Does pre-school admission give kids an advantage when applying for a school place?

[Piggywinkle]

Hi all,

I was going to post on toddlers, but I thought you may have more experience over here so

Just a quickie, we got turned down by our local primary for LO's preschool place this year, as (even though we are in catchment area) the places were all taken up by kids with siblings, or who lived closer to the school.

We organised for LO to go to another pre-school and she enjoyed herself immensely on the days we've already spent there. I also get a really good vibe from there.

A couple of weeks ago, we had a letter from the local authority saying that LO's name was at the top of the list and that there had been a cancellation so LO could go to the preschool we originally wanted her to go to (attached to the primary we want her to go to, in our catchment.) I though long and hard about it, but I didn't want to risk it, with her loving the other nursery so much, so I turned it down.

I saw one of the other mums from the nursery the other day, and she said that they had offered her LO the place that they had offered us (after we had turned it down) and that she had taken it, as she lives out of catchment and she wants to make sure her LO gets into the school.

It doesn't work like that does it? Have I made a huge mistake and my LO will now be behind other kids living out of catchment, or is it just a whole new ballgame upon admission to primary?

Help!

 

[housewifey]

I'm not sure where you are but I'm in Scotland and what you are saying is correct.

Just because that other womans child is in the nursery doesn't mean she has a guaranteed place at the attached primary, your LO has an equal chance of getting into the primary school if you both live in the catchment area.

 

[Piggywinkle]

I'm not sure where you are but I'm in Scotland and what you are saying is correct.

Just because that other womans child is in the nursery doesn't mean she has a guaranteed place at the attached primary, your LO has an equal chance of getting into the primary school if you both live in the catchment area.

That was it, you see, she doesn't live in the catchment but seemed convinced that her LO would now be admitted to the primary school. I didn't say anything at the time, as it would have just sounded bitter, but I worried about it afterwards in case she was right.

 

[hattiehippo]

No you're completley right here. School admissions are done totally seperately from preschool places unless it says in your specific school's admissions code that they give priority to children at preschool there - you should be able to check this on your LA's school admissions website or ring and ask them. It is very unusual though for this to happen.

One of the reasons school admissions were standardised was to stop children who can't go to the school's preschools for whatever reason being disadvantaged if they lived near the school.

 

[Piggywinkle]

Thanks Hattie, after jogging my memory, I dug out the admissions booklet that I got with the original forms. It states there that admission to preschool gives no advantage regarding admission to the primary.

The lady I spoke to reckons she used to work in a school office and 'knows how it works'

 

[hattiehippo]

Thanks Hattie, after jogging my memory, I dug out the admissions booklet that I got with the original forms. It states there that admission to preschool gives no advantage regarding admission to the primary.

The lady I spoke to reckons she used to work in a school office and 'knows how it works'

I think it did used to be like that but it really isn't now.

But you wouldn't believe the amount of people who think it will get them a place at the school - I know 3 families who moved their kids to the preschool of the school my son is going to because they thought it would make it more likely they would get a place. They did get places but because they are in the catchment area. My son got a place despite not going to the preschool because it doesn't figure in the admissions at all. The admissions forms don't ask about what preschool your child goes to just which schools you want and in which order.

 

[gingajewel]

My daughter is going to a school she didn't go to the pre school for.
there is a 30 intake for the reception class and there were 60 already at the pre school so my lo got a place over 30 of the children that already attended the pre school as we are in the catchment area. Hth x

 

[lovelylaura]

I've been told this, but when we applied for poppy's pre school because she goes to playgroup there she would have been picked above others who don't go to playgroup. Also when we had a settling in day the headmistress came in and said how lovely it is to see the next lot of school children ect. So although i think they have to state it i do believe they do pick children who go to preschool, which to me makes sense as they have had a whole year to get used to the school it would be a little mean making them go to another school. I wouldn't worry though i doubt there is enough children in a preschool group to fill up all the places x

 

[lovelylaura]

Also if you had to appeal it would help x

 

[Piggywinkle]

Thanks all... I played dumb today and called up the admissions department of our local authority. She said that the places are allocated centrally by the local authority in this order, 1st priority is given to children who are in foster care in the catchment area, 2nd priority is given to children with siblings at the same school and 3rd priority is given to children in the catchment area, with children closer to the school (as the crow flies) having the advantage.

