is no guarantee of a place in R.

But if the job suits, take it! You may well get a place for your child as it is local, and then you can re-assess once your child's school is known.

In my school no. They tried to amend the admissions criteria a while a go to include priority for children who had attended the nursery (if in catchment or not) and also for children of staff but it did not go down well and the idea was shelved. It will say on the schools admissions criteria if this is one of their points.

Our school is an academy and they do give some priority to staff who have worked permanently at the school for 2 years or more. I think staff come after catchment children so they usually get in because the school never fill up from catchment alone.

I know one school that does this, but it applies to qualified teachers only, not TAs or support staff, as they don't have any difficulties recruiting to those posts so don't need to offer it as an incentive.

Our secondary has it in admission criteria, right under children in care.

But it's only for teachers children