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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

Help school choices

14 replies

Bumblebutts · 27/10/2020 23:16

Please help me make a decision about school choices for my last option choice.

Both schools 2.4 miles from our home.
both next closest that is not a faith school
one is in local authority and the other in is another local authority
one has considerably better results (the one in the other local authority) but both are considered good schools by ofsted.

there is a closer school, which is absolutely awful and is the school we are most likely to be allocated anyway as all other closest schools are faith based and we are not religious.
I do not want to give them an option to put it on the form for us.

difficulty, I've had to use some of my choices for Grammar without knowing if my child has passed the entrance exam and thus have limited choice for other school options.

any help gratefully received as I'm no closer to making a decision and the deadline is looming???

OP posts:

Original poster

Bumblebutts · 27/10/2020 23:22

ooo chances of getting into either is pretty much zero, but need to try anything and everything

OP posts:

PatriciaHolm · 27/10/2020 23:34

Which would be easier to get to?

Have you checked that you can't amend your choices after you get the grammar result? (In Kent you have a grace period, for example)

EduCated · 27/10/2020 23:43

You need to take a realistic look at which schools you may or may not get into based on previous admissions, though it’s not an exact science. You should be able to find the data on your local authority website, and should read admissions policies closely to understand which category you will fall into.

The advice is always to put a ‘banker’ school as one of your preferences, even if it’s the last. So that probably means the absolutely awful school - if you do not qualify for any of your preferences, you will be allocated the nearest school with a space after all the other applications are processed. You could end up with an equally awful school but much further away if your other options aren’t realistic. Listing the school as your last preference won’t make you any less likely to get into any of the others.

Meredusoleil · 28/10/2020 07:31

I would go with the one in the same local authority as where you live, or keep things simple in case of any local lockdowns!

But make sure your still put the closest (albeit awful) school down as your last choice, even though you don't want it. Better than a similar or worse school miles away!

SJaneS48 · 28/10/2020 07:51

How many choices do you have? In Kent we have 6 with the results of the Kent Test not being out till after the deadline. I’m gathering you have only one spot after listing Grammars as your preferred options? Have you spoken to the Admissions teams at both schools and found how far out they went on first and second round? If you have and it’s looking like realistically zero chance of either then unfortunately it would have the closet not very good school. Have you checked with the Faith schools though on how far they go out on non religious places? If they are close to you then it’s worth a phone call?

RedskyAtnight · 28/10/2020 08:08

Do you have a school on your list (or since you're not sure about the 11+, actually a grammar and a non-grammar) that you would be likely to get into based on previously years' admissions? If you don't have one (or two) then I would strongly recommend putting your local school. I know you don't want it, but if you don't put it on your form and they don't have spaces (if they are always massively undersubscribed, this might not be a concern) then you might end up with a school you don't want a long way away instead.

Otherwise, based on what you've said, seems no discernible real difference between the 2 schools. Can you not find anything that your DC would prefer at one over the other?

clary · 28/10/2020 08:59

Yes, what EduCated says. It's not clear from your post, but it sounds as if you think that the LA has to give you one of the schools you put down. They don't. They can still offer you the "awful" school even if you don't put it down.

They may still do that, but equally, it may be over-subscribed (even some awful schools are) and the school you offer you may be much further away and even worse. I know someone that happened to, and believe me, they would much rather have had the terrible school round the corner.

Original poster

Bumblebutts · 28/10/2020 10:06

Thanks for all the replies.

I know they dont have to give us any of our choices and the awful school will likely be were we are allocated regardless as it has been under subscribed for at least the last 3 years.
If we are allocated a school not on our list that is further away it is likely to be better than this school.
My list so far is
1-3 Grammar (child perfectly capable of passing, score will need to be higher as we are further away)
4 - closest non faith school that is not awful school
5 - next closest non faith school that is not awful school
6- ???

Options faith school - highly unlikely to get into as in last admissions criteria
Local authority school but far away
Non local authority school same distance as above.

I have made my peace with the fact that they will probably be going to awful school.

Maybe time to force the OH to move as Ive wanted too for the last 5 years.

OP posts:

SJaneS48 · 28/10/2020 10:17

Well sounds like there are possibilities! Your child might get a high score. You can also try Waiting Lists post offers - certainly in this area there is a lot of movement on those thanks to DC taking up second round offers.

You may be in the last criteria for the Faith school but are you in catchment for their non religious places? Worth giving them a call to find out how far they went last year on those? If you are not in distance then discount it! If it was me I’d put the non district school down.

Original poster

Bumblebutts · 28/10/2020 10:19

Order of schools by distance from our house

Faith school
Awful school
Next closest non faith school (4th choice)
Next closest non faith school (5th choice)
Non local authority school 2.4 miles (easiest to get to less busy roads, most of journey can be done on pedestrianised streets)
Local authority school 2.4 miles (much busier roads and major road to cross, up hill for cycling)

This is the order they come up in if I put it into google.

OP posts:

SJaneS48 · 28/10/2020 11:02

Have you got till the 2nd to submit? If so call Faith school on Monday to find out about historical catchment for non faith places?

Original poster

Bumblebutts · 28/10/2020 11:37

No we have till the 31st, I really want to get it done today.
It would help if I could make an decisions and wasnt such a wimp at making the wrong choice.
2015 was the last time the faith school took a non faith child.

OP posts:

RedskyAtnight · 28/10/2020 11:41

If there really are no other distinguishing features I'd put the non LA school in your last spot - simply because easier to get there is always a bonus!

Though it sounds like you have equal (small) chance of getting either school or the faith school so it probably won't matter very much.

catndogslife · 28/10/2020 13:43

From your last post with options 5 and 6 that are both 2.4 miles away - are either of these schools likely to be undersubscribed?
If there is one that is more likely to places available then I would choose that one as my final preference.
if you go on the LEA websites and look up places offered for last year there should be information about distances for places offered for several years.
We lived in catchment for an awful school and put an undersubscribed school in neighbouring LEA as our final choice so it can work.

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