Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

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

Original poster

School catchment/boundary

21 replies

pfisher · 14/06/2023 15:42

I recognise that it's probably too late to do anything about this, so just interested really I guess.

We've recently moved to a new town and looking at secondaries for DS (currently Y5 - so choosing in October this year for entry September '24). There are three local secondaries, all have a good reputation. One of these has a defined 'catchment area' which seems to specifically exclude our estate. The thing is I don't think this is intentional (which I know does happen) but rather our estate is brand new, first people moved in less than a year ago and prior to these houses being built the nearby road (which runs up one side of our estate) would have been considered the practical boundary of our town - no more houses from there until the next village. So I think/hope it's effectively an oversight and just needs reviewing but how/who should I ask for this to be done? And realistically should I not even worry about it because there is no way it will be done by October?

OP posts:
BendingSpoons · 14/06/2023 15:52

To make a change to the school's admissions criteria there would need to be a consultation. The timescales for that mean that it won't happen in time for 2024 entry unfortunately. Hopefully you still have a chance of a place out of catchment.

CindersAgain · 14/06/2023 15:54

For some education authorities you can see where people live that were given a place in previous years. That might help you see if you’re likely to be ok or not.

Original poster
pfisher · 14/06/2023 16:15

BendingSpoons · 14/06/2023 15:52

To make a change to the school's admissions criteria there would need to be a consultation. The timescales for that mean that it won't happen in time for 2024 entry unfortunately. Hopefully you still have a chance of a place out of catchment.

Yes that's what I thought. It's fine because we have two other well thought it secondaries without this catchment issue locally (will be looking around all three in due course before deciding).

OP posts:
Original poster
pfisher · 14/06/2023 16:16

CindersAgain · 14/06/2023 15:54

For some education authorities you can see where people live that were given a place in previous years. That might help you see if you’re likely to be ok or not.

Well; in previous years no one was living in this area so although they've admitted people from 'further away' I think those people were still in catchment. So on pure distance criteria we'd get in no problems but with the catchment defined as it is we wouldn't have.

OP posts:
CindersAgain · 14/06/2023 16:20

Ah I didn’t realise it was brand new. You have said that, I just got distracted.

Maybe email the admissions people at the council to ask what the plan is?

TizerorFizz · 14/06/2023 16:40

The plan for the future must follow Legal procedures. Often catchment areas are behind the curve. If the 2024 admissions procedure is published, it cannot change now. Don’t forget if the new estate was included, other areas might be left out. Maybe those people would be unhappy about that? Governors are asked to review catchments periodically. If the minutes of meetings are on line, see if they have discussed this issue.

Are the schools all under subscribed? This might colour thinking too. Or oversubscribed? What is the general picture?

Original poster
pfisher · 14/06/2023 17:04

CindersAgain · 14/06/2023 16:20

Ah I didn’t realise it was brand new. You have said that, I just got distracted.

Maybe email the admissions people at the council to ask what the plan is?

That's a good idea. Then at least I will find out if it's on anyone's radar yet and if not plant the seed. It'll be too late for us but benefit the local community in the future maybe

OP posts:
Original poster
pfisher · 14/06/2023 17:07

TizerorFizz · 14/06/2023 16:40

The plan for the future must follow Legal procedures. Often catchment areas are behind the curve. If the 2024 admissions procedure is published, it cannot change now. Don’t forget if the new estate was included, other areas might be left out. Maybe those people would be unhappy about that? Governors are asked to review catchments periodically. If the minutes of meetings are on line, see if they have discussed this issue.

Are the schools all under subscribed? This might colour thinking too. Or oversubscribed? What is the general picture?

Re the general picture I need to look at the stats again properly but I feeling I get (from talking to locals) is that everyone accepts all three schools are good; maybe you have a personal preference and maybe (varies year on year) that school is oversubscribed and you don't get in but you WILL get into one of the other two and they are all good so not worth worrying about. I think the schools are pretty full/often oversubscribed but people in the town (where we are) always get into one of them and have a decent chance at their preference, then people in the surrounding villages have less priority etc.

This school isn't even my first choice based on what I've seen so far so I'm really not worried about it.

OP posts:
PuttingDownRoots · 14/06/2023 17:12

You mention villages... our local school catchments ate arranged so that the village children have a chance of getting in the schools instead of town children who may live nearer but have the choice if other schools (for example School 1 catchment has village A, B, and C in catchment, but not Village D where school 2 is located even though village D is closer than village C)

New build estates are specifically added to a Catchment area if they are on a boundary, but it depends which school has space over which catchment they chose... its not necessarily the closest one.

TizerorFizz · 14/06/2023 17:13

@pfisher Dont worry too much then. You are presumably in catchment for another of the schools? Clearly planning permission was given years ago so the LA and school have had time to look at this. Maybe they decided no change necessary? Anyway. Hope you get your preferred school.

redskytwonight · 14/06/2023 17:14

Are you in the catchment area for any school? If you are, it's more likely to be deliberate.

