Home ownership and school catchment areas.

Home ownership and school catchment areas.

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Discussion

Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Sunday 3rd May 2015
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Sheepshanks said:
Hoofy said:
Sheepshanks said:
Hoofy said:
Basically, you have to now drive past your nearest suitable school to take your child to some school possibly a few miles away while some child possibly a few miles away is dragged past the school your child goes to in order to be delivered to the school 350m away from your home.
In what circumstances would that happen?
Ask the OPer.
I'm baffled by where the 'green thinking of the authorities' comes into that?
Oh, well, I would have thought it'd make more sense to try to give the nearest students the places as everyone's trying to be more green. Thought my statement was obvious.

Sheepshanks

32,519 posts

118 months

Sunday 3rd May 2015
quotequote all
Hoofy said:
Oh, well, I would have thought it'd make more sense to try to give the nearest students the places as everyone's trying to be more green. Thought my statement was obvious.
Parents can choose apparently random schools, but the only way they should be driving past each other against their will is if someone get priority due to siblings (or a few other special reasons), which is fair enough.

Sheepshanks

32,519 posts

118 months

Sunday 3rd May 2015
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Gaz. said:
yes

There is one (academy)school a few miles away that has been the engine for property prices going absolutely nuts outside its catchment recently as it is getting increasingly difficult to appeal, we're talking a good 25-30% increase year on year on average like for like and one road has gone up 38% since September last year. If you're in the catchment you've had it, especially as the independent schools are over subscribed with long waiting lists.
Academies around our way (West Cheshire) follow exactly the same admission criteria as LA controlled schools - so (once past all the special cases, siblings etc) it goes on distance as the crow flies.

In some areas it's done by feeder school but there are other methods, such as lottery or even banding by ability.

In an area of high demand for particular schools, it's a bit of gamble making house purchase decisions based on current admission criteria when they could easily change.

Andyjc86

1,149 posts

148 months

Sunday 3rd May 2015
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We didn't have to prove our address at all for our application (done this year). You don't even have to live in the catchment area to get into the school, so it depends how busy it is. Luckily we got in live about 150m away as the crow flies.

Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Sunday 3rd May 2015
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
Hoofy said:
Oh, well, I would have thought it'd make more sense to try to give the nearest students the places as everyone's trying to be more green. Thought my statement was obvious.
Parents can choose apparently random schools, but the only way they should be driving past each other against their will is if someone get priority due to siblings (or a few other special reasons), which is fair enough.
Bit annoying that an older sibling got the place if they're further away. I suppose I'm being slightly ideological as it would mean that all schools would have to be equal.

Sheepshanks

32,519 posts

118 months

Sunday 3rd May 2015
quotequote all
Hoofy said:
Bit annoying that an older sibling got the place if they're further away.
It can be - it happened in our village school last year when it was completely filled by siblings. But the alternative if to have kids from the same family at different schools, which is obviously a logistical nightmare.

It's been a bit weird this year - everyone we know has got their first choice of school. One thing that's had an effect is people in the village choosing an expanding Academy that's some distance away (this is for infants - entry at 4yrs old). If they'd been "forced" into our village school it could have caused a quite a few people to miss their first place - and bizarrely, possibly end up at the Academy school.

Edited by Sheepshanks on Sunday 3rd May 22:25

Condi

17,084 posts

170 months

Sunday 3rd May 2015
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r44flyer said:
It's the reach of the council's investigative power that I have no clue about, but if I can ask them about the as bluntly as that I will do so.
Potentially quite wide ranging. Credit checks, driving licence, council tax, poll data etc. Basically anything which is in the public domain. As well as private investigators if they wish.

As has been said, if you're actually living with your parents you'll be fine. If you buy a buy to let, and claim to be living there while actually living elsewhere, it might not be successful, and might be fraudulent.

Andyjc86

1,149 posts

148 months

Sunday 3rd May 2015
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Also worth noting, the admission criteria for our school was:

Those with a statement (I.e a disability)

Siblings

Closest as the crow flies

Dolf Stoppard

1,318 posts

121 months

Sunday 3rd May 2015
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It will all depend on what's in the LAs coordinated admissions scheme along with the admission arrangements of the school in question (if it's not under the LA's control). Given that you'll be living with your parents way past the start of the school year it's unlikely (but not inconceivable) that there will be any problems. You should be prepared to prove your living arrangements though, for your parents to write in support, and be prepared for the consequences should your plans change.

You also need to remember that living in the priority area wil not guarantee you a place but will greatly increase your chances of securing a place.

