primary admissions strategy?

[user1494360838]

Hello!

first time we are applying to schools and we need some help!
We are so fortunate in having lots of schools in our borough which are good, but we are not definitely "IN" any catchment, and the one we are most likely to get in "School A" (we would have gotten in last year) is our least favourite as it is a bit school with large classes and 5 intakes a year.
The other schools we may have gotten in, depending on the year. School B is really small and we would have only gotten in 3 years ago and just missed out the last 2 years, School C we are a bit closer to as its bigger, but would just have missed out last year (maybe would have gotten a waiting list place)

My son has not got a formal medical issue, however we have been strongly advised he would not cope well in a big school as he has massive concentration issues.

Should we - put School A as a first choice, knowing most chances are we would get in, or....
put the other schools in the borough which we would prefer down as our first few choices, and put School A down last?

Our borough admissions are done on a preference basis and also distance.

i just dont know what is best!I I would rather he doesnt go to School A as I think he will be so lost, but i dont want him to be sent to one of the other shcools miles away in the borough which (as 2 working parents) would be an absolute disaster as we couldnt drop him off there (plus School A is better than the others - it genuinely is 4th on our list!)

any advice would be SO appreciate! x

I am assuming you aren't in England, as it is now against the law to use preference as a part of the admission criteria.

Where are you (which country) ?
As in England, the final date for Primary admissions was 15th Jan, wasn't it ?

i am in England - and we are preparing for our applications for next year

our borough in london you have to list your preferences - i have never been told this is illegal?

Put them in the order that you actually want. That is the only strategy there is.

Having concentration issues won't have any sway. And even if it did being in a small school wouldn't help his concentration.

The admissions don't see what your preference order is so effectively each school treat each application as a first place preference. (You can see this on the data for previous years as number of applications received ... they don't brake it down by 1st/2nd etc) Only the office/admin/computer system that works it all out actually takes in to account your preferences when it works it all out. Putting school A 4th will not count against you but it may mean if you get in to school b or c because of low birth rate in the catchment area/others preferences (which nobody predicts) and get allocated there instead.

Unless he is diagnosed with something then you’ll have to put your first and second choice down and then school A somewhere on the list so you at least get that if there are no places for you after all the distance and other higher up the list criteria children have been given their places in the other schools (if there is no space for you). Otherwise if you don’t put A and there are no spaces then you’ll just be given the nearest school that does have places which could be miles. Presuming you are in the UK then this ‘preference’ thing is a myth - it isn’t an actual criteria until the children who have actually met all the criteria have places then your preference will be taken into account if there are still spaces left.

You do list them in your order of preference but it wont be taken into account by the schools as it operates on an equal preference system. You could put a school first but if they fill most of the places that year with LAC, SEND and siblings then the distance for catchment will be very small. The fact that you have put it as your first choice would mean nothing.

On the basis that is a blind system (I.e. the schools don’t know where they’ve been ranked) you should put the banker of school A on your list but put the schools you would prefer higher on the list. So could do B, C, D, A. If you don’t get into the first 3, then you’d get A as your safe choice.

Its not illegal to rank your choices by preference! Its required on the form...

In London, you get to put down 6 options in order of preference. If it works the same where you are, then you should put school A last.

If you can't get into any of your other preferred schools based on the distance criteria, you will still get into A assuming you meeting the distance selection criteria for A.

Putting the school last doesn't reduce your overall chance of getting in. It just allows you a chance of getting your preferred schools if you qualify that year.

You'll also automatically remain on the waiting list for all the schools you put ahead of the school you get into on national offer day so if a place comes up it will still also be offered to you.

Good luck

Please don't listen to Pinkflop

Your preference ranking means that if you qualify based on the admission criteria for more than one school, you'll get your higher ranked choice first. It means quite a lot what order you put the schools in but of course its no guarantee...

You've misunderstood what I meant. Years ago the schools would see which order of preference you had put them in, and many would set it as one of their admission criteria. So a child who put a school as their first choice but lived 3 miles away could potentially get a place over someone who put it second but lived in the next street.

The local authority can no longer set preference as an admission criteria.

You are ranked against each child wanting that school.
Put schools you want and stand a reasonable chance of getting into, to reduce the chance you will get a school not on your list.

Put your genuine order of preference, but make sure you include at least one school that woukd be acceptable to you, which you have a high chance of gaining a place in - I am guessing that will be school A in your case.
I think people are talking at cross purposes a bit regarding the word preference. Of course you get to express a preference, and if you are eligible for places in more than one school, you will be allocated the one which you have listed higher on your preferences. But schools aren't allowed to say " we give preference to pupils who place us as first preference" and nor would the LEA favour a child who had, say, school C as their second preference above you with it as third preference, if you lived nearer. They must allocate places in accordance with their published admissions criteria, not give places to those whose applications suggest they want a particular school most. Hope that makes sense, and good luck.

This is so helpful thank you! Wish us luck !

Good luck!

Can I suggest that ... whilst it's good to be planning ahead, your DC will change massively over the course of the next 11 months, and perhaps you should be looking with a bit more of an open mind at this stage.

For example, your DC might have concentration issues now but, if there's not underlying medical reason, he might have matured enough in the next few months for that not to be an issue any more.

I agree with Red .
Park this until Sept/Oct. Children change massively at this young age.

Thank you
I was so disheartened by his montessori teacher telling me he is so behind with listening and took him to tennis classes where every other child listened and played along and he just ran around the court ignoring them

There are other added benefits of the other schools like longer days and longer holidays but also close to the station which as two working parents is pretty key
But... I will do whatever is best for the wee chap to help him maximise his happiness and educational potential!

Can I ask how old he is, because I’m guessing 2 or 3 and if so I would respectfully suggest that the Montessori teacher is talking out of her left buttock. And as for tennis...most 2/3 year old would prefer to run around the court ignoring teachers!

Thank you @happydaysareheretostaywhayhay

I agree...
He just turned 3 last month