registering for school

thorsoak

It happens all the time - there will be years when the enrolment numbers will not be as high in one catchment area as in another - so there may be more or less places available for people who move into an area.

Most of the parents I know checked out the schools' availability before they moved into what they considered to be the catchment area of a particular school - and in fact some properties will be sold at a premium if they are perceived to be in a certain catchment area.

balletshoes

schwam66 wrote: »

each to their own i suppose, for me its crazy to think 1 goes to 1 school the other goes to another for me it makes sense to keep the children together, how do parents no the catchment area wont change? even if they havent moved the catchment area could be changed.......

unless new schools are built in the area (by that I mean extra schools, not new ones on existing sites) or a school closes down altogether in the area, catchment areas don't tend to change.

It seems to be quite common here in England to choose to send your children to different schools (secondary especially) as one school may not suit all your children.

Janepig

schwam66 wrote: »

each to their own i suppose, for me its crazy to think 1 goes to 1 school the other goes to another for me it makes sense to keep the children together, how do parents no the catchment area wont change? even if they havent moved the catchment area could be changed.......

Tomtontom saved me the bother of having to reply with the counter to your argument. I've been through this myself, although I was close enough to DD's school for DS to get in with no problem but I was worried about it.

I can see both sides, of course you wouldn't want the bother of different schools for young siblings, but then is it fair for an eldest child to miss out on a place which has gone to a child out of catchment because they've got an older sibling there? There's no easy answer, other than perhaps to be a little more flexible on the 30 per class limit (ie, go up to 31/32 on the odd occasion). I've heard of twins being offered places at different schools because the favoured school can't go over the 30 limit.

Jx