Catchment schools

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DS is in year 6 and we are beginning to look round secondary schools. In my nativity I thought that our nearest school would be his catchment school but I have found out the boundary for this stops at the next road from ours and his one is over three miles away, with no access to public transport and walking by a canal with hardly any street lights.

I was hoping that he would eventually start making his own way to school but this is going to be quite difficult. He has a ASD and unless his anxiety and awareness suddenly gets better I can't see that happening.

With secondary schools are you realistically only going to get the catchment school (which is currently 'failing', but I do think it will get better, so the other will be fully subscribed)

Have a look on your councils website there should be somewhere that shows you the figures from last year. It all depends if the schools are oversubscribed or not.

It depends.

DD's (v good) school around 50% come in from out of catchment.

Look on your council website for details of last places offered last year.

Thank you for the advice. I have taken a look and it looks like he would be even further down the list as he does not go to one of the linked schools.

It's slightly frustrating as the vast majority of the estate will be in catchment but it's the way things go I suppose.

I suppose it's looking like another 5 years of school runs

With your son's ASD, does he have a statement (or whatever the current equivalent is)? If so, he may be at the top of the admissions criteria.

If the nearer school is the one you would prefer, you should still put that down as your first choice - it won't jeopardise the actual catchment school place and depending on applicant numbers, you might get the first choice place.

Have you checked the place last offered as well as the admission criteria?

So he is out of catchment at a non-linked school.
But they might have offered 50 places under that criteria last year going out to a distance of 15 miles.

Another option (but you'd have to act fast) would be to consider moving to a linked primary school before half term ....

I've taken another look. Last year there were over double applications for school places and there were 0 children out of catchment.

My son was on the SEN register until last year where his teachers said he was managing his anxiety much better (the main problem he has with his ASD is really bad anxiety).

I think moving him to another school would be cruel as he struggles with the change of class at the start of the year.

It doesn't help that the school I want him to go to his really nice

Might you be able to get him re-statemented and/or considered for exceptional need to be placed in the physically closest school? That would seem reasonable given how you have described him.

So zero out of catchment does not look hopeful for you.

I only suggested the move to a linked primary, as you may think that the downside of an extra move now would be counterbalanced by the 'better' school for secondary.

Is there a school bus? Would your son be able to catch it?

(double applications isn't an issue as such - if everyone has to put down 3 schools then on average a school will get 3x the number of applications to places).

A statement would have been the answer, teachers always told me to never give up a statement (ehp) even if you dont use it much, exactly for this reason. I think it can be needed up to 25 yo.

To late to get it back in time, but maybe you should try so you can appeal to move, go to top of waiting list if school you get doesn't work out.

Moving primaries now might be stressful but is it more stress than getting wrong secondary for 5/7 years?

Also note that you will only get free school transport to you nearest school - not necessarily your catchment school. So it sounds like you would have to pay for the school bus to your catchment school. We got caught out with this.
I would put down 1st choice school and on application state why it is so important for dc to go there. Big up the ASD, friendships, shorter journey to school etc etc. Also include some aspects as to why school 1 is better for him than the catchment school. Really really good luck.

Also note that you will only get free school transport to you nearest school

That is wrong.

You are entitled to free transport to any school that is over 3 miles from home by the shortest safe walking route unless there was a place available at a nearer school. So in this case if the OP lists the nearest school as first preference but ends up with a place at the catchment school she will be entitled to free transport. In this case if her son's ASD means he cannot reasonably be expected to walk to school she will be entitled to free transport even if the school he gets is less than 3 miles from home. There are also additional entitlements to free transport for children eligible for free school meals.