Primary school admissions - MNHQ needs your thoughts!

[RowanMumsnet]

Hello

We've been asked (in advance of primary school places allocation announcements in England, Wales and NI next week) for MNers' thoughts on the current systems for allocating primary places - so as ever we thought we'd come to you for your insights.

What do you think about how your LA allocates places? Have you found the process stressful? Do you think the difficulty/stress varies widely across the nation - and if so, which locations are particularly difficult and which are relatively stress-free? If you're in Scotland, where the system is different, do you think it works well (or not?) Would you support a change to the allocation system - and if so, how would you like to see it changed?

Any thoughts welcome. Best of luck to anyone waiting to hear about their child's place.

If you can't physically get somewhere in time because a government organisation has decided to put you in that position, surely that can be challenged?

Presumably the point is that you don't have to get them to school because you could HEd. Once you've made the choice (ha!) to put them into school you have to meet all the requirements.

But yes, it must absolutely suck.

In response to the OP, my village school is massively oversubscribed, due to 2,000 new houses buing built on the outskirts of the village. The nearest school to these houses is actually in the next village, however for parents that work this would mean driving to the school then driving back on themselves to get to work. (We live on a peninsula, there is only one road off)

This has resulted in many children who live closer to the school being allocated a place at a school 3 miles in the other direction, which is fine if you are dropping them before work as it is on your way, and of course if you drive. Plenty of people don't, and are struggling to get their children to school along a lane with no footpaths. Often walking past the village school on their way.

This is causing masive resentment towards the people who live on the new estate, particularly from those who have grown up in the village, and now can't get their children into the local school. It is not these peoples fault of course, but the infrastructure here is creaking under the weight of the new houses. More are due to be built, and this lack of foresight by the LA was, I believe, a big part of the reason that we recently ended up with a UKIP MP.

WRT the summer born issue, DD will be 4.2 when she starts school in September, and will probably be ok. Her best friend will also be 4.2, has a speech delay, and has just been told that she won't get into the village school with all her friends, which is a massive deal for her.

I see no point in delaying dd, she will only have to go into year 1 next year (because the school is so oversubscribed) which means the other children will all already have their friendship groups etc. I think it will be harder for her in the long run so have decided to just suck it up. She is fairly confident, and I do believe she will be fine, but plenty of 4 year old wouldn't - her best friend being a case in point.

I envy the Scots their system tbh. The biggest problem surely is the massive gap in standards between some schools - if it were an equal palying field I am sure most parents would just choose the school nearest to their house.

I wonder what social services would say if a five year old was packed off on the bus to school by themselves nowadays? I do actually know a 7 and 5 yo who went together on the bus here and people kept an eye on them, but it was considered the least bad option.

I think most parents do choose the nearest schools to their house, or would at least be content with the nearest one - the problem in English cities is when you can be 5 min walk from a school and still over 100 on the waiting list just because there are so many more children than places at their nearest school and they have to be allocated around the borough to where spaces have been squeezed in. My 6 closest schools have all increased by 50 or 100% in the last 5 years and are still full!

Mrs Hathaway, I honestly think that would utterly collapse as a legal argument. To say that you have to meet some impossible requirement in order to take up a school places that is yours by legal right is just not an option for Local Authorities.

AFIAK I have never heard of anyone being fined for being unable to be in two schools at the opposite end of town at the same time, because it would be so bloody unreasonable the local Government ombudsman would be all over any Local Authority trying to pull that as a stunt.

Of course, if I am wrong, it would be very interesting to know ...

They'd argue it isn't impossible, and a state education isn't guaranteed to be free. You have accepted the offers m,ade and it would be possible to arrange a cm for one of the children for each pickup and dropoff.

There are all kinds of inconveniences that schools and local authorities are not obliged to overcome or mitigate, many of which cost money and effortt sosolve.

I'm playing devil's advocate a lot bit. If the children had to be handed over by their mother, it would be literally impossible. But that isn't the case.

In reality it would be a 'sad little kiddies in the local paper' moment and soon places would magically appear half a term later where the family need them.

MMHQ, could we have an update on what you're doing with the comments? I'm really hoping you can communicate some of our concerns to politicians so close to the election.
I know about lots of local parents' groups organising around the lack of primary places but there doesn't seem to be a wider campaign.
PLEASE update

I'd be interested in the stats for how many got no 1-3 preference in all areas. I say 1-3 as although we can do 6, fed want 4,5&6 as often further away. In our area extra classes and 5 free schools have opened so there is no shortage but no always in schools desired. (Although very few are bad)