mid term transfer

[cascade]

Ok bit of back story. For three years now school have failed to set appropriate work for dd. Examples of this being made to read every book in every level. Keeping dd on same colour book band for a year.
Last straw this term yet again Teacher spoke about dd as though it was a different child.
Lots and lots of other issues but you get the idea. I Feel like the school allows her to coast as she can do the work and is a well behaved child.

Anyway went to make an appointment to see the other school in the town and the HT was really rude to me. Said I had to go back to the other HT and explain my issues. Then she would only allow my dd to enter her school with the other HT blessing?
I actually only wanted to have a look round the school so that I could then decide if I wanted my dd to move schools. She would not allow this to happen and basically told me that she could refuse dd admission if the other HT was unhappy. Is this true?

[Tabliope]

Not 100% sure but I wouldn't have thought a HT of a state school could refuse your DD a place if you're in the catchment and there was a space. Don't you go through the LEA for that? I don't think I'd want to send my child there if that's the HT's attitude anyway. When I was looking at primaries, even though I hadn't moved into the catchment I was still shown round although one of the school secretaries said there's no point as no places. I just said if I thought the school was the right place I would appeal for a place if necessary so basically it wasn't down to her to refuse me entry. I emailed the HT of that school asking to be shown round (going over the secretary's head) and she was pleased to do it. I think that HT was speaking a load of rubbish and I'd stay well clear.

[IndigoBell]

It's up to the LEA not the HT. If there is a spare place the LEA will allocate it to you.

In fact you can ring LEA admissions and find out what schools have places.

However most HTs will advise you to discuss problems with your current HT first....

Presumably you have already discussed problems with your school, if not the HT. So just tell them the school is well aware of your concerns and it doesn't seem to be resolveable...

[bendybanana]

HT's usually think they are a law unto themselves but they are not. Maybe the Ht's both know each other and are backing eachother up? Ring your local authority and explain the situation/complain - the 'blessing bit' isn't noramal procedure I'm sure. Yes you should also talk to your own HT but just explain the problem and say you are looing at other schools.

[whomovedmychocolate]

In my limited experience there is a tendency for headteachers to talk bollocks about admissions.

It is the job of the LEA to determine who gets admitted not the HT. However for me, it would be a red flag if HT was unsupportive and rude.

[admission]

This headteacher is way out of order.
Yes it is very sensible for the headteacher to suggest that you talk through your concerns with your existing headteacher. It frequently happens that a parent makes a decision to move the child without even talking to the current school. So all the local primary schools have a policy of suggesting that the parent talks to the current head and also of informing the head that the conversation has taken place. But we would always show them around the school and we would treat them with respect!

That is the extent to which any headteacher can go. If there is a place available in the school they cannot refuse entry to the pupil. Ok it is now via the LA but the basis is stil the same in law, they cannot refuse to give you the place. Not that your post would suggest that this is a school I would be keen to move to!

[cascade]

Thanks everyone yes it has actually put me off the school (maybe thats what she wanted)
I tried to explain to her that I had spoken to the HT over a number of years and that myself and dh had felt nothing had changed. We have been very patient and tried to work with the school.
I explained to her that I only wanted to book an appointment to look round the school as we hadnt made up our mind on what we wanted to do.

[dikkertjedap]

Agree with others, wouldn't consider a school with such a rude HT. Are there no other schools you could consider, even if a little further away. Our dd has to commute, but it is well worth it because the school she now attends is so superior compared with previous one.

[MenorcaFan]

cascade - please don't be offended by my input here.

Most (at the school I work at anyway) mid term transfers end up being "trouble" in one way or another. They are sometimes being bullied, or are bullies/disruptive themselves, or have a level of SEN, which the new school won't have budgeted for and therefore ends up being out of pocket if they admit them (the other school retains the SEN funding for that year).

Your case doesn't at all sound like that - quite the opposite, but the new head may well be suspicious of your reasons, or indeed may be a good friend of your existing head (it's all very incestuous).

Eitehr way - she sounds quite ghastly.

[MollieO]

Has your dd had the same teacher for 3 years? That seems very odd. What do other parents think? I assume your dd cannot be the only one to be kept below her actual level or to be kept on the same level reading for that length of time. What has the teacher said when you have queried it? Sounds to me that there is a lot more to this than a rude HT at the other school.

If you are considering moving schools you need to be sure that you have identified the problems and are confident that a change in school will solve them.

[cascade]

No not had the same teacher for 3 years. One teacher is the literacy coordintor who dictates how reading should be delivered through the school.

I left it in reception and year 1 as decided she was little and the school knew what they were doing. Plus we were supplementing at home.

In year 2 we went to see HT. within a week she went from 2/3 lines per page book to small chapter books along with all her guided reading group.

This was last November dd has been bringing the same sticker books home for the last year.

This year again no change, wrote to the teacher to explain that dd had been on this level for over a year. Again within a week 12 children were all moved together on to the next level.

She scored all level 3s in year 2 and her HW last week was to recap her 2,5,10 times tables. She has known these since year 1.

Went to parents evening asked again about the reading, maths general lack of suitable work. The teacher just evaded the questions.

[MollieO]

What are other parents doing? Sounds to me like a more serious failure than just your child. If it were my Ds I'd be targeting the teacher/ht as a group.