Primary school catchment areas

[MaeveW]

Feeling slightly limited by the choice of primary schools in my area, and just to ask some advice. In a previous post on this topic, it was stated that, for most popular community primary schools, the catchment area is generally around 300 m. Does that mean if you live further than this, there is not really any point applying? Do I have to settle for the 2 - 3 schools that are within this distance from my home? If so, what is the point in filling out 6 choices? Thanks

[Coach Beth]

If you fill in all 6 choices, you will automatically go on the waiting list for all 6 of those choices (however, you can put your name on the waiting list yourself of any school after the allocations but it's easier if it just automatically goes on). So if you don't get your 1st or 2nd or 3rd choice, at least you know you will automatically go on the waiting list for those schools. Also, if you only put down 2 or 3 choices and you don't get in to any of those schools (for example if those schools are over-subscribed as indeed all the schools in East Dulwich have been in the last year or so) you will automatically be allocated any school in Southwark where they have places. This will not neccessarily be a school near to you and in previous years, parents have been allocated schools near the Old Kent Road and near Queen's Road Peckham which are very difficult to get to - this happened to a friend of mine who decided to just put down two schools. Both of those schools were over-subscribed and she was then allocated Peckham Park School, near the Old Kent Road. She then got her son in eventually to Goose Green school where my son got in as well by getting him on the waiting list but it was a stressful few months before she got in

[MaeveW]

thanks for that. Is it common for people to move children after school has already started, if they then get a higher preference? If so, any issues with children settling in after term has already started?

Interesting that your child is at Goose Green as that is one of my options - how are you finding it?

[goosegreenpta]

Maeve, there is a tour of Goose Green school tomorrow which will give you the opportunity to see the school from nursery to year 6 and includes the music and art rooms. There tours are on the first Monday of every month and we will always endeavour to have some parents of the current school children on hand afterwards for a cuppa and a chat.

The tour begins at 9.15am.

[Coach Beth]

I have lots of postive things to say about the school - I've said quite alot on the forum before so I don't want to bore regular readers! These include: aspirational/positive leadership from the Head, clear feedback onto the progress my child is making, a great PTA and good community of parents, and a fantastic music programme lead by a music teacher based at the school 4 days a week. Anyway if you google Goose Green School you will find other comments in other discussions by myself and other parents. I think the fact that the school has one of the highest Sats results from last year at 81% (combined) speaks volumes about the positive changes brought about at the school since the latest headteacher has been in place. When you are looking around schools, ask what the Sats score was for last year - Sats results can vary widely and it is one indicator (but certainly not the only one!) of how well a school is doing as it shows the percentage of children who have reached the government's expected level of achievement by the end of Year 6. Anyway, there is a tour of the school tomorrow at 9:15am followed by a chance to have a chat with parents of children currently at the school. And check out the new school website at http://www.goosegreenprimaryschool.org

[Hollybush]

Maeve, You should definitely fill in 6 places in the genuine order that you prefer them. You also should definitely look at and consider all the schools near you - round here that can be quite a few! I filled at least 4 choices within a 10 min walk and probably the other two within 20 mins. I guess the reason that the outcomes are a bit unpredictable around here (unless you live next to your no.1 school!) is the population density and no. of schools).

Its true some catchments are 300m, but these vary lots from year to year due to siblings etc. So there's nothing wrong with putting your favourite school top even though it is quite far away, as long as you have good back ups and realistic expectations.

THe not knowing is stressful, especially if you end up on waiting list, but it seems to me that none of the schools locally (my knowledge is around ED station area) are bad at all. The attitudes that seem quite common around here about avoiding terrible schools and getting into the 'best' one are not really that helpful to families or the schools. (sorry that may be a bit uncalled for and not related to your OP but a few conversations recently have narked me!)

[Coach Beth]

Here, here! I agree completely with Hollybush - there are many good schools in the area - Bellenden, Bessessmer Grange and Goose Green to name but a few! The only way to decide is to visit, speak to the teachers and the Head and go with what your gut says.

[MaeveW]

Thanks for that. I went to the GG open day this morning and definitely liked what I saw, and it has reassured me in some ways.

I guess my OP was more along the lines of, if I put as my first choice a school which is around 1 mile away, is that a wasted choice? Do I stand less chance of getting into some of the schools which are closer as a second or third preference? Should I therefore be a bit more realistic about selecting schools I am close by too, and discount the further away schools

Finding it very confusing to get my head around the whole process! Children seem to grow up so quickly - it felt like only yesterday we were looking for nurseries!

[clux]

I would think that these days it's virtually impossible to get into a school which is one mile away if it is operating a standard admissions criteria. I would think it would be a waste of a choice to be honest. The Southwark website will give you a list of last years distances.

[mummynegin]

Hi Maeve, in relation to your question as to whether you'd stand less of a chance of getting into your 2nd and 3rd choice schools, I think the answer is no. My understanding from reading the Southwark admissions brochure is that the schools are not told which order you have listed them. Each school provides a list of the children it can take according to the admission criteria. If only one of your 6 choices can offer you a place, then obviously you get that place. If more than one can offer you a place, then you'll get offered the school that was your highest choice. So you should put your first choice school first and if you don't get into it, you will not have less of a chance of getting into choices 2 and 3.

I am sure people will correct me if I'm wrong...

[Hollybush]

If you are asking - does putting the school 2nd/3rd mean you are less likely to get it, the answer is no. If you don't get your first choice, you are effectively applying to your next choice with everyone else regardless of where they placed the school. And the other way around - another parent might desperately want your 'local back up', that you put, say, 3rd. THey might have put it first but if they live further away than you, you would still get in before they would. At the end of the process, no children who wanted the school will be living closer to the school than the child who travels furthest to attend the school (and got in on distance, ie not siblings, special needs etc).

It is a bit hard to get your head around the iterations that some computer must have to generate!

So you can apply to some school 1 mile away first - a long shot - and you still have 5 choices left to be more realistic with. But yes, you should put some close by schools - if you put 6 that are 1 mile away, there's a fair chance you'll get none of them and be allocated somewhere further away. I think this is where people get confused - they mistakenly think that the system will have to give them one of their choices even if they put lots of distant schools or only put 2 down.

Sorry to go on or if I misunderstood the question! I really hope you find a couple of local schools you like - much less stressful in admissions process, and think of the time saved with 7 years of the walk to school (more if you have more than 1 child!).

[Hollybush]

xposts with Mummynegin - and she explained it much better than me!

[Renata Hamvas]

You do have chances with some schools that are much further than 300m away, this is the approx last place offered for the most popular schools in the Borough. Some schools had last place offered distances much further than this and there are good schools that were not full from children who applied to them. This sometimes happens where there are two schools close to one another and parents aften prefer one over the other eg placing school A first and school B second and most of the local choldren getting into A so B has places. The schools with stars in the brochure on the last distance section show that all children who applied there were offered a place.

Bulges also affect last place offer distances, making them larger for the year of bulge, but then they shrink back to smaller than usual for a few years due to extra siblings. Larger schools also tend to have larger distances as they have more places eg Goodrich's last place ofered this year was double Heber. This means if you live closer to Heber than Goodrich, you may get Goodrich as it has alarger intake and last place offered distance.

Remember that the last place offered distances are not fixed catchment areas and can move up or down in size from year to year.

Renata

[MaeveW]

Thank you all for the help and advice - having looked round a few of the local schools now, and all your wonderful feedback, I am feeling a bit more positive about the whole thing!