Primary school waiting list and reception application.

[Teddy05]

Hello

Just hoping anyone can offer advice or personal experience. We have just moved house and are now out of catchment for my sons current school. He is year 1. I had hoped to move him to our local school but unfortunately it’s at 31 kids so no room. I have put him on the waiting list in hope that a space will become available and am keeping him in his current school until then. We didn’t accept the alternate school offered by LA for various reasons. We are due to apply for my younger ds to start 2022. My question is… if we get a place for the younger one at the local school will this make it more likely for the older one to get a place. I think we will most likely take the gamble but really don’t fancy a two town school run 😩

It will depend on the school's admission criteria. It will increase the likelihood of him getting a place if siblings are prioritised over distance. If distance is prioritised over siblings, then no, it won't.

Also, it won't make a difference until your younger son actually starts at the school. Simply being offered a place won't affect his older brother's position on the wait list.

As the previous poster says, it depends on the school's admission criteria. Check them carefully. Some schools that offer sibling priority specify that the older sibling can give priority to the younger but not the other way round. If this school is one of those, your younger son getting a place won't make any difference.

Your older child will be in Y2 when your youngest starts reception so infant class size rules will still apply , so an appeal on sibling grounds will be unlikely to succeed. When your eldest is in Y3 infant class size rules will no longer apply.

Do you know where you currently are on the waiting list? Currently two children have to leave to offer one place.

What you really need is an indication from the school as to how often places do become available. That is different in different schools. I know of schools where there has been no movement in three years, which would mean probably that you do need to consider further what preferences you put down for your younger DS. If however there are say 3 movements a year then there is some possibility of a place for elder son coming up before September and if you get younger son in school of improving elder son's place on the waiting list. But there is never any guarantees!

Thank you everyone for your replies. Lots to look into and think about from the sounds of things!

I’m going to call the admissions on Monday and the school to get a better idea of where we are. When I asked previously the school said that no one else was on the waiting list. Year 1 us already at 31 so looks like we will need at least two kids to leave before a place is available

my son is 4 his turning 5 December his in primary a far school the school I want his on waiting list number 1 and the school headteacher came yesterday they stayed 5 minutes then left I told them how long will I get answer they said its just waiting time am so confused help please guys what do u think?

Warda, its best to start a new thread for a new question.

If your son is top of the waiting list, then if a child leaves, he will be offered a place. (Note that he may not remain at the top of the waiting list; if someone applies who lives nearer the school than you or comes higher up the admissions criteria, they will take the top place and he will move down. However for the time being he is at the top.)

Do you know why the head came to visit? Do they think that they may have a pupil leaving? They can't offer the place until the pupil goes, but if they know that the family are probably going then they might be checking out whether you are still interested when that happens (some families might decide that their child has settled at the other school and won't move them).

If there isn't somebody they know is planning to leave, then it's anybody's guess how long it will be before a place becomes available. If it's the sort of area where people don't tend to move very often, it could be years.