Primary school catchment area rules

jessie7 · 10-03-2014 9:42pm #1

Anyone understand the catchment area rules? Very hard to find a definitive answer. Someone was telling me that some of the schools have to take you if you live in the catchment area. Is that true or are there caveats?

Thanks

muckisluck · 10-03-2014 9:49pm

Catchment area rules are not prescriptive. Schools can currently set their own enrolment policies and catchment area is only one of a number of criteria that may currently be used.

Moonbeam · 10-03-2014 9:56pm

Ask the schools for their enrollment policy. It differs from school to school. Our local one takes 1st come 1st served and it does not matter where you live.

jessie7 · 10-03-2014 10:50pm

Thanks Moonbeam and Muckisluck.

I was wondering if they had to give you a place if you were living in the catchment area but I guess that would be a case for the dept of education to find a place more than the schools themselves

Moonbeam · 10-03-2014 10:59pm

No, you will find it is mostly up to you.
It can be a nightmare.
We have a 22km round trip twice a day.

byhookorbycrook · 10-03-2014 11:02pm

Even if you live next door , the school does not have to take you. Best to ask for a copy of their enrolment policy.

Orion · 11-03-2014 5:06pm

They have to follow their enrolment policy to the letter. Get a copy - most schools have it on their website - it's not a secret document.

glack · 21-03-2014 11:01pm

Some schools that are tight numbers wise might enforce a catchment area as a means of prioritising places for children for whom the school is the closest. As said before this cannot be done unless it is written in the enrolment policy. One school in my locality is bursting at the seems and this is their main criteria for deciding who gets places.

Primary school catchment area rules

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