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Original poster

Please help me with school application

28 replies

somanysockssolittletime · 17/10/2020 12:24

I have to apply for a placing request for my DS to attend the same school my DD goes to. DS is P7 so it's for high school application.

I live very close to the school, it's actually much much closer than the actual catchment school, but just out of the catchment area due to LA boundaries. It's a very good school.

my DD has absolutely thrived there, and I'm anxious in case I write something 'wrong' or don't write something I should, that DS won't get the same opportunity DD has had. Yes I'm an anxious person in general!

We are a single parent family and I'm on a low wage with UC top ups. I was a teenage mother and I have health and mental health issues. I am really, really trying to make sure my DC do better than me. Not saying all are like me, but yswim.

Does anyone know what I should put in the placing request? Any teachers or anyone who works in placing requests? Is it the school's choice who gets in?

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 17/10/2020 12:29

The fact he has a sibling there goes in his favour. I think the application asks if another child attends the school. When I did our placing requests I put in that the school was closer than the catchment school (which it was) and that they could walk there which they couldn't with the catchment school.

FlouncerInDenial · 17/10/2020 12:30

In England, so apologies if this is helpful (but might bump for you so someone Scottish sees it).

In england it's the local authority who decides the placement, unless it's (for example) a faith school.
But having a sibling already attending the same school gives a higher priority than someone who doesn't

prettybird · 17/10/2020 12:30

Your local authority should have published criteria as to how placing requests are allocated. It's not done by the school.

Iirc, it's usually "cared for kids", then "medical reasons" (eg disabled access), then "sibling requests" and then the rest.

In your case, the relevant thing is the sibling request. Don't be too anxious about what you right, as the only thing that they'll really read is that. The rest of your reasons you can use if you have to appeal.

prettybird · 17/10/2020 12:31

Autocarrot changed "write" to "right" Blush

dementedpixie · 17/10/2020 12:32

I think its the council that decides who goes where. Historically have placing requests been granted to the school?

My dc's primary school fed into a secondary that was much further away than the secondary school we did placing requests for. 90%+ of the primary school P7s did a placing requests for the closer secondary and the vast majority got accepted each year

WaxOnFeckOff · 17/10/2020 12:32

It's worth looking at what criteria the council use to score applications, I believe ours get points for siblings and also for single parents. It's only after pointing the criteria that they'll then look at any written justification you give. In that I'd concentrate on the reasons that your DS needs that school over the other. It's not about proving it's a better school, it's about why it's a better fit for your child.

How did your DD get in?

Do you know if there is capacity in your chosen school?

dementedpixie · 17/10/2020 12:33

Got to love the autocarrot Grin

dementedpixie · 17/10/2020 12:33

🥕 🥕 🥕

prettybird · 17/10/2020 12:34

But I agree with dementedpixie - add in that the school you want your ds to go to, in addition to being the one your dd goes to, is actually closer than the catchment school and that he will be able to walk to school. It won't do any harm Smile

prettybird · 17/10/2020 12:37

@dementedpixie

Got to love the autocarrot Grin
I always write "autocarrot" now as it brings a smile to people's faces Smile My phone even accepts it now as a word Grin even if it does underline it with the red squiggly line Wink
Original poster
somanysockssolittletime · 17/10/2020 12:51

@dementedpixie It's definitely walkable, whereas the catchment school they'd have to get a bus.

I've no idea how many requests get granted or if they have space. The school is in an area where people actually buy houses in to get their kids into the schools, so I suspect pretty full, but they have a certain number of places to allocate to people in our local authority.

@WaxOnFeckOff I'll look at the criteria, is it online normally?

It's strange actually how my DD got in. We were on a train and got talking to a woman who it turns out works for the L.A education department. She told me I should submit an application. Previous to that I wasn't going to as I thought no way would she get in.

It was a while back but I think I put about the buses, easier for childcare reasons for me (don't know if that would be relevant anymore now they are older), and single parent I think.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 17/10/2020 12:54

Put the distance thing in then plus the sibling already there. Which LA is It?

WaxOnFeckOff · 17/10/2020 12:56

Yes, criteria are usually on council website.

Notthisnotthat · 17/10/2020 13:02

Yes the criteria should be on the council website.

If there is space in the year group the LA can't refuse you a space unless they have "reserved" spaces which happens on some schools which have a large roll and can have pupils start after the start of session, they are reserved purely for children within catchment.

BrazenlyDefying · 17/10/2020 13:39

You don't have to name the specific school, but a general idea of area would help.

