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Secondary education

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

Original poster

Applications for younger siblings

27 replies

PuttingDownRoots · 10/07/2023 09:12

Recently realised that the Open evenings just starting up are actually for my younger DDs age group... Yr5 going into Yr6.

With DD1 we ended up only applying for one school... the Catchment school (as in we live in the priority admissions zone). DD1 is happy there. The very recent Ofsted came back as Good and the Progress 8 scores and raw results are both quite positive as well. We have no reason to doubt this school. We are as certain as we can be that she will get a place (no Sibling priority, all children in catchment treated equally).

Do people tend to go to Open Evenings again for second child if they've already made their mind up? We are taking her to see the Catchment school simply because we never did with DD1 as it was Online. But O did wonder if we should see a few others as well...

OP posts:
BringOnSummerHolidays · 10/07/2023 09:50

I plan to for DC2. But only if it's open to the children as well. If it's a parents' evening, I wouldn't bother.

BringOnSummerHolidays · 10/07/2023 09:51

I mean visit the catchment school one where she'll be going. Don't bother with other schools if you know she aren't going there.

StillWantingADog · 10/07/2023 09:54

I would if it was a chance to take the younger DC yes. I'm sure they'd benefit from a lookaround and a chance to meet the teachers.

redskytwonight · 10/07/2023 10:20

We went so that DC2 would have a chance to see the school.

We took her to a second school because we did want her to see something else for comparison purposes and so that she felt it wasn't a foregone conclusion that she would go to catchment school just because her brother did.

Foxesandsquirrels · 10/07/2023 10:26

It's really for your DC tbh. School choice is a myth really. We didn't go to the open evening at DDs school as we had a private tour due to EHCP and their open evening clashed with another school that couldn't give us a private tour. I ended up going to the open evening with DD when she was in Y7, so already a student. It was really nice to see the school and meet some of her teachers.

Original poster
PuttingDownRoots · 10/07/2023 14:16

It would be nice to see the school which is why we are going... I've seen the hall, DH has never been inside.

It was more about visiting other schools... which we don't even have a chance of getting into as we don't live in the priority area for them, and aren't as good on paper as our local one.. and are several miles away with no public transport.

OP posts:
StillWantingADog · 10/07/2023 14:28

If you don’t live in the priority area die then then no don’t bother

we have two main choices (though one is significantly higher chance of getting in), we will likely go to the other as it’ll be the back up choice, and not bother with the others.

TeenDivided · 10/07/2023 14:44

I wouldn't bother seeing a school you can't get a place at personally.

We saw 2 schools for DD1. Then for DD2 I saw them both again just to double check (6 years gap so no overlap at school).

Both times I only took DD to see the preferred school.

lanthanum · 10/07/2023 16:18

PuttingDownRoots · 10/07/2023 14:16

It would be nice to see the school which is why we are going... I've seen the hall, DH has never been inside.

It was more about visiting other schools... which we don't even have a chance of getting into as we don't live in the priority area for them, and aren't as good on paper as our local one.. and are several miles away with no public transport.

The only reason to visit the other schools would be noseyness, in those circumstances.

Foxesandsquirrels · 10/07/2023 17:44

I'm so baffled. Why would you visit a school you aren't sending your kids to?

reluctantbrit · 10/07/2023 22:09

I only have one but friends with two/three took all the younger ones and saw the schools they could normally get into.

Just because a school fits one child it doesn't mean it fits the second, especially at secondary level. One. friend really would have preferred a co-ed for her youngest (older girl is in single sex and it suits her) but the transport is a total disaster and no parent is available to drop off.

It's also a "rite of passage" to give the younger child an idea what they will be up to and how a secondary school works.

Original poster
PuttingDownRoots · 10/07/2023 22:13

Foxesandsquirrels · 10/07/2023 17:44

I'm so baffled. Why would you visit a school you aren't sending your kids to?

Guilt. I feel like I'm doing school applications wrong... but the catchment area system gives a lot more certainty if you live in the preferred catchment.

I think I just need to relax... and remember I'm not in London now!

OP posts:
MarchingFrogs · 10/07/2023 22:30

Foxesandsquirrels · 10/07/2023 17:44

I'm so baffled. Why would you visit a school you aren't sending your kids to?

Possibly in an area where just being in catchment isn't always enough, if the distance offered to isn't always as far as where you live within it. Or to actually have a look at the school which you will probably be allocated if, despite your best efforts to avoid it, everything goes pear-shaped with the preferences you filled your CAF with and your DC ends up there anyway. You never know, it might not be the disaster you thought it would be before you went to see it.

So okay, in both of those scenarios, 'where you might have to send your DC, rather than, 'where you aren't sending them'. Unless you have the money for an indie (and your DC gets in there) as a backup - or you are able to organise provision of a full time, appropriate education through home ed.

