Moving to Inverness from Surrey

[cmonessmum]

Hi, Everyone,

I am originally from Inverness, so I know the area well, went Crown and Drakies primary as a child then Millburn.

I have lived in Surrey / London for last 17years. We 7yr old daughter, in year 3 England and I have checked with the Scottish school years she would go into primary 3.

My Husband just been offered a job in Inverness. My mum owns and lives in house in Crown, 0.1 radius to crown primary.
Plan stay with my mum initially as we want to wait to sell our property down south. Maybe rent in crown once moved into area.
I called crown primary today they confirm we were catchment but they are full!!!

They said I can still fill out "placing request form" but if we don't get Crown primary and this on our door step, what advice do you all all have on other primaries near buy? I am calling most tomorrow. I do some information about Drakies, really been long time.

And is there any movement in Crown Primary? Would we actually go on a waiting list? Is this how it works?

I am calling the council tomorrow to understand more tomorrow.

Just want some local parenting advice?

Thank you

Highland mum returning from the south

Hi I’ve heard good things about Drakies primary recently. There is also the Gaelic school which as far as I know, doesn’t have a catchment area (this may have changed though). I’d recommend joining the Facebook group “Inverness Mummies” and ask on there - you will get a lot of local advice from the group.

My three all went to Drakies. I think it’s a great school. Strong PTA with good parental involvement, fantastic and well utilised outside space, some very dedicated teaching staff. It has a breakfast and after school club on-site and a holiday club. Also good extracurricular activities. Catchment for Millburn.

They're probably full in P3 because of class size restrictions. It might be that there's room once your daughter is P4 age, worth asking? Although that's nearly a year away...
I'd go have a look at the other schools nearby, if they've a space and they feel 'right', I'd go with that.

Drakies has a good reputation though that's hearsay. My own experience is Inshes primary is excellent. I am unsure if they are full in those year groups though but worth a call to ask.

My understanding was that schools had to keep places free for people moving into catchment areas?

from mygov.scot
"Councils use 'catchment areas' to decide where your child is given a place at school.
A catchment area is an area around a single school. Any children who live in this area are given a place at the school."
it is my understanding that schools must offer pupils who live in the catchment area a place. If there is "no room" in the school, it is up to the head teacher to re-organise the classes to accommodate. They often don't want to do this during term-time, it's going to cause huge upheaval for (probably) several classes. Other parents will complain. Teachers will complain. Pupils will be upset by having to move classes in the middle of a school year. So it sounds as though the school is looking for an easy way out. Go to your local council. Make a fuss. They should be appointing another member of staff to the school if the school roll genuinely can't accommodate another pupil. It sounds unlikely, though, as HT is generally counted as a member of teaching staff, and only tends to have a class in small rural schools. Just depends how determined you are (and how much you mind making yourself unpopular!). It's also worth pointing out that if you go to a school outwith the catchment area you are NOT entitled to free transport, and you may possibly meet problems further down the line if the schools feed into different secondaries.

Head teachers don't have to reorganise classes during term time if there full as it's to disruptive to pupils education and staff but generally they do hold a few spaces in each year group for kids moving into the area if they can do. This is very common in areas houses are being built.

However they can change allocated classes any point up until the first day of new academic year and parents are warned in writing this can happen. Otherwise children are given spaces in the nearest non catchment school if the catchment school is full until the following academic year. I have known lots of kids to move into catchment and be unable to start immediately in the school year group. If generally depends on a certain year group is full or not. My son's yeas group didn't fill until half way through P1.

If there is no room in your catchment school the council will pay for out of catchment transport (if the school is too far away). You should be able to tranfer to your catchment school at the start of the next academic year. You could ask to be kept informed incase a pupil leavesd the catchment school and a place opens up.

Sometimes schools will reorganise classes mid year, but they may have no spoare classrooms.