What criteria determine the order of the waiting list for a primary place?

[PolypGrunterPulpit]

Is it first come first served? Or is there more to it than that?

Usually the criteria for that school's admissions.

Depends entirely on the school. They all have their own criteria.

Its usually the same as the criteria for admission to school in the first place. Only way to know for sure is to ask the school.

It will be on the school's website

Usually it's based on the same order of priority as normal applications. So for our local school, EHCP/LAC would go to the top of the list, then siblings, then catchment kids, then anyone else in order of distance.

So someone could be first in line, but then move down the list if the school get applications from a higher priority group.

Usually criteria. You can go up and down. My DD started at 9th, went to 1st when her sister was offered a place, then was admitted on appeal.

Looked after children usually come first

It's according to the published entry criteria

So you might move down the list if someone moves closer to the school than you.

Or you might leapfrog others if you establish exceptional medical/social need (if the school has that category) or if a sibling is admitted

IIRC - here it’s:
In catchment - siblings
In catchment
Out of catchment (by safe walking distance to school) - siblings
Out of catchment (by safe walking distance)

I think all schools are different though.

In catchment is also by distance from school

OP look at the school's website and the LA website. There is no general rule or standard criteria, it depends entirely on the school.

No-one on here will be able to tell you without knowing which school you're considering.

Oh wow, I didn't realise it varies - I thought there was a standard protocol! Shows how clueless I am about all this 😬 I guess it works the same for a mid-year admission? We're going to be moving house and DS will have to move to a new school.

Yes, it varies by school which makes it more complicated, but it's actually much better for you than it being first come, first served - it means that if you move very close to a school, you've got a good chance of entering the waiting list high up, even if there are lots of kids already on the list. Harder for those who've got their heart set on a school they don't live that close to - I know of people locally who've been waiting two or three years for places at schools, but because they live a mile or so away, there are always people moving in closer, so they never make it to the top of the list. It's good for keeping schools local.

Here its:
LAC/PLAC
EHCP
Special Circumstances or EHCP Application in Process
In Catchment Siblings
1st or only in catchment
Out of catchment siblings
Any other child

Catchment changes every year so my about to be year 3, in her year it went out to 1.9m, but this year it's only gone to 0.9m

Catchment can only be changed after public consultation, and there should be a published map or detailed description alongside the entrance criteria.

Not everywhere had catchments, and goes almost entirely on distance (which can any significantly between years)

It is a standard protocol - the waiting list is held in the same order as the school’s published admissions criteria - but those criteria can vary a little from school to school (eg whether there is a formal catchment, whether the criteria distinguish between in-catchment and out of catchment siblings etc).

Yes, when people talk about ‘catchment’ changing from year to year, it usually means that the distance at which the last place was awarded under the category of distance from school has changed (which it inevitably does with varying numbers of siblings etc).