Don't underestimate the lengths parents will go to in order to manipulate the system. Every parent that gets away with doing so is merely denying another child a place at the school. It's therefore quite right parents and schools carry out stringent checks.

Hope this helps. This is a subject I know more about than I wish is did...



Edited by Dolf Stoppard on Monday 4th May 13:09

Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Sunday 3rd May 2015
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
Hoofy said:
Bit annoying that an older sibling got the place if they're further away.
It can be - it happened in our village school last year when it was completely filled by siblings. But the alternative if to have kids from the same family at different schools, which is obviously a logistical nightmare.

It's been a bit weird this year - everyone we know has got their first choice of school. One thing that's had an effect is people in the village choosing an expanding Academy that's some distance away (this is for infants - entry at 4yrs old).

Edited by Sheepshanks on Sunday 3rd May 22:00
Odd!

I wonder what I can do to improve the schools near me.

sleep envy

62,260 posts

248 months

Sunday 3rd May 2015
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
Hoofy said:
Bit annoying that an older sibling got the place if they're further away.
It can be - it happened in our village school last year when it was completely filled by siblings. But the alternative if to have kids from the same family at different schools, which is obviously a logistical nightmare.

It's been a bit weird this year - everyone we know has got their first choice of school. One thing that's had an effect is people in the village choosing an expanding Academy that's some distance away (this is for infants - entry at 4yrs old). If they'd been "forced" into our village school it could have caused a quite a few people to miss their first place - and bizarrely, possibly end up at the Academy school.

Edited by Sheepshanks on Sunday 3rd May 22:25
One of the London boroughs abandoned the sibling rule this year, others will follow that next year.

Will lead to carnage.

Sheepshanks

32,519 posts

118 months

Sunday 3rd May 2015
quotequote all
Gaz. said:
yes

There is one (academy)school a few miles away that has been the engine for property prices going absolutely nuts outside its catchment recently as it is getting increasingly difficult to appeal, we're talking a good 25-30% increase year on year on average like for like and one road has gone up 38% since September last year. If you're in the catchment you've had it, especially as the independent schools are over subscribed with long waiting lists.
Unless you've got weird admissions criteria the above doesn't make sense - why is the Academy boosting house prices outside its catchment and "you've had it" if you live inside the catchment?

AndyNetwork

1,831 posts

193 months

Sunday 3rd May 2015
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I would be wary about moving somewhere just because it is in the catchment area of a school, as they don't always work to the catchment area.

The school my daughter wants to go to (admittedly high school) you could climb over my garden fence into their grounds. We even have the same post code, but she didn't get in, and that is with having an older sibling already at the school.


Sir Bagalot

6,463 posts

180 months

Monday 4th May 2015
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jjones said:
A good school can very quickly become a bad school if the head is replaced (and vice versa).
My children attended an excellent primary school. Both Head and Deputy were excellent and well respected. Good range of teachers. Well thought of school locally. Even though it was a single intake school it was well over subscribed.

Heads OH had an accident at work which meant retirement and selling his business. All was ok as she would commute a bit further. This commute was 75 mins each way. It lasted a year before she resigned.

Replacement head initially came across well, but the cracks started appearing within 3-6 months. Within 3 years she had brought the school to it's knees. She is still there, and will be until she retires.

OP, personally I would worry about the secondary school, and gaining entry to the preferred one

Sheepshanks

32,519 posts

118 months

Monday 4th May 2015
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Sir Bagalot said:
She is still there, and will be until she retires.
They usually get forced out after a bad Ofsted report - it's the main reason people don't want to be Heads. A colleague's wife is an acting Head - she was begged to do it as her school (quite a decent one) had no applicants for the position.

mph1977

12,467 posts

167 months

Monday 4th May 2015
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
Sir Bagalot said:
She is still there, and will be until she retires.
They usually get forced out after a bad Ofsted report - it's the main reason people don't want to be Heads. A colleague's wife is an acting Head - she was begged to do it as her school (quite a decent one) had no applicants for the position.
especially as almost uniquely in public services the Head as the senior manager is required to be a practitioner ... ( there has been at least one none firefigther CE of a county FRS and the CNC has had a none sworn chief exec )

Sir Bagalot

6,463 posts

180 months

Friday 8th May 2015
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
Sir Bagalot said:
She is still there, and will be until she retires.
They usually get forced out after a bad Ofsted report - it's the main reason people don't want to be Heads. A colleague's wife is an acting Head - she was begged to do it as her school (quite a decent one) had no applicants for the position.
Nope. They've had the bad Ofsted report.

In fact on the last one half the parents who responded to a questionnaire responded that senior management was poor.