Catchment area question (Epsom ideally!

[NiamhC]

Hi all

We are planning a move for various reasons but number one is to be near good schools for our little boy. However, I am unclear about the whole catchment area thing, we have ound a house we like in Epsom and although we appear close to several schools it's still 0.5 -0.8 miles to both and I don't know what chance this gives us of getting in, I know the closer the better but any ideas on what is a reasonable catchment area. I understand it will vary but I have no idea what to go on at all or where to find out? THank you!
Niamh x

Call the schools and find out, they will be able to give you and idea of your chances of getting a place. Have you also checked out if the schools are worth getting into?

If you go to your local council website they should be able to tell you which school is the catchment school for the house you want to buy. It does vary, for example our catchment school is not the nearest school to the house we are about to buy, it's just how the area has been divided up.

Kind of irrelevant for me as I am moving my children within the school year so we have to find a school with places currently available.

Agree with Mcdreamy - on the council site under the primary admissions they normally have a table saying how far the catchment stretched to for the year below - you need to be at least 50-100m inside that I reckon...

As you are in Surrey there is no catchment area defined. Admission is based on proximity to school by most direct walking route. Whether you will get into a school depends on the popularity of the school and how many applicants live closer than you (after criteria such as looked after children and siblings are taken into account).

Take a look on the Surrey website to find the level of applications last year for the schools you are interested in.

which two schools ?
I would ring and ask as they will already have an idea about siblings. Also check what happens at Junior level do the infants carry through or do all 45/60 or you have to reapply, as no point having to go through all the stress again if you can avoid it

I live in Epsom! Which schools? My DD goes to Stamford Green.

Ring the schools, they will give you an idea of how far out on average places are awarded. There are no such thing as defined catchments for the majority of schools in Epsom, though Southfield Park is different; they give preference to kids who live the furthest away in their catchment.

The surrey website -

www.surreycc.gov.uk/sccwebsite/sccwspages.nsf/LookupWebPagesByTITLE_RTF/Allocation%20of%2 0school%20places%20offered%20in%20Epsom%20and%20Ewell?opendocument#rec

also gives distances. For example, for Wallace Fields - the highest achieving school in the area - they admitted kids 1.9km away (they are a big school tho, they take 90 kids a year). For our school, the effective "catchment" is around half a kilometre, so you would be right on the edge.

The point about juniors/infants also applies to Wallace Fields - you have to reapply to the juniors at age 7, and at present they don't give preference to those who attend the infants.

Thanks for this - ooo it is a minefield and the last thing we want to do is move house and not be able to get Max into a good school! However, we are also Catholic and I know St Joseph's is good and they operate different entry criteria based on mass attendance. I have looked at the Surrey website and we actually seem to be within a decent distance to a number of good schools including Wallace fields (we'd be about 1km away and the last intake stretched to 1.9km).... I am now completely confused to be honest but from what I can tell there are enough really good schools nearby and in fact better than most areas so I think we should progress with our move! It could all change by 2012 when he's due to go to school anyway!
Niamh

Just some info re distance from reception schools and allocation of places for 2011

Stamford Green
Distance = 0.85km, 0.5m

Wallace Fields
Distance = 0.74km, 0.46m

www.surreycc.gov.uk/sccwebsite/sccwspages.nsf/LookupWebPagesByTITLE_RTF/Allocation%20of%20school%20places%20offered%20in%20Epsom%20and%20Ewell?opendocument#14