Can you send your child to a school out of your LEA?

[canmummy]

This is a long way off for us but the secondary school that is literally opposite our house has just been given notice to improve. We have been having reservations about sending our kids there anyway and now we're seriously considering other options. One is move (but primary schools here are excellent), send to private school - 2 excellent ones nearby but with 3 kids it would cost about £180,000 total , or there is a selective grammar school about 4 miles away but it is in another LEA. Hence my question about would I be able to put it on my application form and has anyone any other ideas? (Both my dh and I went to grammar schools so we're hoping our kids inherit the ability to pass entrance exams!)

Yes you can apply to schools outside of your LEA. Whether you will be successful will depend on who else applies, as distance is often a factor. Locally the grammar schools either have a distance limit (eg children living within 9 miles get first priority), or given points based on proximity (ie the 11+ score gets increased by point sas it does for summer birthdays say).

If distance is a factor we may be ok - I've checked and it's only 2.3 miles to drive and they go on "as the crow flies" so it may work out nearer. It's also not in a very good area (literally next door to the worst secondary school in britain) but is that a bit snobby to assume local kids are thick ?

I would phone either the school or the relevant LEA for advice. Different LEAs have different rules so you won't get reliable advice on here unless you name the school and someone lives near enough to know for certain.

Ring up the school -- they will give you a good idea as to whether you have a chance of getting in.

Yes you can, but you'll be pretty low on the list of applicants.

Yes, my DS1's at a school in the next borough but one.

You'd have to look at the admissions criteria for the particular school you want to apply for in order to know. I wouldn't assume that just because the dice are slightly loaded against you for living further away that your child has no chance.

My son goes to a grammar school in a neighbourhing LEA. His school's entrance criteria is based on distance, not by how high a mark each pupil gets in the 11+. As long as they pass and live within the distance limits they get offered a place.

Also, we had to put the school as our first choice on the secondary application form and this was before we knew if ds had passed the 11+. This is a gamble you have to take if you decide to opt for a grammar school.

If ds had failed, he would have been way down the list regarding what non selective secondary school he was allocated, as all the pupils who had put a non selective secondary school first on their list would be given priority.

As others have said, you must check with each grammar school about their entrance policy. If distance to schoool is a factor, ask them what the distance has been in recent years and what the future trend is, as the distance varies from year to year, depending on the demand from eligible applicants. You can't guarantee that a school with a 4 mile radius one year will have this the next year. IME it can vary by a mile or two.

tigermoth, I think there may have been some changes to the system since your son (or for that matter mine) went through the process. For one thing, some grammar schools (but not all) are bringing their tests forward so parents will know whether their child has passed before they make their applications, and for another, first preference first is either on its way out or gone completely.

Some grammar schools go more on rank order in the test than on distance.

Yes, in our area certainly, you no longer need to worry about which school is first choice etc, as the school doesn't get to see what your choices are. Hence, all three of your choices of school may want you, and your LEA will allocate the one you put as your first.

The Greenwich judgement forbids LEAs from giving preference to children from their own borough. First preference first has been abolished for all state schools.

BUT, every grammar school is different. As everyone says you need to ask the school - some don't care about distance at all, some won't even let you apply if you are more than a certain distance away, and some use distance to differentiate between children with the same mark ... and on and on it goes!!!

You are probably in with a chance but do ask!!

Thanks for all your replies - it has reassured me that there may be that option there. As I said it is a few years off but I'll keep an eye on rule changes etc and ring the school nearer the time

really glad the first choice system rule is being abolished - it was a nightmare for us.

We still have "First preference first" here in East Sussex. Hope it changes by the time we have to apply.

SparklePrincess - you shouldn't have! From September 2008 the new admissions code is in operation and that bans first preference first.

what's the "First preference first" system?

ds is only 22 months and I know I should be looking to put his name down soon (or maybe I should have done it already!), but we are in the middle of moving house and still undecided on which area we are moving to...

I was looking at the admissions book for entry in Sept 07. Cant find any more recent information. Will have to either email the LEA & ask them or wait for the 08 book to come out.

This was how it was reported by the BBC a few months back.

here

At last, at last - I've managed to do a link!!!

I remember reading about the lottery thing, & thought they had abolished FPF in some places like Kent, I hadnt realised it was country wide. Great news. I assume this means that the dc`s can now try for a Grammar school place & not lose out on our local school should they fail to get in.

Am I correct in that assumption?

Yes you can. Mine go to school outside of our LEA. But your children won't be entitled to a subsidised bus pass as other children needing to go to that school and not in walking distance would be.

Cool! We are in East sussex, but only 20 minutes drive from Kent & all its lovely Grammar schools. Would of been too much of a risk before to put a Kent school. This changes everything.

Our primary expects most of the year 6 children to go on to a secondary in a different borough as it the linked school (faith schools are a bit different as it goes on the parishes rather than education authority boundaries)