Primary school applications - help!

[fidgetsdad]

With the deadline tomorrow, we're suddenly having last minute panic about choices we want to make for primary schools. How much weight should we give distance when deciding what order to put the schools in? Currently, for our favourite school, we are double the tiny catchment distance (2011), while our number three choice is our closest school and is having a bulge class. Should we be considering distance as important, we wouldn't have a problem shifting our top three around - we just want to maximise our chances of getting one of our top three. We live in a bit of a black hole - we're not in the catchment area for any schools based on the 2011 figures, but are a few hundred metres outside them all.

Grateful for any advice

[Mick Mac]

Don't have the answer to your specific question but if you mentioned the schools people might be able to help with your choice.

[Fuschia]

Put them

In order of preference

Just imagine if they bulged no 1 but you didn't get it because put it too low Down

You get ranked for each of your preferences then for those you qualify for, offered the highest preference

[fidgetsdad]

They've already announced they're bulging Bellenden, which is our closest.

Essentially what we really want is:

DKH (we're 512m - 2011 was 286m)

Goose Green (we're 443m - 2011 was 'all on time applicants were offered a place' but it was a bulge year)

Bellenden (we're 386m - 2011 was 492, but they're taking a bulge this year)

So essentially, on distance we don't think we stand a chance of getting into DKH (Do they ever announce extra bulges that they haven't already later in the process?) on distance, and potentially that's the same for Goose Green. If we ignored what we 'want' (although we wouldn't be really upset if we got Bellenden), then we should surely go Bellenden, GG, DKH?

Oh and please - no advice on which school is better - I couldn't take any more confusion and we're really happy with our preferences.

Thanks everyone in advance for your advice. This whole process is HORRIBLE!

[Fuschia]

Yes, they have bulged schools late in the day. When they bulged Heber that's exactly what happened.

They have predicted a need and put some extra classes in, but depending on the no of applications, they may well negotiate further classes

Put the schools in the order you want

There is no benefit to being 'tactucal'

It changed when they dropped the priority for 'closest community school' (e

Where failing to put that school first meant some children didn't get any offer at all within ED

[fidgetsdad]

Brilliant. As EDF was down, we had to make our minds up without seeing the advice and that's precisely what we did. Now it's in we feel a lot better about it all. Thanks very much.

[Cora]

Put them in the order that you really want, that way you will automatically go on waiting lists on those above - these waiting lists move alot from the first round of offers. Don't forget to use all choices - if for any reason you don't get your top three you would probably still prefer a local school to one miles away (unlikely with Bellenden's bulge). Using all choices will not make it less likely for you to get a top three.

[Cora]

Sorry we must have been typing at the same time all done and dusted.

[millsa]

haha we are also in the same position, between GG and DKH, but made a choice, sent the form and THAT's IT! not going back to it and stop thinking for another few weeks. thank God this is over for now!

[ratty]

There is very, very little difference between any of these schools ya know so please do not worry.

I was at a DKH open day not so long ago. They are expecting their catchment to be very small this year due to the amount of siblings. We have it down as our first choice, live virtually on the door step and know we are not going to get it! Shame really, but we have Bessemer and Goose Green to fall back on so no worries! (In fact out of all the schools I went to see I thnk the head at Goose Green impressed me the most! I was terrified of her and I think thats a great thing! :)

(Not to mention the fact hat hopefully we would have mvoed out of the area before no 1 son starts school. I am fascinated to find out what we are going to get though!

Best of luck!

[Fidgetsmum]

Thanks Ratty - bloody horrible process though. I'd heard there were thoughts that the siblings would be high this year at DKH but I couldn't remember where I heard it from and therefore whether it was just hearsay or not.

Anyway, it's in the lap of the Gods (or rather Southwark) now. Best of luck to you too.