Primary school admissions- Any tips?

[morrisdancingmummy]

Hi there.... Can anyone help with my 2nd school dilemma?

Not only do I have DD1 starting secondary school in September, I have DD2 starting at Primary. Obviously I am not a person who is happy to just 'go for the easy option' and so have dutifully been round all my local primaries Open Days and read all their prospectuses too in order to find the right place for little DD2.

Does anyone know about the preference system that works for primary school applications? Obviously there is no 'test criteria' so apart from Looked After Children and Siblings it seems to go on distance from the school.

What I don't really understand is if I put my 1st choice (4 miles away & usually oversubscribed) 1st on the form and my 2nd choice (1.5 miles away also oversubscribed) in that order- I recognise that she is unlikely to get a place at 1st choice.....Will the fact that I put my 2nd choice 2nd (still out of catchment) mean that those places will automatically go to kids that put this school 1st even though they live further away than me? Thus landing me with my 3rd choice?

Or the other option is to accept this will happen, put 2nd choice (incidentally DHs 1st choice for her- we are still debating ) on top of the form.... thus probably guaranteeing us a place due to much closer distances ???? But poor little mite will have to make all new friends

What to do???

Some advice on how they work the positions for primary school would be very much appreciated from someone who has been there/ done that OR someone who is in the know.

Thanks.

[turtleglos]

Hi Mdm, it looks to me as though the procedure is exactly the same at primary school as secondary transfer. Your 2nd choice will become your 1st choice if your 1st choice is unsuccessful(if that last sentence makes sense!). Maybe someone less tired will come along soon and answer your question better.

[pixiequeen]

Think turtleglos is right, it's the same as secondary school transfer. In fact, just had a look at the letter (our DD3 starts primary this year too - although DD2 will still be there so a no brainer for us) and it's definitely equal preference, so you won't be penalised in any way for putting a school 2nd rather than 1st. Make sure you use all your options and definitely put your closest ('catchment') school somewhere on the list if there is a chance all your other choices will be over subscribed.

Pixiequeen

[ourmaminhavana]

Hi MDM just to say we were in exactly the same position last year (although in a different county). We put our first preference which was 4 miles away above a local school and they are considered in that order ie of preference. If your first accepts you there's no need for the second to begin applying its selection criteria. Good luck! It's very stressful at the time, but great afterwards when it's all over for 7 years.