How do School Catchment areas work?

silvercar

each school will have its own admissions policy. From 2005 admissions were centralised ie each local authority would administer the admissions for all state schools in its area according to their own policy.

You fill a local authority application form in, listing the schools you want in order. the local authority then provides a list of pupils requesting places at each school to each school, the school then informs the LA who it is able to offer places to; the LA then refers back to each school to tell it of a number of children who they were able to offer places to, but had placed another school higher up the list and so decline the place, the school can therefore offer a few more places and informs the LA who those children are.

The LA then writes to the parents informing them which school they have been allocated.

This is designed to improve on the previous system (where you applied to schools directly) where some children got no places and others got more than one.

So basically you can make one application and the La allocates you a school according to the order of your choices. This still allows each school to have different entrance reqquirements.

If you have houses in different parts of the country you could get away with two applications. If you have houses within one LA or in bordering LAs you won't be able to get away with it.

BargainJunky

The rules differ everywhere and we are just about to begin looking for schools! My little boy is due to start nursery next September and we have just returned the forms - we have one good school which is the nearest to us but we still may not get a place. The other schools that we fall into the catchment of are awful - ofsted reports are terrible. We have chosen two other good schools that are with 30 minutes drive but if he doesnt get a place at these three we may be forced to go the private route which will be a real stuggle but his education comes first. Personally I would not move house as even if you fall in the catchment area it doesnt guarantee you a place.

ToilAndTrouble

I've been looking into this recently too. In our case the best way to get into a particular primary school is to move into the "priority area" for the school. Priority areas don't overlap. Our local authority has maps of the areas available on the web.

The "I feel lucky" alternative is to move to a house outside the priority area but close to the school as the crow flies. If the reception class is then undersubscribed after considering applications for kids in care, children in the priority area and siblings of children at the school, you will have a good chance at getting a place. This can be a good option if there are two adjacent schools where one is good and one excellent. Move into the priority area for the good school, but close to the excellent school.

I'd encourage people to read the admissions policy of the local authority. Mine is on the web. If there are parts you don't understand, then phone them.

T&T

Sultana

Angela_D wrote:

I totally agree why pay the extra for the house when you could pay it directly to the school and receive the benefits of smaller class sizes.

This equation only works if you have one child. And even then you can't recover the money later on by reselling.

mrsS_2

sorry Sultana- dont agree that equation only works with one child.

house prices where I am near to good secondary schools are £300k dearer for same sizehouse 4 bedroom house than on side of town with rubbish schools.

that would pay for 2 kids surely?

obviously this depends where you live and is probably more marked in the SE and London where city bonuses spread outwards every spring.

Angela_D_3

Sultana wrote:

This equation only works if you have one child. And even then you can't recover the money later on by reselling.

I have three and it\'s cheaper to pay for 13 years of private education than it is a house in catchment - oh and the bank doesn't give you the interest you've paid on the mortgage back at the end, sorry to be the bearer of bad news :rolleyes:

mrsS_2

but at the end of the day it isnt about cost is it? it is about getting the best education for your children. I have tried both ways- gave the state system 4 years- it didnt deliver for me.

But lots of my friends thought the school was fine and that I was mad!

What I would say i if you have a very bright child they will do well at a good state school.

If you have a less able child they will be given lots of help to make sure they get the right level in those all important SATS, and they will also be fine.

If you have a low to middling child who will scrape through the SATS because Mum will sit and do extra maths with them every weekend, then just expect them (as long as they are nice quiet children) to look out of the window for a couple of years.....ie go to school for the social life.

at private school I am still doing the extra maths but it is for her to get through the entrance exams to senior school! (she has a lot of catching up to do poor thing)

whambamboo

Angela_D wrote:

I have three and it's cheaper to pay for 13 years of private education than it is a house in catchment

you sure?

I worked out that with school fees rising 2% above inflation, it will cost me £150k at today's money for me to educate my child from reception to age 18. 3 * £150k buys quite a lot of house.

Angela_D_3

whambamboo wrote:

you sure?

I worked out that with school fees rising 2% above inflation, it will cost me £150k at today's money for me to educate my child from reception to age 18. 3 * £150k buys quite a lot of house.

£450k is equal to 25 years mortgage on £150k house. That buys a terrace round here and I am not in London/SE but Liverpool, that well known city of enterprise and industry.

royalsteve

ukbondraider wrote:

Not sure where to post this question but I am looking to buy my next house strategically so that my kids when I have them can go to good state schools.

However I do not understand how the catchment area policy works.

Do parents simply get a better chance for their children to go to better schools if they live close to that school? How close is close enough i.e do you have to live within 1 mile of the school or is 5 miles still considered in the catchment area?

Secondly if you own two house at different ends of the country but both houses are near to their highly regarded school can you as a parent apply to both schools and then decide where to reside afterwards?

Thanks

not sure about other councils, but I live in Wokingham (Berkshire) district council area and the council has a website where you can enter the street name and it will show the streets catchment for primary/secondary schools - very handy