Choosing a state primary school

daisiegg

Janepig wrote: »

So they prioritise out of catchment siblings over catchment alone (no siblings at the school?). I know that's not the case here as a friend was refused a place for her youngest daughter even though the three older siblings were there.

Jx

My local primary schools prioritise siblings above catchment alone too (my baby is not even born but never too early to become familiar with it all!)

Spendless

Janepig wrote: »

So they prioritise out of catchment siblings over catchment alone (no siblings at the school?). I know that's not the case here as a friend was refused a place for her youngest daughter even though the three older siblings were there.

Jx

Yes, the sibling criteria is just that. Do you have a sibling already attending the school? If so your criteria is higher than where you are living. As I said in an above post my area doesn't do it that way, but siblings came above 'living in the parish of' at a nearby faith school, though attending the connected church came above that.

honeypop

Janepig wrote: »

So they prioritise out of catchment siblings over catchment alone (no siblings at the school?). I know that's not the case here as a friend was refused a place for her youngest daughter even though the three older siblings were there.

Jx

Yes they do. And it's annoying!

JimmyTheWig

I think there's a difference between "catchment" and distance from school. I believe, from what's been said, in honeypop's area there is no concept of "catchment".

maman

Make-it-3 wrote: »

Nothing to do with Birmingham. I have no faith and not about to hyprocritically acquire one for the benefit of bagging a school place.

NicolaB wrote: »

Just to say that you don't need to acquire a faith to send your child to a faith school, many have non-religious places set aside too. My sons both attended a CofE primary. My eldest got a non-church-goer place and my youngest as a sibling. While the school obviously has a CofE slant to it, there are also children there of other faiths, and some of no faith.

I really wasn't suggesting you acquired a faith. Many apologies if I put it badly.


What I meant was that many faith schools are very good schools and you don't have to be of that faith to go to them.

I know you're in London but in many country areas, a CofE school is the only available school for miles around for historical reasons.

honeypop

Yes, there is a concept of catchment here. But catchment is defined by distance from school so they can't be different (can they...?).

I think catchment only actually refers to last years admissions. So (roughly speaking) if the furthest away child admitted was 290m from the school, their catchment area is 290m. It won't be that again the following year but gives an estimate if you look at previous years too.

Make-it-3

In our area we don't have separate categories for "siblings in" and "siblings out" of catchment. Seems a silly to split them. Sibling policy is there for a good reason parents can't be in two places at once collecting/dropping off kids to school.

Although it is annoying because it leaves so many people who live close to a school without a place there, but it has to be so.

Make-it-3

Maman, no offence taken - if I was going to start filling the pews and inviting the vicar to tea I think I'm a bit late in the day to get started - besides to me that's just cheating for a place.

I'm just not comfortable with the idea of faith schools, I think most round here do require some show of faith from reading last year's common application booklet.

GobbledyGook

Make-it-3 wrote: »

In our area we don't have separate categories for "siblings in" and "siblings out" of catchment. Seems a silly to split them. Sibling policy is there for a good reason parents can't be in two places at once collecting/dropping off kids to school.

Although it is annoying because it leaves so many people who live close to a school without a place there, but it has to be so.

Part of the reason for that is to give priority to people who live in the area over people who move closer briefly and then rely on the sibling criteria for younger children.

bossymoo

Janepig wrote: »

Up side of a two form entry, depending how the school organise the classes, is that they could be split according to age, so rather than having August borns being taught alongside September borns, you could have no more than a six month spread of ages in each class. Even in year 6 you can see the difference in maturity in the children in DD's class and the "older" class.

Jx

Lightbulb! I had no idea they do that! DS is in a 3 form reception and had a mad mass of parties from Jan to Easter but nothing since! I wonder if they have separated them all by term birthdays!

Actually, I hope they do, DD is sept 4th so will be the eldest in her year and is a smart cookie. Had she not been 5 days overdue she would start school this sept, but we have to wait another year. It's reassuring to know that she could be grouped with the eldest third of pupils in the year.