reasons for preference make any difference??

[mrswilliams]

does the reasons for preference for that school blurb make any difference to the application esp for CofE primaries? anyone know? this is for a north london lea...

thanks

[gingernutlover]

i am in kent and yes it can make a difference i think

we were told by 2 schools that we must tick the denominational preference box on the application form as it would ensure we fulfill more criteria for a place

[SE13Mummy]

If you are applying to a faith school then it's likely that you'll have to submit an additional application that may ask about your reasons for wanting your child educated at a faith school. You will need to check your LA's website/school admissions booklet for full details as it varies from area to area. If you intend to state reasons for your preference for non-faith schools then it's likely that only those reasons supported by professional evidence for your child needing a place at that school over and above any other school will be considered.

We're in London too, albeit not a northern borough, and included on our child's application last year that we'd like her to attend a primary school 800m from our home as it was where I am a teacher (DH is a teacher elsewhere so we wanted to make life easier by only having two schools to juggle when it comes to parents' evenings, performances etc. and for our child to be able to remain with the current childminder).

The result? We were given a school 3 miles away in the opposite direction - quite an achivement given that there were 17 primary schools closer to us than the one we were allocated! Accepting a place there would have meant that I would have had to give up my job as there are no childminders that live within walking distance of us that also do drop-offs to a school in that part of the borough.

So, the moral of my story is not to assume that the 'reasonable decision' of the admissions authority will be the same as that of any reasonable human being! Even our admissions authority was puzzled by our situation and how the admissions code had somehow managed to take no account of the fact that it's not really acceptable to expect a 4-year-old to walk to school alone because its parents teach in other local schools (the allocated school had no breakfast club/after-school provision for Reception children).

[MammyT]

mrswilliams - I am also in a North London borough and just filled in the section - it can't do any harm, can it? We also had to submit extra docs to the religious schools.

I mentioned school ethos, our access to the school etc.

[mrswilliams]

se13mummy, hope your child got into a desired school in the end, sounds stressful, what shambles!

mammyT, for us the supplementary form doesn't ask for a blurb on why etc, will put our twopence in the LEA application then...

thanks all & happy new year!

[SE13Mummy]

Thanks mrsw, unfortunately DC ended up at a school that I really didn't want her to go to but at least they found her a place at a local one. I'm still not quite sure what will happen when I return from maternity leave. Hey ho!