School Catchment Areas

[bonnierach]

Hi, would appreciate any help, we're currently looking at buying a house, which seems like it only has 1 possible primary school (Except for faith schools) There are several other (imo, better) primary schools but none of them seem to indicate that we would be successful. What would happen if I don't put the closest school down on my 6 preferences because I would prefer to be further away at a better school?

[carebear]

The first school that can offer you a place will do so regardless of where on the list you put them and you will go on waiting lists for any higher preferences.

So if you put a long shot down as your first choice for example and the close one as your second, you will likely be offered a place at the close one and go on the waiting list for the long shot. In this scenario you would not go on waiting lists for third, fourth, fifth or sixth choice.

Hope that makes sense/answers your question!

[bonnierach]

Thank you so much! Still trying to make sense from this whole school catchment thing!

So the issue is, from the 2017 numbers, there would be only 1 primary school that we would be in the catchment for, but I don't really want to send my daughter there if I Can help it. If I don't put it as any of the 6 choices, will I run the risk of not getting any of my 6 (Other, further away, but still less than a mile away) choices? I guess, what happens if none of the 6 choices can offer her a place?

[Monkey]

If none of your six choices offer you a place, you?ll be allocated a school that is under subscribed. It could be far away or not very good (or both).

[bonnierach]

Makes sense. Annoying as probably means we can?t buy this house! Thank you for the help!

[Monkey]

Well you?d also go on waiting lists for your preferred schools and there is usually quite a lot of movement. So don?t necessarily give up on the house!

[bonnierach]

Okay, thanks! I guess the catchments change every year quite frequently as well according to the schoolchecker thing, so it's just a risk. The only school still a good school, it's just probably not one I would have naturally chosen - so it's not the end of the world.

[tomskip]

If you say the name of the road, the wise people of the EDF family room will be able to advise you. Catchments do vary slightly year on year but not really by that much.

[carebear]

In this situation, perhaps the strategic thing to do would be to put the close one as your sixth choice. This would maximise your chances of being offered a place elsewhere but guarantee (assuming safely in catchment) the close one which should offer if none of the others can. As pp said, you won?t be guaranteed one of your six so if they?re all long shots you risk being sent somewhere miles away within the borough!

[bonnierach]

Also - we would be just across the borough lines so the majority of schools that would be closest aren't in the borough we live in... If we don't get any of our 6 are we only offered within the borough? It's a bit of tricky situation this!

[bonnierach]

Thanks Tomskip, it's actually in Sydenham, Byne Road. It's in the borough of Bromley. The only school that seems very comfortably in the catchment area is the Harris Academy Crystal Palace (Which is a good school but I'm not keen on these blueprint schools and neither do I like the idea of having absolutely no choice at all!) The very annoying thing is that the school that is closest to the house itself (Alexandra Juniors) the infant school that is the feeder to the juniors is out of catchment as they are different sites and the kids that are already at the infant school get priority for the juniors of course. The infant school also has a minuscule catchment area and we wouldn't have any chance of a spot. Last year only 4 places opened up at the juniors to those not from the infants, and then I'd be uprooting her during her primary education even if we were to get a spot.... Anyway.... I'm rambling....

[Monkey]

A friend of mine got into Worsley Bridge from Byne Road but this was a couple of years ago.

[Melihoople]

You could call the schools to get furthest distance offered at the September start. But I think that area of Sydenham is a bit of a black hole for primaries.

[chica9]

If you do a search on the Sydenham Town Forum there?s a thread from a couple of years ago on Byne Road and school catchment areas.

Depending on where on Byne road the house is, St Bart?s and Kelvin Grove are both good schools which are potential options. With faith schools it?s worth remembering that they can vary quite a lot in terms of how religious they seem, and the split between % of kids attending through ?foundation? (faith) and ?open? or ?community? (ie people who happen to live locally) places. The schools can tell you the split (I think for St Bart?s well over half of places offered for next year were ?open? places) and the furthest distance offered for these places. So depending on how strongly you feel about the concept of faith schools they can be an option worth considering, even if you wouldn?t describe yourself as religious.

I know a number of kids at each of these schools (including my own!) - feel free to PM me if you have any questions.