stuck on school application

[MrsBandEgglet]

this might seem like a really obvious question lol but for some reason I seem to be having a mental block when it comes to the giving reasons for our school choices part of the form None of the schools we have laboriously researched, visited and mulled over and over are our catchment school so I want to give a good reason for each of our choices. Our first choice is a school that I'm really hoping he gets into and this is because tbh I just really really like it and I got a strong sense that he would be happy there. we visited eleven schools in total and it was exhausting lol but this was the one I really loved. Plus he would have friends going there which I know isn't the best reason but Arf thrives on familiarity and I don't want to make things any more of a struggle for him.

Trouble is I really can't figure out how to articulate this. Should I be honest? I haven't put our catchment school as a choice because it's a chronically bad school, I hate where it's located, I honestly feel like he wouldn't be happy there.

May I ask what reasons people gave if their choices weren't their catchment school please?

 

[JJKCB]

I only applied for 1 and it was in our catchment but it was catholic and non of us are (my son had never even been in a church but it was by far the best school) but we still got accepted (to the annoyance of some other) we where just honest about it, that we didn't want to force a young child into religion and that we where leaving him to make his own mind up and the seemed to respect that

honesty is normally best

 

[RachA]

I would really really recommend that you put your catchment school down as your third choice even though you don't like it. Unless you are guaranteed a place at the 3 schools you have chosen.
If you don't put your catchment school down and you don't get any of your 3 choices your son will end up in whichever school has places. As well as not being a great school it could be miles away from where you live.


Tbh the reason you put on the form doesn't count for much unless you are applying for either siblings or religious reasons. When they decide in giving places they still have to go on the admissions criteria so putting that your son deals better with the familiar won't bump him up the list.

 

[discoclare]

It doesn't matter what you write in that part of the form unless it is going to influence the admissions category you are placed in. "I like it" "We love the ethos" "He will benefit socially as local friends are going" etc etc will make absolutely no difference to whether he gets in or not. The sections are only there because it's a legal requirement that people are allowed to write something, the schools MUST adhere to their published admissions criteria. Most of what people write there has no influence on the ranking order and most people in fact do not write anything. Most things which may influence admissions categories are already covered in other parts of the form (sibling link, looked after child, SEN statement etc) and religious affliations/attendances are covered on a relevant SIF for faith schools. I am not planning to write anything in any of the boxes. We are in London so get six preferences. My first choice (a local school) we have virtually no chance of, but I can't write anything in the box to improve that, if we are close enough we will get in and if we aren't then we aren't (last year furthest offer was 0.1 miles). Second choice is my catchment area school, third and fourth choices are two other local schools. Fifth choice is a bit further but is having a bulge class this year, sixth is a new free school near my work which was undersubscribed last year.
Have you looked at the data for the last year or two to see how places were offered at your choices in previous years? If it looks unlikely you will get offered a place at any of them then I would put your catchment area school as last - better to be offered a crappy school near home then a crappy one on the other side of the county/city.

 

[discoclare]

^I didn't read the other replies before posting! Rach A had already basically said the same as me.

 

[LaDY]

Last year some of the reasons i gave were...'good reputation' 'fantastic ofsed report' 'nearby home' etc...you can basically put anything...it wont go against you x