Where I am there is capacity in local primaries but not in secondaries - so what has happened over the last few years is that parents have been getting children into a primary school on a placing request no bother, but it all goes tits up when they're in P7 and try to get into the secondary with all their friends and they have no chance.

If the two schools you are considering are both feeding into the same secondary, then it's not something you have to worry about though.

dementedpixie · 17/10/2020 13:44

She's applying for secondary school and the primary school her ds is in is not the feeder school for the secondary school her dd is at.

Which LA?

FlorenceNightshade · 17/10/2020 13:48

In my Scottish council area there are tiers. Priority 1 goes to kids who live in the catchment area. Priority 2 are kids who don’t live in the area but attend a “feeder” primary school. Priority 3 are kids who don’t live in the catchment area, don’t attend a feeder school but who have siblings at the school. Anyone else has no priority.

BrazenlyDefying · 17/10/2020 13:51

Ah, should have read properly!!!

Yes siblings do get priority. But if a school is full of catchment children, siblings won't get in. Agree knowing the school and hte local authority will help.

Also it makes a difference if you are dealing with two authorities, living in one and applying for school in another. I know East Dunbartonshire proritises people in the council area, so if there is one child living a mile away but in Glasgow City Council area, and another living 20 miles away in Kirkintilloch, all other things being equal, the Kirkintilloch child gets priority.

Original poster
somanysockssolittletime · 17/10/2020 14:49

The LA is East Renfrewshire. We live in Glasgow City, but literally one mile from the East Renfrewshire school. The catchment school is 3.5 miles away.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 17/10/2020 15:06

The criteria below are used to prioritise places to placing request applications from those who do not reside within the delineated catchment area of the school, in order of priority:

  1. East Renfrewshire residents where the child has a medical condition, supported with evidence from a medical practitioner, and requires facilities or support available only in the requested school.
  1. Non-East Renfrewshire residents where the child has a medical condition, supported with evidence from a medical practitioner, and requires facilities or support available only in the requested school.
  1. East Renfrewshire residents: when applying for secondary schools, children who attend a primary school associated with the secondary school according to the length of time at the associated primary. This means that pupils who have attended the school for the longest time will have the highest priority.
  1. Non-East Renfrewshire residents: when applying for secondary schools, children who attend a primary school associated with the secondary school according to the length of time at the associated primary. This means that pupils who have attended the school for the longest time will have the highest priority.
  1. Those cases where a brother or sister attends the school and will continue in this school during the next session.
  1. East Renfrewshire residents: the child is part of a single parent/carer family where it would be advantageous to the care and welfare of the child to attend the requested school. Please provide details with your application.
  1. Non-East Renfrewshire residents: the child is part of a single parent/carer family where it would be advantageous to the care and welfare of the child to attend the requested school. Please provide details with your application.
  1. East Renfrewshire residents with no other listed priority
  1. Non-East Renfrewshire residents with no other listed priority.
dementedpixie · 17/10/2020 15:07

That info is on the placing request form btw

Original poster
somanysockssolittletime · 17/10/2020 15:24

Thanks @dementedpixie

Do you know if a currently attending siblings attendance could jeopardise a place at all? Because DD has had some anxiety issues since COVID and was on a part time schedule gradually increasing back to full time, from August til last week. I can't remember what it's called, but they have been brilliant with her taking time out to have meetings with her, she's much less anxious now. Hopefully it doesn't affect DS chances of a place as her attendance pre COVID was always good.

OP posts:
prettybird · 17/10/2020 15:28

That shouldn't make a difference. It's not as if she is truanting. If it's being managed by the school, they will be marking the non-attendances as in some way authorised (can't remember the different categories now as ds left school over 2 years ago).

BrazenlyDefying · 17/10/2020 15:36

Also if your child has been in the associated feeder school since P1, that goes in your favour.

They've made that change in East Dunbartonshire too - to stop people either scrambling to move when their oldest child gets to P6, or to stop people who have lived in the area and paid Council Tax for decades being pushed out by people moving into a house which has only recently been built.

WaxOnFeckOff · 17/10/2020 15:40

Depending on the number of available spaces, it's categories 3 and 4 that will be the main competition. In a non special school, there aren't that many that would have a medical need for a standard high school unless it has a special unit or a more modern building in the case of physical disability.

So, If there are spaces left after catchment children and medical need, the next category is people who already have a child using a placing request in a feeder primary school for that High School

I'm not sure if you also meeting category 7 would give you extra priority within category 5, all else being equal and them not being able to accommodate all category 5s.