With my first born (he's 9 now and going into Year 5 in September
![Loudly crying face :sob: 😭](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/joypixels/emoji-assets@5.0/png/64/1f62d.png)
) I always had a school in mind even before he was born. A Catholic Primary School, 18 mins walk from where we live (I don't drive) but just the tiniest and I mean tiniest fraction outside it's catchment area! (even though we technically lived closer than other areas in the catchment area for this school, it's a very outdated way to decide who's in the catchment but any way) The school was also overly Subscribed so chances of getting a place were slim to none and I was gutted to be so close but yet so far down the admissions list without much hope to be honest
![Pensive face :pensive: 😔](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/joypixels/emoji-assets@5.0/png/64/1f614.png)
However I visited this school aswell as two other schools before filling in the admissions form. I spoke with the Headmistress telling her how much I'd always hoped my children would attend this school etc how both myself and my son were Catholic (I was also pregnant at the time with my Rainbow baby) I basically laid it on thick but it was all true anyway I also visited two other schools both in the catchment area one non catholic (closest to where we live, albeit only a difference of a 7 min walk between this and the 1st choice) and then the one furthest away but still in the catchment and a Catholic school.
The day came to find out which school place we had been given and would you believe we got our first choice, the Catholic school that was oversubscribed, that was out of the catchment area, that we came last in on the admissions list criteria!
![Folded hands: light skin tone :pray_tone1: 🙏🏻](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/joypixels/emoji-assets@5.0/png/64/1f64f-1f3fb.png)
Anyway at the time my first born baby boy had been diagnosed with a speech disorder and had had speech therapy in the local community but it wasn't right for him. The second choice school had a Speech Therapist visit each week who firstly assessed children with speech problems then worked with them each week in school, the first choice school did not have any SALT in place (I only found out about this after getting a place at this school) anyway loooooong story short I did my research Fopps, I looked around all 3 schools that I was happy for my only son at that time to go to, I asked questions, I did reccys of the school run all whilst pregnant etc and in the end I turned down our first choice school (I had dreamt of sending my children here for years before they were even born, but turns out it's not about me and my dreams, who knew hey
![Winking face :wink: 😉](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/joypixels/emoji-assets@5.0/png/64/1f609.png)
) I chose the second choice school because it had better resources in place to help my son with his speech disorder!
Not sure many people turn down their first choice school and we were lucky our second choice had places and what a
duck about that was declining first choice, applying for second choice as if we were late applying (I actually filled out the original form for a school place the first day you could so that sent my anxiety off the charts
![Loudly crying face :sob: 😭](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/joypixels/emoji-assets@5.0/png/64/1f62d.png)
) then waiting to hear if we had a place all over again
![Grinning face with sweat :sweat_smile: 😅](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/joypixels/emoji-assets@5.0/png/64/1f605.png)
but in the end it all turned out for the best my son got his place and after two years having SALT via the school he was discharged
![Folded hands: light skin tone :pray_tone1: 🙏🏻](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/joypixels/emoji-assets@5.0/png/64/1f64f-1f3fb.png)
I now have 3 boys all in the same school (first and only choice for the 2nd and 3rd born) Year 4, Year 1 and Reception
I've been writing this for that long I've forgotten what my point was so if you've read this far thanks
![Face blowing a kiss :kissing_heart: 😘](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/joypixels/emoji-assets@5.0/png/64/1f618.png)
As for Fopps she has not a clue
![Face with rolling eyes :rolling_eyes: 🙄](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/joypixels/emoji-assets@5.0/png/64/1f644.png)
![Face with rolling eyes :rolling_eyes: 🙄](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/joypixels/emoji-assets@5.0/png/64/1f644.png)
![Face with rolling eyes :rolling_eyes: 🙄](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/joypixels/emoji-assets@5.0/png/64/1f644.png)