feeder schools and waiting lists

[Gonggong]

Hi

My child's infant school feeds into a junior school, and is one of a number of feeder schools. Not all the children from feeder schools got in to the junior school this year. The junior school's admissions policy says that children are placed on a waiting list in line with the admissions criteria, but that only until 1st September will children from feeder schools have priority over other children (because after this time they will no longer be at a feeder school). Does anyone know if this is standard and legal practice? It seems to me to be unfair to discontinue the feeder school status of children waiting for a place so soon, given that some movement of children seems to occur within the Autumn term of each year. Any advice would be very gratefully received.