Hi
My DS achieved the required level thankfully. His brother, currently year 11 is already at Borlase but when he passed 5 years ago, we lived in Marlow. We have since moved a bit further out, according to the Bucks C.C. site, we live 3.59 miles away. When looking at the allocations, it seems we're slightly outside of the area that has been allocated places in the last couple of years. According to Borlase's admission's policy, siblings are prioritised below catchment.

Do I need to worry that my sons won't be going to the same school possibly?

Hope someone can advise. Am I stressing unnecessarily?

I think your understanding is correct so yes, if recent allocation patterns are repeated this year, you won't get a place. Do you have a back-up option nearby?

Edited: Before my response causes alarm, kittymum asks the relevant question below. Are you still in catchment?

Are you in catchment still? If so you’ll be fine. They offer:

Children in care
Catchment siblings
Catchment by distance
Ooc siblings
Ooc by distance.

If you loook at the over subscription policy in admissions procedure it clarifies this - basically it says if they cannot take all of one category priority is given by virtue of next category.

So the policy lists catchment followed by siblings so if catchment is over subscribed then catchment siblings get in before catchment without siblings. My dd was admitted by this rule (we are catchment but 3.9 miles but she had older sibling at school).

If you are not catchment then she won’t be offered but if you are less then 4 mikes I can’t imagine where you can live to not be catchment.

Read 2.1 of admissions policy

http://www.swbgs.com/2014/wp-content/uploads/delightful-downloads/2018/01/SWBGS-Admissions-Policy-2019-20-for-Consultation-3.pdf

Ps I have a year 11 too - hope the impending mocks not too stressful!!

Thanks kittymum, I think you're right. I'd assumed that OP had moved out of catchment but if the catchment stretches to more than 3.59 miles in OP's direction then yes, they're still in catchment.

Yes if they are ooc then I wouldn’t hold out much hope. In my dd’s year there were a number of ooc over subscription appeals from people with siblings at tge school and all were refused.

3.59 miles is very very likely to be catchment (op maps on Bucks CC website) - I am further then that and not the very edge of catchment but obv I don’t know which direction the OP is in.

Yes, I've just looked at the map. OP, it's here if you need it: https://www.swbgs.com/2014/wp-content/u ... -1-map.pdf

More likely to be in catchment than not, but if OP lives to the north, north-east or south-west of the school, 3.59 miles will be outside catchment.

Thanks so much for the replies. Yes we are in catchment for Borlase and John Hampden. It's just that the previous allocations for the last 2 years show that enough children passed from a tighter area closer to the school than we are. So..although we are in catchment and DS has an older brother at the school, if enough children passed and live closer to Borlase then he won't get in.
John Hampden had a wider reach of 7 miles I believe, but my son is so suited to Borlase as he loves singing and dance!

Yes, GCSE mocks looming...DS1 is a little too casual for my liking.

kittymum is correct. The relevant clause is the last one.

Honestly if you’re catchment you’ll be fine.

Dd is year 9 which allocated to 3.1 miles or similar. Ds year 11 (year 9 when she started) and dd was offered on Nat Allocations day. If there are more then 120 catchment children applying the sibling rule trumps non sibs. I live further out then you and there were people closer in (non sibs) who weren’t allocated. Happy to discuss further on pm if you’d like clause 2.1 of over subscription policy (linked above) explains it.

If you want SWBGS you must put it first on your CAF and you’ll be allocated it. If you put JHGS first you will be allocated this above SWBGS.

Edited to say if you put SWBGS first tge only scenario when you wouldn’t get allocated is if there are 120 children in care or catchment children with siblings at tge school who live closer to school then you and that isn’t going to be the case.

Hello
Thanks so much Kittymum, it's reassuring to hear from someone in a very similar position to us. Okay, I think I can relax a little now. We will put SWBGS as first choice and JHGS second.

Thank goodness for this site.. I've used it right through the 11 plus journey but never posted before.It has been invaluable.