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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Late application to school I haven't seen

20 replies

satelliteheart · 19/04/2022 12:44

Primary offers came out today and ds has been offered our 3rd choice. On reflection I'm really not keen on him going to this school. I can't imagine us having any luck at appeal so not going to bother with that. There is another local school which I believe has spaces still. I rang the LA to ask the process and they said I can do a late application to a new school. The issue is I didn't view the school during the open days. Is there a chance the school would let me look round now? And if not, has anyone applied to a school they haven't looked round? I don't know what to do, I'm so devastated we didn't get our 1st choice and really want to make sure ds ends up in the right school for him

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ChicCroissant · 19/04/2022 12:46

I would not make a panic application for a school you haven't even seen.

ChicCroissant · 19/04/2022 12:47

You'll have a few days to weigh up your options, and ring the school to see if a visit is possible (it may well be). But do not just put down any other school, if you want to pick the right one it doesn't have to be today.

Original poster

satelliteheart · 19/04/2022 12:57

I'm not making a panic application at all. Many of my friends chose the school in question, I didn't view it as I thought it was too far away but now think the extra drive would be worth it if it's a better fit for ds and some of his friends would be there. I'm just trying to gauge if anyone has applied to a school they didn't look round or if anyone has had a school show them round after offers go out

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octoegg · 19/04/2022 13:05

Neither of our two nearest schools would let us look round, didn't do open days etc (and this was pre covid). Wasn't happy about it but had to put one of them as one of our choices and that's the one DC got. I wouldn't say ideal by a long shot, but it happens.

HurrahWuff · 19/04/2022 13:12

I've looked round a school that we were allocated but hadn't been in our choices. The school were really accommodating and welcomed us although it was so short notice the deputy showed us round rather than the head.

TheMagicDeckchair · 19/04/2022 13:21

We didn’t look around any schools before doing our applications. We had young baby twins when doing our applications and did the application early so we wouldn’t forget.

But we had already decided to apply to our catchment school as our neighbours spoke highly of it, had sent their kids there and were on the PTA. We knew other parents who’d sent their kids there, and the Ofsted reports and progress measures are all good.

CheesecakeAddict · 19/04/2022 13:27

Our area wasn't doing open days so we had to just base everything on ofsted reports (that are nearly 10 years old). Given that we were locked down or heavily restricted for the whole of the application process, I doubt we will be on our own there.

RedskyThisNight · 19/04/2022 13:30

Don't pick the school on the basis his friends are going there. That's not a good way to gauge that it's right for him.

I'd suggest ringing the school (or ringing them next week if it's still Easter holidays where you are) and asking if someone will show you round.

Daqqe · 19/04/2022 13:40

Many parents couldn’t look round schools cos of covid. You had no choice but to just apply based in their websites

That said, there is no reason why you couldn’t look round now. And I absolutely would in your scenario. Be honest & explain to the head you got non of your preferences & are now exploring options further away to see if they would suit your child. Don’t go slagging off the school you don’t want obviously! Schools will get this all the time after offer day & should be accommodating. After all, they want their classes to be full for funding.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 19/04/2022 13:45

I have been inside the school my children currently attend twice.... once to a book fair held in the school hall, and once just before Easter for my DDs SEN review. (So I've seen one classroom and one hall). They have been there over a year.

Thats pretty normal at the moment due to Covid.

I've only seen DDs secondary school she starts in September in passing.

Original poster

satelliteheart · 19/04/2022 15:04

@Daqqe thank you, I'll definitely ring them next week when they're back from Easter and ask. Just wasn't sure if it was acceptable to look round this late but you're right, I'm sure they want full classes.

Obviously wouldn't slag off our current option, the school is fine and I'm sure he'd be ok there if it comes to it, but the location is dire for us to get to and the layout of the school wasn't ideal (open plan for yR-3) and ds is quite quiet and shy and I think he'd be overwhelmed by the layout and so many kids all together

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Kddie · 19/04/2022 15:07

Why would you put a choice down if you dont want your child to go?

DeltaFlyer · 19/04/2022 16:17

@Kddie

Well I put our catchment school down as 3rd choice even though we didn't want him to go as it's a religious school. We did it so we had a local fall back option instead of something pontentially a long way away.
We ended up with 1st choice in the end thankfully.

admission · 19/04/2022 21:11

One thing that people need to recognise is that in many areas of the country the cohort for September start is low in comparison with other year groups and especially with pupils starting in september 2023.
If you did not get the preference you want, given there are fewer pupils starting school in September 2022, do not loose hope. There are schools out there with available places. Look at all the schools locally and see which appear to fit with you, then visit them and decide whether they are a possibility. Schools that are not full should be welcoming you with open arms, as school funding for 2023-2024 is mainly based on pupil numbers on a set date in October 2022.

BobbinHood · 19/04/2022 21:28

2 of the schools I applied for (including our first choice which we’ve got) weren’t doing open days because of covid so I’ve never visited them.

We did have a zoom call with the Head of the first choice one, which was actually more helpful than I thought it would be.

Original poster

satelliteheart · 19/04/2022 22:21

@Kddie it's our catchment school so was logical to put it on the application. Also at the time I thought I'd be happy for him to go, but as we're closer to the start date I have a better idea of his readiness and emotional maturity and I now think the layout of the classes wouldn't be ideal for him. Also for the last five years our 1st choice school has been unsubscribed so I genuinely believed we'd get a place so he'd never end up at the 3rd choice school. Unfortunately this year they are full with in-catchment children

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Original poster

satelliteheart · 19/04/2022 22:23

@admission thank you so much, that's really helpful information. I'd heard it was a low birth year for September 22 start but unfortunately seems to be a bumper year in the catchment of our preferred school. Will definitely ring round other schools and see how many I can look round

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Frazzled2207 · 19/04/2022 22:25

I would ask to be on the waiting list for 1st choice for starters. I know a few people who got in on a waiting list though in some cases right at the beginning of September.

artisanbread · 19/04/2022 22:25

If a school has spaces it will likely be keen to fill them. More kids = more funding. I would expect them to be happy to let you look around. I would lap recommend trying out the drive at school starting and finishing times if possible in case it will be more of a hassle than you are expecting.

Original poster

satelliteheart · 20/04/2022 13:37

@Frazzled2207 yes I'm on the waiting list for our 1st & 2nd choices and spoke to the council admissions team yesterday who confirmed putting in a late application to a different school wouldn't affect our place on the waiting lists. So really hoping a place does come up in our 1st choice

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