School Places

[happymummy12345]

How did everyone get on? I hope people got the news they were hoping for?
My son got our first choice, I was so nervous to open the email. I literally cried with happiness. It's the best school by far out of our three nearest and by far the best place for him. Feels very real now.

[PatriciaHolm]

@ktd27 - yes I can see the admissions stats for last year, but not this one.

As I say, that's not surprising at the moment, its too early for most authorities to bother and especially at the moment I doubt it's a priority.

[PatriciaHolm]

@peardrop3 If you want to PM me the name of the school I can take a look at the criteria and see if there is anything obvious.

The other school will be the nearest school that could offer you a place based on how you fit the criteria. It may not be your nearest school.

[KTD27]

@patricia thank you

[Peardrops3]

@PatriciaHolm just PMd you thanks!

[Themostwonderfultimeoftheyear]

First choice here too :) we just had to accept on the online portal which I have done.

[PatriciaHolm]

@Peardrops3 -replying here as it may help others, though I won't name the school.

The relevant admission criteria are very simple, and after looked after children and siblings, simply look at distance from school.

If you are sure your distance from school is closer by their measures than the distance they say the furthest child is admitted, (are those the measures from your letter/edmissions portal?) then its possible they have made a mistake. You need to find out what distance they have for you for schools admissions purposes - this will be from a specific tool used which calculates your address seed point, not a general map/Google etc. They can tell you this.

it's also possible that the distance they quote is for a sibling or a looked after child, who got in ahead of you as they were a higher category, but I think you do need to check with them that that is the case.

[happymummy12345]

@PatriciaHolm thank you for the reply. We've lived at our current address since 2017 and would be able to prove it if it came to it. But that's good to know as I have been worrying since we found out we may have to move that even if he got his place at our first choice he may not get to keep it if we moved. So it's good to know that's unlikely as it's a genuine move (if it happens) we will be fine.
So I take it I don't need to tell them anything unless we actually do move in the future?

[Peardrops3]

@PatriciaHolm

Thanks for your reply... we spoke to them on the phone and they used their system to confirm distance... but you could be right could be another criteria... will call tomorrow and hopefully get some insight! But my concern is if they have made a mistake then what is the solution?

[PatriciaHolm]

@peardrops3 - If they have made a mistake and you should have been offered a place, what they should do is offer you it now.

However, some admissions authorities will force you to appeal, but if you can prove they have made an error and that error cost you a place, it should be pretty easy to win.

[Peardrops3]

Ye that’s true :( but I feel really sad now I know there worst situations I could be in but this sucks!

[DrCoconut]

Getting ready for an appeal here. The way it is at the moment my kids will be at schools a car journey apart. The school that DS3 has been allocated is good but I need him and DS2 to go to the same one for practical reasons. I can't do both school runs without being late for one. I'm a lone parent on a careful budget so paid childcare every day will be a huge burden. And DS3 is at nursery (pre Coronavirus) at DS2's school, it seems awfully unfair for him to have to move school and childminder (for my work days, she only collects from current school) then move back when a place comes up, which it will at some stage. Luckily we are top of the waiting list so may get in anyway.

[PatriciaHolm]

Drcoconut - do you know whether this will be an infant class size appeal? (it will be if classes in YR/1/2 are arranged in 30 children to a teacher).

If so, your logistical problems won't be relevant I'm afraid as there are a very limited range of grounds you can win on (basically, the admissions authority made a mistake, the admissions criteria are unlawful or not to give a place is so perverse as to be "unreasonable" (in the sense of irrational/perverse, a very high barrier).

Fingers crossed for the waiting list!

[Peardrops3]

So just felt to update you all on here we
Spoke to the council this morning and they basically said that the original distance they told us was in correct and that the last place offered on distance was to a child 0.001m ( that’s 1.6 meters Btw) closer then we are! It’s beyond ridiculous and sounds untrue but I have no evidence for the initial distance quoted as I didn’t record the phone call etc so guess we going to just have to wait and see where we are on the waiting list and hope it somehow works out!

[Lm1981]

Hi all,

Our DD got her third choice primary school, feeling pretty deflated to be honest. The school is good but it’s 2.5 miles away, the one we wanted is 1.2 miles away so walkable.
What I am trying to understand is is it the council who went through all the applications for first choice or is it the school themselves. I know each school has a policy on order of priority but don’t know who actually goes through the applications and makes the distance calculations. I am going to appeal but understand it’s going to be very hard to turn this around.

[LIZS]

LA would provide the information on distance, even where a school does its own admissions. Every application for each school (whether 1st, 2nd or 3rd) is put in order of meeting the criteria and the determining one within (often distance) and applicants are allocated their highest preference for which they qualified for a place.

[Lm1981]

Thank you, at an appeal if I asked them to vet the distance of all the people who got accepted to ensure that it was done correctly would they?

[PatriciaHolm]

Do you think something is incorrect, Lm1981? That your measurement is wrong?

[Lougle]

In short, no, they wouldn't recheck everyone's distance just to reassure you. However, if you showed that your distance was incorrect because, for example, they measured from the wrong point, or they used 'as the crow flies' measurement when their rules say that nearest walking route is used, that's a bit different. In that case, they would need to recheck everyone's distances again to work out whether you should have got a place. If you found the error, but they can show that even without the error you wouldn't have got a place, you still wouldn't win.

[bombaychef]

Lm1981 the distances are done via a very very accurate computer programme. You'd need to prove that the distance they had you down as was wrong.

[bombaychef]

@peardrops3 as soon as I read the comments I though the original distance could not be right. The greatest 'distance' quoted on LA web sites is the distance for those selected on distance (not siblings etc)
Hopefully you'll get in on wait list though as so close ! ..

[Lm1981]

Out of interest what is the worst place someone has gone into a waiting list at and then been successful?

Also what happens after Dec 31st with waiting list , do you have to reapply? I spoke to the head during the open day and he said you would have had no problem getting in within last 4 years based on distance but somehow this year more have applied. I am going to try and move house once this lockdown finishes , hopefully further down line that will improve chances of getting into the school we went even if it’s a year or 2 down line.

[bombaychef]

That's not going to help tho. A one form entry in a non city area will be miles from a large city school. Ours is a 120 intake in an area with high movement and lots end up going private - so you could be no20 and still get in by year 1 etc. Other schools there is zero movement

[pitterpatterrain]

Was going to say the same as Bombay

And for us they actually added another class so DC1 was in a bulge class

[Headache87]

Hi does anyone know how the 'Continued Interest' works?
My DD didnt get any of our choices, we have 2 schools near us ( not much difference in distance) The one furthest away she went to pre school there then nursery so made lots of friends and is a great school etc which was our first choice....She was allocated the 2nd closest school which was definitely not on our list!!!! So obviously im gutted. We are on the continued interest list but were told to accept the school allocated and this didnt affect getting into the school we wanted. Pleeasssssse can some one tell me how this works? If we accept surely they think were happy with allocation and want that school? And same for spaces getting into the school we want, if the parents that were allocated the school we want accepted even if they didnt want it how on earth can they work out if theres spaces if they tell everyone to accept? I didn't want to accept, i dont want her to go to the allocated school at all but was told i had to accept otherwise she could be without a school at all???