Primary School Preference

[ELW85]

Hi all looking for a bit of clarity ahead of applications being made in September.
We have a nearly 3yo (who will start school nursery in September and goes to private nursery now) and a 1yo (who goes to the same private nursery).
We have been offered nursery places for both the school nursery we’re in the catchment for (when the time comes) and the other school we’re considering (who our current private nursery do the wraparound for).

The quandary…
Most of 3yo friends will be going to the school and nursery attached to the current private nursery but we aren’t in the catchment for this (by a whisker).
Both schools are excellent but I think I’d prefer they both go to the one attached to the current nursery.
The problem is if we apply for a school place and they don’t get in, the other kids will have built friendships etc and DS might feel a bit left out.
Also, the school we’re in the catchment for was over subscribed this year and our first choice was not.

The other factor is I don’t want them going to different schools and if we DID get a place in our non-catchment first choice, DD might not get in when the time comes.

So I’m not sure what to do. At all.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

It all depends why you’re saying the non-catchment school is your preference?

Are you perhaps being swayed by the fact that you know more people going there/know the wraparound position?

Yes to be fair I think that’s exactly what it is!
DS is more familiar with it because even now they share the track/grassy area so I just feel like it’s less upheaval, but if he went to nursery there and didn’t get a school place, it would be more jarring I think?

Most schools have siblings higher up the allocation than distance so all siblings get places before any distance/catchment places. You need to check the school policies because this would make a big difference to my choices.

Have you checked your local birth rates? In London birth rates are dropping and catchments are growing for Reception places.

If the school you like has a siblings as a priority in their admissions policy then my advice would be to out your favourite school as your first choice. The friendship thing will work itself out quickly.

I sent one of my DC to a local pre-school specifically so she could get to know children who would be going to the same school as her. Once she was there, she never played with them and made new friends, so I wouldn't make your judgment based on friendship circles at the age of 3/4. Most children start school in a completely unfamiliar environment so I don't think that's a big factor either.

Try your best to look at both schools as if you don’t have any preconceptions or links (I know this is hard to do!). 7 years in primary is a long time and worth thinking properly about what’s best for your family.

I’d choose your nursery based upon the school you think you prefer and hope you get a place there for reception. It may even be that the nursery experience puts you off a school, although I’d hope not!

At 3 it’s highly unlikely strong friendships will last so I wouldn’t base decisions on school around these - kids tend to just like other kids and adapt so well. Our school nursery class had almost half going to other schools (highly unusual, usually it was about 90% staying but I think it was a bit of an odd intake with it being a Covid year) and the parents were beside themselves at needing to break up friendships. As far as I know, all kids settled into their new schools fine and none of the kids missed their old “best friends” past the first few days of reception.

Oh thank you everyone that’s really reassuring!
I’ve read the admissions policies for both and they state it’s all equal preference but the criteria are sibling link then distance if it’s over subscribed.

Most reception DC just make new friends anyway

I honestly wouldn't worry about it - mine are in y3 and y6 now and neither of them could tell you which kids joined in Reception and which were at nursery.

My son didn't go to the nursery at school as we moved house. The nursery had 56 places split into morning and afternoon attenders so the groups were split into only 23 kids anyway and not able to mix. The school only has 45 children in each age group so 11 children weren't going to make it anyway then there were other kids like my son who were higher up on the admissions criteria so by the time they all reached reception there wasn't many of the nursery children left in the cohort anyway.

As the schools prioritise sibling link above distance, your youngest will almost certainly get into the school if your oldest gets a place. Whilst sometimes there are years with a lot of siblings, I haven't come across a case where there have been so many siblings that they don't all get a place.

Thanks all.
weirdly the catchment one was Outstanding back in 2014 but has f had an inspection since, which I find odd.

I've taught reception for years and in my experience, most friendship groups change by Christmas. Each reception class ends up being a mixture of am/pm school nursery, private nurseries, other school nurseries and children who have never attended an educational setting.

How this works is likely depended on the density of the area you live. I'm in London where children at my school have 4 school choices within a 10 minute walking radius.

Have you visited the schools? I definitely wouldn't use an outdated ofsted rating as a major indicator as plenty can change in 9 years.

I’ve visited both. They’re very different.
The (outdated) outstanding one is very small, one form year. It has a forest school and seems quite big on citizenship etc from what I hear which is nice but mixed reviews of the head. This is the catchment school that was over subscribed.

The other school is bigger, 2 form year and was recently inspected as ‘good’ but the report was glowing and said the outcomes for the children were brilliant and it had set itself an ambitious agenda but was committed to delivering it. I’ve only heard good things about it, and the staff.
We’re outside of catchment for this one and it was undersubscribed.

I’ve emailed to ask when the next i speso due because how can anyone make a decision on information from 9 years ago?!
I really think the bigger one is best but I am worried about either not getting in or then DD not getting in when the time comes.

"Outstanding" schools were exempt from full re inspection from 2012-2020, which is why the ofsted is old.

The intention is to reinspect them all by august 2025.

Ah thanks @PatriciaHolm hopefully it’s soon then!

I wouldn’t place too much emphasis on an Ofsted report personally (although obviously there’s likely something going very well in an Outstanding school and badly in an Inadequate one).

The primary school my son is in got downrated from Outstanding to Good. The Outstanding was old (over 10 years) so it wasn’t really a surprise. Given the chance, I would still 100% choose this one over the Outstanding school down the road, because this school suits us and we know it does well for the pupils there.

Schools are so dependent on their leadership (and primaries, very dependent on individual teachers) and the cohort each year, so things can change very quickly if there’s staffing changes or a year group is not a good mix.

The attainment information online is now super outdated, but maybe something will be published before you need to apply? I know our school happily published their results in their newsletter (I believe this year results weren’t required to be published through) so maybe if academics are important to you you could ask individual schools if they’re happy to share these, as some might be?

@RachelSq I agree, I think Ofsted reports are one piece of the puzzle.
I get a better feeling about the one we’re not in the catchment for, so fingers crossed we get in!