She said there was absolutely no way that admission to the pre-school would give any advantage whatsoever to a child that was out of catchment and that, as we are in catchment, we would be offered a place at the primary before a child who attended the preschool, but lived outside of the catchment.

Should've have really just called in the first place, but I thought 'the BnB ladies will know this!'

 

[Nats21]

I've been told this, but when we applied for poppy's pre school because she goes to playgroup there she would have been picked above others who don't go to playgroup. Also when we had a settling in day the headmistress came in and said how lovely it is to see the next lot of school children ect. So although i think they have to state it i do believe they do pick children who go to preschool, which to me makes sense as they have had a whole year to get used to the school it would be a little mean making them go to another school. I wouldn't worry though i doubt there is enough children in a preschool group to fill up all the places x

Callums school is very popular, he attended the nursery and got a reception place but a lot of kids from the nursery didnt get into reception at his school.

The school has 90 places (3 classes of 30) in reception. But theres a nursery nearby that isnt attached to a school and a day nursery nearby so theres all the kids there to compete with as well as kids who didnt attend any nursery. Because of this a few kids in Callums class didnt get in, the parents werent very impressed which I can understand but the school has always stated that just cos they get into nursery doesnt guarantee them a place in reception xx

 

[Foogirl]

nope, don't mean nothing. The allocations for school follow a totally different process. The only thing that would be beneficial to your LO is transition from a nursery into its attached school is far more intense. It did really help Abby to be in and out of the school as part of nursery life. So my only recommendation would be to have a look at what the school offers your LO from her nursery into school and take anything you can!

 

[hattiehippo]

I've been told this, but when we applied for poppy's pre school because she goes to playgroup there she would have been picked above others who don't go to playgroup. Also when we had a settling in day the headmistress came in and said how lovely it is to see the next lot of school children ect. So although i think they have to state it i do believe they do pick children who go to preschool, which to me makes sense as they have had a whole year to get used to the school it would be a little mean making them go to another school. I wouldn't worry though i doubt there is enough children in a preschool group to fill up all the places x

It really doesn't help when school's give this impression either - one near me basically tells people that if they send their kids to the nursery they will get into the school and it's just not true. Places are allocated centrally by the local authority not by the schools - they get a list but have no say in who is on it.

It's no more 'mean' for the children at preschool to have to go to a different school that is actually nearer their home than they take the places of local children who don't attend the nursery/preschool for whatever reason. The 2 systems are allocated separately and I think that's a good thing.

 

[Foogirl]

I agree with Hattie. Pre-school is voluntary and so it should be. It would be an awful situation if catchment parents were forced into signing their children up for their local pre-school nursery just because other out of catchment parents had effectively jumped the queue by putting their children in a year or two earlier. In Scotland you are more likely to get a nursery in your catchment than out of catchment so it may seem like there is an advantage to being at your pre-school but there is no selection criteria which gives weight to children already at the school.

 

[gingajewel]

Megan was in private nursery because I work, she stayed there for pre school as I didn't want to move her. It is totally out of my area and is closer to my old work so it was easier to drop her off there in a morning. I would have been so upset if Megan didn't get into our local school because she didn't attend the pre school there. I needed more childcare than just the fifteen hours a week you get and school nursery couldn't offer this. I can't see any reason why just because a child had attended the pre school they should automatically be allowed into reception.

 

[Foogirl]

Megan was in private nursery because I work, she stayed there for pre school as I didn't want to move her. It is totally out of my area and is closer to my old work so it was easier to drop her off there in a morning. I would have been so upset if Megan didn't get into our local school because she didn't attend the pre school there. I needed more childcare than just the fifteen hours a week you get and school nursery couldn't offer this. I can't see any reason why just because a child had attended the pre school they should automatically be allowed into reception.

We were pretty much in the same situation, we did decide to adjust our working hours so she could go to the pre-school in our area, purely to get her In to the system earlier to make sure all ther additional needs stuff was in place by the time she got into school. But it wouldn't have made a difference which pre-school, as long as it was within the council area as it were them who would be sorting it for school. It's irritating we had to do it because the council is crap! We're lucky our employers were agreeable otherwise we'd have been screwed.