I'm in an area where there are lots of new estates and they are always part of a school catchment - it's not possible to live somewhere that isn't

Or ... might your estate be in next year's criteria?

Original poster
pfisher · 14/06/2023 17:20

Yes, good points all. From what I can see the whole town is 'in catchment' for all three schools and this school, let's call is School A, is the only one that doesn't seem to have any villages in catchment. The other two schools (B and C) include our area in the catchment so it may be deliberate as you say, it just doesn't feel like it. For the other schools (well definitely for school B, I need to look at C again) the catchment is much bigger and includes our area as part of including the next village iyswim?

It is indeed possible that this has already been considered and the new catchment/boundaries will be published soon.

OP posts:
TizerorFizz · 14/06/2023 17:26

In my local town, the grammars have catchments. The others, within the defined boundaries of the town, have shared catchments. They are always looking at it because of new building. No new estates are a surprise though and school capacity matches planned development. The villages are allocated to one non selective secondary due to transport.

warminit · 15/06/2023 17:27

pfisher · 14/06/2023 15:42

I recognise that it's probably too late to do anything about this, so just interested really I guess.

We've recently moved to a new town and looking at secondaries for DS (currently Y5 - so choosing in October this year for entry September '24). There are three local secondaries, all have a good reputation. One of these has a defined 'catchment area' which seems to specifically exclude our estate. The thing is I don't think this is intentional (which I know does happen) but rather our estate is brand new, first people moved in less than a year ago and prior to these houses being built the nearby road (which runs up one side of our estate) would have been considered the practical boundary of our town - no more houses from there until the next village. So I think/hope it's effectively an oversight and just needs reviewing but how/who should I ask for this to be done? And realistically should I not even worry about it because there is no way it will be done by October?

@pfisher if you'd asked this question before May 15th I'd have suggested you refer the 2024 admissions policy to the Schools Adjudicator, who would judge whether the catchment is still fair and reasonable given the building of the new estate. It would help if you could show your estate has a specific demographic that might otherwise be under-represented at the school: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-admissions-arrangements

You've missed the deadline now, but sometimes they accept late submissions.

Instead, you could:

  1. appeal when you don't get in, on the ground that you think the catchment is not fair and reasonable and is therefore in breach of the admissions code (unlikely to succeed, but worth a try).
  2. persuade the school that the catchment is unfair. If they agree, they will be obliged to apply for a "variation" to the policy to bring it in line with the code.

These suggestions are long shots, but valid.

warminit · 15/06/2023 17:30
  • in option 2, replace the word "school" with "admissions authority". That may be the school, a trust, the local authority, a diocese, etc, depending on the type of school.
Masterofcats · 15/06/2023 18:53

Sounds a bit like my town. By any chance 3 high performing comps and a very high performing 6th form???

LadyLapsang · 15/06/2023 19:18

Anyone may object to the admissions arrangements of a school - see information from the Office of the Schools Adjudicator. The normal deadline is 15 May but the Adjudicator has the discretion to consider a late case. However, I would try to find out more for the reason for any catchment before complaining. Has your estate been provided with a new school under planning gain / S106?

Original poster
pfisher · 15/06/2023 20:07

LadyLapsang · 15/06/2023 19:18

Anyone may object to the admissions arrangements of a school - see information from the Office of the Schools Adjudicator. The normal deadline is 15 May but the Adjudicator has the discretion to consider a late case. However, I would try to find out more for the reason for any catchment before complaining. Has your estate been provided with a new school under planning gain / S106?

No, it's a relatively small estate (less than 200 houses) so no new school was necessary/enough existing places

OP posts:
Original poster
pfisher · 15/06/2023 20:09

Masterofcats · 15/06/2023 18:53

Sounds a bit like my town. By any chance 3 high performing comps and a very high performing 6th form???

I've not been here long enough really to be able to say whether they are 'high performing'. It's not a grammar area so they are all comps. I understand they have some sort of joint 6th form between the 3 secondaries and the local college too

OP posts:
LadyLapsang · 15/06/2023 21:52

Does one of the schools prioritise a % for admission based on an aptitude for a stated subject? If you look on the Get Information about Schools website is there a noticeable difference in the % of pupils eligible for Free School Meals at the school with a defined catchment?

ThanksItHasPockets · 16/06/2023 06:19

I will be interested to hear what the LA say when you speak to them. My LA uses defined catchments and every address is in a catchment, even new builds. This has meant in some cases that they have had to create remote catchment areas as otherwise a whole estate would be in an admissions black hole. There is one small shared catchment but it seems strange that schools B and C have an entire town as a shared defined catchment area.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page