Schools out of catchment

[Butterfly94]

So we've just been to see a primary school today (DD starting school in September) which was absolutely amazing. We only really went in the first place as we need 3 schools, but came away thinking that we want DD to go to this school! Only problem is that we're one road away from catchment (according to locrating) and it's single form entry so half the amount of places! We're going to put it down as number 1, with the school we're in catchment for as number 2. I just wanted to hear some success stories from people who've got into schools out of catchment - does this happen a lot or is it quite rare? No siblings or anything, so we're bottom of their list, and they're always oversubscribed. I wish I didn't love it so much!

Define "catchment"..... ;-)

Is it an absolutely defined, written in the admission criteria, catchment with names roads, (which will be clear in the school admissions criteria) or is it just "the distance admissions normally go out to", which will change year on year?

Either way, you should be able to find historical allocations data on either the school or LA website, which should show you how many people are admitted under each criteria and distance where relevant.

For most admissions policies, the furthest distance from which pupils get in fluctuates from year to year, so there's a chance. It will just depend on how many 4 year olds there are living nearer (or in priority admission categories eg because they have an older sibling there).

So looking at some spreadsheets, it seems that last year 14 places were given to out of catchment, and only 2 were given to 'catchment, siblings'. And the applications keep going down each year according to the data. So..I guess I'll stay hopeful! It's close to two bigger schools so maybe people living closer go to those as well!

I think there is a good chance your child will get in.

My daughter goes to a school out of catchment. I recommend putting some effort into the 'why i would like my child to go to your school' part of the application.
Be honest, but it might help if you could imply you like the school's ethos and are good parents - value a good education blah blah blah.

That's encouraging @Boating123! It sounds stupid but I didn't realise there was a written part of the application form, so I'm glad we get a chance to sell ourselves to them. Is that for each school you put down?

Schools don't even read that part. Its purely down to criteria.

As long as you list your catchment school somewhere, you should be fine. (I'm guessing you mean defined admission areas, so everyone has a catchment school?). All applications are considered equally wherever they are listed.

I recommend putting some effort into the 'why i would like my child to go to your school' part of the application.
Be honest, but it might help if you could imply you like the school's ethos and are good parents - value a good education blah blah blah.

This is really not how it works in the state system (I'm afraid! If only). Read the admissions criteria, apply using your actual address and yy to adding one realistic "banker" school that you will certainly get into, to your application, but putting your genuine first-choice school first.

The only useful things to add in the comments box are things which relate to the application such as

"We were allocated this school for our elder child as the only one with a vacancy. You guaranteed out younger DC would be treated as 'in catchment' siblings, despite address, as that was only way to have then together. Email from Ms X of (date) confirms this

or

Following conversation with Mr Y on (date) I want to confirm DC uses a wheelchair and all the schools we have listed are fully accessible. Please avoid allocating a school which is not accessible.

or

Supporting documents for case for admission under Exceptional Social Need were hand delivered to Council Office today (we have receipt signed by Ms Z)

As others have said, this will not help at all, and legally cannot. The admissions must be run using the published admissions criteria, and cannot take comments such as this into account.

It is very frustrating for those of us in appeals that this box remains, because it is understandable that people assume it makes a difference, but it does not and cannot.

It is a very subjective question you're asking! Each school intake will be different each year - you don't know how many will be sibling applications, how many are looked after children, EHCP etc.

To give you an example, my DD started school this September. We chose a 2 form so 60 places. 31 of those 60 places went to a sibling and the remainder of the places were allocated on a tiebreaker distance.

It really depends on what category the other applications fall into.

As others have said, you don't sound stupid at all because this isn't true I'm afraid, and places will be allocated strictly according to the admission criteria. As also explained by a PP, the only time what is written here would make a difference is if it puts you into a higher admissions category, such as if there is a category for social and medical needs and your child has a specific reason that comes under this category.

Just to be clear on how the order you list schools matters, there is an equal preference system and you should list the schools in your genuine order of preference, including somewhere on the form at least one school that you can be fairly sure of gaining a place at if that exists (usually your catchment or nearest school). Schools do not give priority to people who list them first/higher up the list, so if a school hypothetically had distance as its only admissions criteria and I listed it first but lived 2 miles away, and you listed it third but lived 1 mile away, you would get the place over me (assuming your first and second preferences weren't able to offer you a place). There is therefore no 'gamble' or risk in listing an out of catchment school first if it is the one you prefer as long as you also include your catchment school/a school you can be fairly sure of getting a place at somewhere on your list. It is unfortunately still a fairly common misconception that schools firstly offer to people who list them first, then those who list them second, etc, so you have to hedge your bets, which hasn't been the case in England for about 15 years! Schools also don't just offer to those in catchment and then stop- if there are places left then they will be offered in line with the admission criteria, and if they have fewer applicants than places then everyone who applies will be offered a place, even if someone currently lives at the other end of the country. There will therefore be lots and lots of people whose DC attend a school that isn't their catchment school.

My son got in at the school I work in for reception this year. We are out of catchment and even a different local authority. We have a lot of our of catchment kids at our school though.
I placed it as first choice and my actual catchment school as third choice.
As a member of staffs child he was priority group 4 and out of catchment children are priority group 5.
He got really lucky as school increased the pan after an extension, had he been last year's reception he wouldn't have got a place.