catchment school over subscribed

[aGalChangedHerName]

Got a letter to say local catchment school is over subscribed.

The letter mentions that i haven't added any supporting other information and if i wish to do so i must add it now.

What should i put My 2 ds's went there, my mindees are at that school and dd2's nursery is nearby.

Is any f that any good? If not what will they be looking for???

I think you could argue that as a cm already picking up from there, logistically it makes sense for your dc to be there too. Really they are after any specific needs or reasons why that school would suit your dc ahead of others in the area and which might give you priority over other children meeting the admissions criteria.

Will put that as a reason but not sure they will really care that i'll lose my job if dd1 goes to a different school.

God didn't have this hassle 13 years ago when ds1 was going to school

Not sure what that means Riven (sorry not a clue about this)

It is the only school within walking distance i would think?

It is ridicilous isn't it? We are very close to the school and it's still iffy. The problem is that house builders have thrown up so many houses in the last few years that the school is usually over subscribed.

I do use my car sometimes but prefer to walk the dc if i can. I don't use the car in snow/ice etc and it is the only school we can walk to as the others are too far away imo.

I may ask my mindees parents to write a letter also. They will be stuck if i have to give them notice too.

Is it over subscribed by children from the catchment area? It may be that the school is oversubscribed with children from outside the catchment applying. Whatever the case, the distance that you live from the school will make a huge difference - and certainly up here it's "safe walking distance" which is the criteria. If you will lose your job then you should def. use that in your statement, and back it up with a letter from your employer to that effect, as they are looking for evidence of your claim. Good luck - it's a horrible situation to be in, I know.

aGal - Whatever you write as supporting criteria MUST be about the child, not you.

So, if you want to write about cm etc., don't say that you'll lose your job, say something about how your child has a relationship with the cm and it will be unsettled, that it will cause disruption, if you lose your job, for your child, etc. etc.

Sorry, I just noticed no-one else has mentioned this yet. Hope someone else will come on and explain in clearer terms, afraid I have to go. good luck. Very horrible situation.

The problem is that we have a rising population with Govts who are closing schools whilst house building (until recently of course) was going on at a rate of knots. Our 2 local schools are oversubscribed, but that didn't stop the Council granting planning permission for loads of new houses. It's all money in their pocket, with the parents only being guaranteed a school place in the LEA - nothing in law to say you have to have a place in your catchment school. They're very clever that way [angy]

Will get the parents to write letters. I would lose both mindees,can't be in 2 places at once lol.

Will phone on Monday and find out by how many it's over subscribed by and how many are outwith the catchment area etc.

Thanks all xx

Riven,do you have to get dd to school or do you get transport bcause it's a distance away?

Cherry it would be the mindees i care for who would need new childcare so would it be better to put it that way?

OK aGal.

If your school is oversubscribed re. the catchment are, it means they now have to apply their oversubscription criteria, which you will be able to find on the school or the LEA website (hopefully).

As a rule of thumb, these are: 1. Children in care 2. Children with social/medical reason for applying to this school 3. Children with sibling at this school 4. Places allocated to other children on a distance basis.

That is a rule of thumb only; faith schools are v. different and LEAs and schools often have little variations in their priority order.

So, if you have dc at this school already and they will be there when your little one applies, you need to make this very clear on the form.

If you have looked at the order of priority and you think that you are not close enough to get in under distance allocation (you're near but not that near) and your dc will have no current sibling at the school (or the sibling priority is not in place at this school), then you are essentially applying for a place on social/medical needs grounds.

As a rule of thumb, there are about 2 per 30 places allocated on these grounds (Please anyone - feel free to correct all this). I don't know where you are but where I live, these places are considered, with good reason, with great care.

The places are allocated on the social/medical grounds of the child. So you have to prove why your child needs that place. So although you can say that it's going to lose you work, you need to show that this will have an adverse effect on your child. And you need to show supporting evidence of everything you assert.

Now, I could be wrong about all the above. The situation may not be quite the same where you are. It may be enough to say that you will lose work and it will be inconvenient for the parents of your mindees. BUT that would not be enough in most areas.

Is it too late to go and have a chat to the admissions secretary?

Is this a blanket letter that's been sent out to all applicants? And if your DD has SNs that mean she can't go to her nearest school, then that is surely what you need to stress in any correspondence with them. Or have I misunderstood?

Clam yes a blanket letter. My dd doesn't have any SN's.

I am being a typical parent and want my child in that school that's all. It's the school that my ds's went to and where her nursery pals will be going.

Thanks Cherry

She has no medical/SN's. No sibling at the school.

Will just pray she gets in and write letter.

Sorry. Should have read the thread properly. Muddled you with Riven.... (sorry Riven, too. And I hope your DD is on the mend. I read she was in hosp)

I've just posted a separate thread to this - my mindee lives 2 miins walk from me and has been accepted into reception, my son hasn't!

Agalch: just saw this and wondered if you had got sorted. It is really unsual in Scotland for you not to get into your "catchment" school: our catchemnts tend to be more more defined than the English ones. Maybe they were just trying to check if you really were intending to send your dd2 to the school, given that the Scottish way is to enrol at the catchment school and then do a placing request to a different school if you want one.

If you haven't got a place, and the class sizes that have been allocated for the P1s is less than 30, then you would win an appeal as they are legally obliged to let your dd go to the school, even though the Scottish Governemnt has set a target for school sizes of 18 (they may have set the target but they haven't changed the law!)

Prettybird haven't heard as yet. Could be end of May/beginning of June if past years are anything to go by.

The parents round here tend to hear later and later now

I'll keep my fingers crossed. 'cos you are in the catchment already I am sure you sghould be OK. The letter was maybe just to flush out anyone who might be thinking of going elsewhere.

Anyway, if the class size isn't 30, you can use the law to win an appeal. The target class size of 18 is just that: a target. The law is still 30. (.....so the Director of Educution for Glasgow told us at the Glasgow Fourm for Parent Councils)