Placing request

[rosegold33]

Im about to put in a placing request for P1.

How detailed should you be in the application. Is it just bare bones of why you are wanting your child to attend their school outwith the catchment or should you be more creative with response?

I would imagine it would depend on the LA

in many, it measurement against criteria and any added detail wouldn't be considered.

If it gets to appeal, that's when you can give reasoning

I agree with Bloodypunkrockers

Unless you have reasons that are specified in the placing ranking of the LA (eg "cared for" child (which I believe includes adopted), disability that means that the catchment school isn't suitable but the placing request is, sibling request...), don't angst over the reason for the request.

But if there are reasons that are specified with the order of preference for placing requests, make sure that you make them clearly.

Thanks for your replies.

Thats helpful. My reasons are to do with looking to move into the area so we wont be measuring against set criteria.

I'd just say you had intended moving to the area prior to applying but have been hampered by covid affecting the property market and it is still your intention to move into catchment when a suitable property is acquired and you are attempting to avoid a disruptive change of schools for your child.

You will be bottom of the list as far as criteria for most councils go, ours uses current distance from school as the deciding factor for remaining places.

Honestly I think all they will look at the freeform for is to check whether you meet any of the scoring factors or if they have one space left and the distance is exactly the same.

Do you know whether requests are usually met? No guarantee that this means you would or would not get a place but might help to manage your expectations as it's a long wait.

Just remember that lots and lots of people get the school they have requested so it's always worth applying. Good luck.

@WaxOnFeckOff thanks for replying.

Thats great, im going to explain we had offer accepted and sellers withdrew all covid related. Totally get we dont match any criteria so its just chancing it to see if there is space.

Im not sure how many requests are met fkr this specific school but know its a changing landscape because of the number of new houses within the area.

Thats said it woild be positive if they did look at distance because even at my current address this school is as close as the one in my catchment.

You are welcome. After all other criteria are taken into account in my council area then distance is used for all other DC. I think showing that you will end up being entitled to a space at some point anyway is worth doing - though I bet that's the reason most people give regardless of it being true. Would it hurt to attach a copy of the acceptance/withdrawal to show commitment?

The council booklet should give you the criteria and how places are allocated. We applied for high school and not primary and spent many hours writing and rewriting our form to fully describe our reasons (bullying) but in reality, everyone who applied was given a space so I might not have bothered! :) We expected it to be difficult as the council page said that placing requests were generally turned down by this school. However it was a bit out of date and the school was happy to take as many DC as applied. We knew our 2nd option had never turned down a request but 1st option was a bit cagier in giving a response when asked.

Thats a good idea with details of the acceptance letter.

Im glad you managed to get a place in school you wanted and hope everythings working out

It worked out perfectly OP. DS1 enjoyed his new school and made some nice friends, he's 20 now and in uni. DS2 is a year younger and took a bit of a strop assuming he now had no choice. We told him he could go to catchment, apply to ds1s school or apply to any other he would like to. He then decided he wanted to go with Ds1 and we also got him a space. He also loved it and is also now in uni. The only downside was having to drive them for years as public transport was very poor. I was glad when they learned to drive themselves.

Let us know how you get on.

Can you say which area / Council it is?

I know that where I live - Bearsden/Milngavie - it has become increasing difficult to get placing requests in recent years because of the scale of new building and the fact the schools are choc a block.

And don't fall into the trap which has caught so many here - they get their child into a placement school for P1, and take their eye off the ball with regards to secondary, never move and when the child gets to P7 there is no place for them and they have to move to a different school from all of their friends.

If you dont meet any of the criteria you will only get in if it’s not a sought after school.

@RaspberryCoulis east dun here too.

Its defintely changed over the years as across the authority with increase in new housing has made schools over subscribed. Youre right about secondary too, luckily the secondary is same one for our catchment school.

Yes it's not so much of an issue if you are (for example) wanting your child to go to Craigdhu or Clober rather than Milngavie Primary - they all feed into Douglas so you've no issues.

But where we are there have been historically lots of people who live in Westerton, or across the county borders into places like Clydebank, Maryhill/Anniesland or Carbeth who have applied for Bearsden/Milngavie primaries because they perceive them as better, they are closer to granny for after school care, or they suit parents' work location.

DD is in S4 and when her year moved up from Primary there was something like 90 placing requests refused. Most kids got into Boclair instead - as long as they actually lived in East Dunbartonshire. The ones outside the council area were stuffed. And now that they've announced that they'll rebuilt Boclair, it's only going to get worse.

I really think the implications of a P1 placing requests should be spelled out IN BIG LETTERS to parents because a lot still think it "guarantees" a place at the associated secondary.