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Property/DIY

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Original poster

It seems like all secondary schools are listed as oversubscribed on rightmove?

16 replies

FunRequirement · 19/09/2018 16:31

I'm looking at rightmove and all secondary schools are listed as oversubscribed. Is that normal? I honestly can't see one in any area that isn't.

OP posts:

muttmad · 19/09/2018 16:59

Id take no notice of rightmove! The school checker function has changed recently and is next to useless! Its listing all our local over subscribed schools as under subscribed and the one school that nobody wants as over subscribed!

jgm · 19/09/2018 17:12

Ooh that's interesting, I noticed the other day that our local school is listed as oversubscribed when I know it definitely isn't!

Bestseller · 19/09/2018 17:14

I wouldn't set any store by Rightmove but in some areas all schools are over subscribed

gallicgirl · 19/09/2018 17:23

Check on the local council website under school admissions. They should publish a booklet which gives you the criteria under which the last child was admitted to any given school.

DolorestheNewt · 19/09/2018 17:28

Doesn't "oversubscribed" just mean that they had more applications than spaces?
It was a few years ago now, so I stand ready to be corrected, but I don't think it necessarily means that your DC won't get in - firstly, they may fit the admissions criteria more closely than some of the applicants (particularly if you're applying to a school that's close), and secondly the school may have ultimately been able to offer a place to most kids who wanted one anyway, because waiting lists do move and some of the applicants will not have accepted the place they were offered. Most people in DS's year 6 who got a school way down their list moved up - we were offered our sixth school, but then got a wait list place at our fourth.

DolorestheNewt · 19/09/2018 17:31

Actually, I just realised I'm totally stating the obvious. Ignore me!!! (But we did find that all the schools we applied to were oversubscribed. That's how it is where we live.)

LadyLapsang · 19/09/2018 21:45

What area?

Inferiorbeing · 19/09/2018 22:13

Oversubscribed just means they had more applicatants than they had space for, it does include everyone who listed it as any choice so not necessarily the first pick! So unless it's an absolutely awful school that no one put down it will be listed as oversubscribed

lljkk · 19/09/2018 22:16

Where do you see the info on rightmove about local schools? I'm confused. I am quite sure I can find you some schools that won't be described as over-subbed.

lljkk · 19/09/2018 22:20

never mind, I figured it out. Here are some areas very not over-subbed.

It seems like all secondary schools are listed as oversubscribed on rightmove?

Penguinsetpandas · 21/09/2018 11:33

In some areas all schools are oversubscribed but that doesn't mean you won't get a place. Children change schools. We moved recently next to an outstanding rated school which is oversubscribed and got places within a couple of days of completion.

PatriciaHolm · 21/09/2018 12:13

In areas of high population density that's normal but doesn't mean there aren't enough spaces..!

What that means is that more people put them on their application form somewhere than they have spaces. Given everyone has more that one space on their form for preferences, there will always be considerably more applications in any system than there are actual children, given that each child could account for 3-6 applications depending on where you live.

So it's entirely possible that every school is oversubscribed, but every child gets into their first preference....

KnotsInMay · 21/09/2018 12:19

In London, for example, every applicant gets to list 6 preferences, each of these is an application to the school. So 6 times as many applications as pupils.

People use their first two or three choices to list 'long shots' - the faith school, the Outstanding school miles away, etc.

What is important is the 'oversubscription criteria'. A school can be as over-subscribed as you like but if you are within the criteria and high enough up the list, you will get a place.

I would actually avoid an area where the local school is under-subscribed if other nearby schools are over-subscribed. It means that many people chose not to apply.

KnotsInMay · 21/09/2018 12:23

Rightmove is so unreliable and inaccurate in this respect that I am surprised they are allowed to publish it.

Our local secondary has a small primary attached. The Rightmove 'distance' tells everyone that houses are not 'in distance' for the secondary, based on the smaller primary catchment, when it is perfectly obvious that every secondary aged child for a mile beyond goes to the secondary.

Penguinsetpandas · 21/09/2018 12:27

I would also avoid undersubscribed schools unless there's a very good reason for it like its rural.

hoochymama1 · 21/09/2018 13:48

Be very sceptical of rightmove school info, our local school went from good to needing improvement and it is still on as good. Check with schools directly, they should have a link to the latest ofsted report, or go directly to ofsted. Don't let oversubscribed put you off either, apply and appeal...
Rightmove just want to sell houses

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