StillWantingADog · 11/07/2023 11:42

Foxesandsquirrels · 10/07/2023 17:44

I'm so baffled. Why would you visit a school you aren't sending your kids to?

It’s not that simple though is it. We don’t “send” our kids to any school. We apply and hope for the best.

that said if the op doesn’t have any chance of getting into certain schools then it makes no sense to go and see the open days.

GettingOldB4MyTime · 11/07/2023 12:17

I would only visit schools that DC has a chance of getting into. I would hate for my DC to fall in love with a certain school which we weren't in catchment for and stood no chance of getting.

Definitely go see the school dc1 is at. It will help dc2 to picture where they should be going.

We visited 2 with dc1, the grammar and school 1 that we are in catchment for.
With dc2 we visited the grammar and school 2. We decided against the catchment school 1 as it has gone downhill recently and it is the school the class bullies were going to. school 2 had improved dramatically and our primary had just become feeder school for so was pretty guaranteed a place. She did mention going to look around a diff school that her best friend would be going to (sibling link) but I told her there was no point as we lived too far away.

Luckily they both got the grammar and they're at the same school now

Foxesandsquirrels · 11/07/2023 12:19

StillWantingADog · 11/07/2023 11:42

It’s not that simple though is it. We don’t “send” our kids to any school. We apply and hope for the best.

that said if the op doesn’t have any chance of getting into certain schools then it makes no sense to go and see the open days.

Show quote history

That's what I mean. The op makes out that she doesn't stand a chance, so I'm confused. I know choice in the state sector is largely a myth.

Foxesandsquirrels · 11/07/2023 12:20

PuttingDownRoots · 10/07/2023 22:13

Guilt. I feel like I'm doing school applications wrong... but the catchment area system gives a lot more certainty if you live in the preferred catchment.

I think I just need to relax... and remember I'm not in London now!

Show quote history

But you say the others aren't as good as your local one, so what are you guilty about?

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 11/07/2023 13:16

There is only one feasible school here, and we move at the end of Y5 (middle school). Getting in was never a concern with dc 2 - but we went to the open evening for her familiarisation as much as anything. It was also a useful update fir us as parents, as dc1 had spent most of his time there under Covid restrictions.

BringOnSummerHolidays · 11/07/2023 13:23

@PuttingDownRoots depending on where you are, it might be you are 100% going to get a place if you are in catchment. DC1 is in a secondary and the first thing the head said in parents evening was there has not been any year where anyone in catchment hasn't been able to get in. They went on PAN for the 2022 and 2023. Locally the numbers are falling so those will be the largest intake anyway.

You should know what the situation is like using previous year's admission data.

For us, both primary and secondary admission we are 100% certain we'll get into our catchment schools.

BringOnSummerHolidays · 11/07/2023 13:23

I mean they admitted over PAN in both 2022 and 2023.

Original poster
PuttingDownRoots · 11/07/2023 13:50

I have no concerns about getting catchment school. We can practically see it from the window and the Catchment area is over 5 miles. They've also gone over PAN to admit all catchment children before (presumably due to the more distant parts needing school buses and they are even further than the alternatives than us!)

My guilt... its irrational. I know that. We carefully chose the school when moving into the catchment area. I think it is just the memory of the London school madness.

Thanks all. Going to relax and stop worrying about it.

OP posts:
Foxesandsquirrels · 11/07/2023 14:23

Guilt isn't necessarily irrational. It might make you feel better to go to the other school and see it. Just take it with a pinch of salt. The open evenings at some of the worst schools are often the best as they want to attract applications. Are you feeling guilty that it's not a good school in London? When did you move? It might be the blues from the move too.

Original poster
PuttingDownRoots · 11/07/2023 15:03

@Foxesandsquirrels Military family. Lived all over Europe before settling here two years ago. I grew up in London though, and the madness is my memory growing up... visiting about 15 schools, 11+ exams, working out whether we lived close to any of them... and I was the younger sibling too. My parents can't quite believe that we don't have that!

It is completely irrational. I think I've talked myself back into sanity.

OP posts:
Foxesandsquirrels · 11/07/2023 15:11

@PuttingDownRoots I'm in London and I don't think your experience of 11+ is that common to be honest. Even the most hardcore families apply to max 6 schools. It's always normal to have the wobbles about secondary. It feels like the last chance to get things 'right'. It's a lot of pressure.

MrsAvocet · 11/07/2023 15:16

I didn't bother.
Once we had DC1 in at our preferred secondary school it was a formality for the others. It's a very good school and the bus stops literally at the end of our drive, whereas transport anywhere else is a nightmare. So I couldn't see any point in taking them to see anywhere else. If I'd had any doubts about the suitability of our preferred school or there had been any concern about not getting a place it would have been different, but given that neither of those things applied I couldn't see any point in viewing anywhere else. To be honest, even if my DCs had liked somewhere else they wouldn't have been able to go there, not without some very strong reason, so why look?