Last Tuesday evening, we gave my daughter ‘E’ a glass of Cranberry juice in a port glass and my wife and I cracked open a bottle of champagne as we celebrated her getting into our first choice of primary school.
Along with every other parent of a child E’s age in England, I’d spent the day fretting about what we’d do if she didn’t. When the email finally arrived at 5pm, I was a nervous wreck.
The system, for those who don’t know, is a bit of a lottery. Priority quite rightly goes to adopted or ‘looked after’ children, and those with additional needs, then it’s anyone with siblings in the school and finally, the remaining allocation is based on proximity within the catchment area. Essentially, for us, it was not guaranteed – but the outcome felt so important because, as a two-mum family, we want our daughter to be at a primary school that understands the nuances of our dynamic.
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