Didn't get the school we wanted

[spina]

I did a search on here to find similiar threads and was surprised not to(prob due to my lack of patience--I'm sure there must be some)

Anyhow, we've just been allocated our schools and my ds hasn't got the one that I would have preferred(the most popular one around here!) There is no such thing as a bad school in my town luckily, but our catchment school has had some bad press recently(all sorted now and new head on way for september) but it dosn't stop me from being disappointed.
It's difficult for me to enthuse to ds about his school when I'm not 100% sure myself. I'm going on the continued interest list for other school( but 19 people would have to suddenly move/go private so it's not going to happen

I'm also going to catchment school next week to have a chat with them(was shown around in Oct by someone who "was keeping her fingers crossed" about the changes in the school!!!)

I'm quite clear of my situation.ie which school ds will be starting at in sept . Just wanted to compare notes with anyone who has been where I am or is in the same boat as me. Doesn't help that I'm yet to find anyone who is going to our school. Everyone at nursery is either at preferred school or the other good school(which my dh dismissed because we had to cross a busy road to get to it-can you tell I'm not in total agreement with him on that one)

cheers MN!!

[FAQ]

Don't think everyone has got their schools allocated yet - we don't find out until 4th April!

[pralinegirl]

They're even worse in norfolk - its 23 April!

[spina]

Good luck with yours!!

[spina]

Good luck with yours!!

[mummyeme]

Hi,
Dd has been allocated her school and I'm really unhappy with it. Have done continuing interst list and am waiting for the appeal hearing date but from what I've seen not many are succesful for Primary appeal. Doing everything I can to get the right school. So that makes 2 of us

[OrmIrian]

Not in your position TBH but I just wanted to let you know that 'bad press' can be irrelevant a few months down the line. We were in special measures in the summer but a huge effort has been made and our recent inspection was glowing

[pickie]

Same here, DS didnt get his 1st choice either. Why they ever let him onto their foundation stage I have no idea, so harsh. been in the system for 2.5 years and now fall at the last hurdle.

Will appeal as well but TBH the other school is okayish and if not we will have to tackleit when it happens!

[pooka]

I was in your position last year. DD didn't get the school nearest to us. She had been at pre-school (but not a feeder pre-school) there, knew the site, the teachers and had fab friends who all lived closer and most of whom got in. The catchment last year was a little over 300m. We live 400m away and were about 15th on the waiting list.

The school she was allocated was our third choice.

She started in January and in general has been very happy there. It seems to be suiting her OK. Their admin and settling in procedures, just the organisation of the new starters has IMO been better than the 1st choice school. But I still miss being able to walk in 8 minutes to the gates, and have the problem that in september ds will be starting at the same pre-school, so will have one at each school in different directions.

I am still about 14th on the waiting list, as whenever someone moves closer to the school than us, they are higher on the list because of proximity. I know that there is a place going spare, and that the first 2 people offered the place rejected it, so might have gone up to about 11th or 12th on the list.

I am now rather torn, because I actually rather like the school dd is at, as does dd, but in terms of convenience and a more (shudder) middle class intake, the first choice school is preferable. My plan at the moment is to apply for ds to go to 1st choice school in September 2010, at which point dd would be moving from Infants to Juniors, and there is greater flexibility on class sizes. But it all depends on the number and proximity of applicants year on year. She would have got in the year previously (and every year before). But them's the breaks.

[pooka]

Sorry - wish I could delete the middle class reference. Is completely irrelevant. I take it back.

[FAQ]

tbh I'm not at all concerned about the schools allocations for DS1 (moving up to junior from infant) or DS2 (going up to infant school from nursery),.

I couldn't live any closer to the school that DS2 will be going to if I tried (next door) plus the sibling connection is there.

DS1's junior school offer places automatically (though we still have to go through the form filling process) to all pupils at the infant school.

PHEW!

[mummyeme]

I'm in the position that lea have accepted that my allocated school isn't appropriate (various social reasons), but haven't offered dd a place at the school I want and have left her at the allocated school. Been advised by the admissions officer that she doesn't have to start until she's 5 so wait on the continuing interest list.

[spina]

thanks everyone. my issue here is as much slight differances of approach between dh and i as it is about schools. DH thinks it's sending the wrong message to ds if we put him on continued interest list and he (by some miracle) gets a place. I think (Sod that) if my kid has a chance of going to a school that will be good for him(as opposed to one that will prob be good for him!)

There is I think (preceived or otherwise) a snobbery about our allotted school. Lots of people who don't really know much about schools(like me tbh!) latching onto a dodgy old ofsted report. there's a bit of "oh dear,I'm sure it'll be fine".

I feel that I want to stick up for our school, but havn't got the ammo iykwim! It's so much easier to rave about how fab the other school is because it's proven to be fab.
Does that make sense?

[pooka]

Spina - thst makes absolute sense. I too have had a few comments about "well, so long as you keep up with reading at home, because x school is way behind in literacy". And I do find myself beguiled by the school we were given, and thinking of many positives, and dd likes it. But it's still not the one we applied for that has the cachet of a more exclusive catchment area. Ridiculous! I should be happy that she's at an OK school that makes her happy rather than buying into the snobbery around.