Attending preschool to increase chances of getting into primary school

[TheChineseChicken]

This is possibly something that varies by school so I may need to contact them directly but just seeing if anyone can advise.

DD is 18 months and attends a private nursery. The primary school we would like her to attend when she is 4 is very popular and oversubscribed - although we are only a few minutes' walk away I understand from their admissions criteria that proximity is fairly low down so we aren't guaranteed a place.

Would sending DD to the attached preschool increase her chances of getting a place at the primary school? Or does it have no impact? Does anyone have experience of this? And would it be worth expressing our interest in the preschool now to guarantee a place?

TIA

You should be fine. That's a completely standard set of criteria. Chances are there will be very few places in categories 1 and 2. Demographically the statistical probabilities are that a bit less than half the available places will be taken up by siblings - unless there was a "bulge class" added recently before the year of your own DC's admission. That's when eg a school that normally admits 60 children will take 90 for one year only. That can have a knock-on effect on sibling places for a few years, peaking at 2 years afterwards. With a distance of 0.1 miles it is almost certain that you will get a place.

However, don't assume that because it is currently good and popular that this will still be the case by the time your 18mo is 4yo. We failed to get a place at the nearest popular school, being 5.5 metres further away than the furthest admitted applicant. 3 years later the school we failed to achieve is in special measures with staff leaving in droves and kids being let down, whereas the "ok" school we got instead has improved year on year and has won awards for excellence.

Outstanding schools do not always stay outstanding.

Locally, a school consulted on including attendance at a preschool onsite as part of their admissions criteria. They were advised that it could be challenged with the Ombudsman because preschool education is not compulsory and out other children at a disadvantage in including it. They didn't include it in the end.

*put, not out.