My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Secondary education

Need urgent advice - 2 DC without a school

100 replies

Matilda031 · 27/02/2011 08:21

I have two DC in years 8 & 10 and due to the MoD cut backs their boarding school allowance is being withdrawn and they have to leave their State BS at the end of this term. We are based in Westminster and after enquiries I've discovered the following :

I have to use the LEA to apply for In Year places, the LEA have informed me all schools within and surrounding our borough are full, the only schools who 'possibly' have places are under performing schools (some are schools in special measures) and all schools are miles away - some even on the edge of London.

It's looking highly possible that my DS who has started his GCSE's may not even be offered a place.

I have 5 weeks to find them both schools. If I appeal in order to get them a place at a local school (still would still be below national average) I am worried I don't have strong enough grounds (my grounds will be their current above average ability, their emotional state due to being forced to leave school, they are not use to travelling by themselves in London and will very scared if they have to commute long distances, both are doing well at sport : My DD is at County level for Athletics and my DD is doing triple science and is playing rugby at a high level (rugby is his world) and the schools on the available places list don't even offer triple science or Rugby on their curriculum.

  1. Do I have any grounds for an appeal?
  2. How long do appeals take?
  3. If an appeal fails should I keep the kids at the home on a waiting list for a school in our borough or at least near our borough or give up and send them to a special measures school miles away?


This is making me ill - I constantly cry, I'm so upset and full of guilt as we are letting our children down, we have not told the children yet as we wanted to limit their upset & worry.
OP posts:
Report
iskra · 27/02/2011 08:30

I don't know anything I'm afraid but wanted to say how surprised I am that they would withdraw funding during the school year. Surely they should fund the children they have committed to until they finish? Like when they withdrew the assissted places. Anyway I hope someone has advice for you.

Report
HattiFattner · 27/02/2011 08:32

can you not appeal the MOD cuts direct with the MOD?

Can you look at other state BS that encourage and prioritise military families - Im thinking Gordons (Woking)?

Look at BSs like Christs Hospital (sussex I think) that have a sliding scale of fees based on family income. Also apply for scholarships left right and centre.

In your circumstances, I would move heaven and earth to continue your childrens education. That would include appeals to the MOD not to cut your funding, especially as they are still funding other kids in BS (friends of mine just put their year 7 child into BS via the military). If you have to work 2 jobs each to keep them in school, I would do it. Esp for the year 10 child.

Report
Matilda031 · 27/02/2011 08:59

Sadly they are withdrawing funds during the school year -their policy is they will continue funding for the current term only. We are appealing for our son on the grounds he has already started his GCSE's and the disruption would cause terribly damaging.

We have tried to re mortgage our house in Wales in order to fund their places but that has been declined. We don't have enough time to sell the house (that could take years). I have sent begging letters to all the local schools, I have contacted every authority I can think of for help, I had a horrible arguement with the LEA this week for not doing enough. Their current headmaster has written and called the MoD expressing his anger.

Advice from anyone who has appealed sucessfully and any tips on appealing would be gratefully received.

The schools in Westminster are all pretty bad and have shocking crime levels and their results are laughable, but at least they would be local. To have to send them to bad schools and then make them travel by themselves on London trasport for miles in order to attend these schools just adds salt to already open wound.

OP posts:
Report
ruddynorah · 27/02/2011 09:06

I think you need to concentrate your efforts on keeping them in their current school? As it's state boarding the fees won't be too high surely? Have you looked at your finances carefully to see if you could afford the fees yourself? Do you both work? Can you take extra work? Would the school reduce fees for you dye to special circumstances or let you pay monthly etc? Have you got family who could help?

Report
LIZS · 27/02/2011 09:09

Assume you wouldn't meet any bursary criteria at current school? Could you move local to it so they can be day pupils. I don't think any of your arguments really stand up apart from the LA being obliged to allocate somewhere for them, which may well not be of your choosing.

Report
kangers · 27/02/2011 09:09

You need to contact headteachers direct if you can. Talk to then about your predicament. Borrow money to complete the education privately- how much per term? Can family help with that.
Local schools will know how successful apeals are- where I live (Derbys) appeals tend to be just a process and child nearly always gets in on appeal- even if school full.
So don't let 'full school' put you off. It doesn't always mean a lot and if you put together a strong case for your childrens needs to be met in a V good local school due to the excellent issues you have already mentioned, you should be successful.
You DC will have good discipline and grounding due to previous good education so thats a plus too.

Report
Hassled · 27/02/2011 09:09

Could your MP help at all? It's certainly worth an email - MPs are great at putting the fear of God into LAs.

What a nightmare for you - I'm sorry.

Report
kangers · 27/02/2011 09:11

plus I also agree with ruddynorah's approach as first option.

Report
Hardandsleazy · 27/02/2011 09:13

Is it possible to move somewhere further out or are you in mo accomodation? I agree with all others on trying mod, other schools first but wondered If it really does come to moving schools given your options moving somewhere with Better options may be the best. However I realise if you are in job related accommodation that may not be easy.

Report
ruddynorah · 27/02/2011 09:18

I just looked at my old school which has state boarding and fees for this year were between 8500 and 9500 which might be achievable if you work to a very tight budget and take extra work. Alternatively take a loan to cover it? I'm assuming your fees would be similar.

Report
Matilda031 · 27/02/2011 09:21

The fees are £24,0000 a year which we don't have. Already we have given up having a car and holidays as we can't afford them. We both work but like everyone else all our money goes on living expenses including a mortgage and we need a home for when my husband finishes her army career.

I thought about contact our MP to give the LEA a kick up the backside - I will do that tomorrow.

Their current school is only able to offer financial help to children who are currently living in care (and rightly so).

My son was Head Boy of his primary school, both my children our mentors for younger children at their current school, my daughter was boarder of the year and althletics champion of the whole school. All these things seem to have little or no importance to schools I've written too. I guess all their hard work to this point means nothing on paper.

Does anyone know that if I refuse the school places offered (schools in special measures and a long distance away) will there move up higher on the waiting list for schools in our borough or will them being schooless not make any difference?

OP posts:
Report
Caoimhe · 27/02/2011 09:22

You could take a loan for fees for the Y10 child - that one's situation is critical.

Report
iskra · 27/02/2011 09:23

Have you gone to the papers with this? If it's happening to several families I can imagine the Telegraph or someone covering it esp if any families on active service are affected.

Report
Caoimhe · 27/02/2011 09:24

Wow, £24k is NOT a state boarding school - you should look at the state boarding school website - most of their fees are below £12k pa and some are as low as £8k or £9k - that would be manageable for the Y10 child?

Report
SeeJaneKick · 27/02/2011 09:31

That is shocking...can you hme ed them for a time?

look here for avice re. GCSE's

educationotherwise.org/

Report
Matilda031 · 27/02/2011 09:33

The fees are £26,000 a year - we would need to find £60,000 to get them both to 16 (end of year 11). That's impossible for us.

If we were given advance notice of this we could have perhaps sold our house in Wales and bought a cheaper property in order to release some equity but that's impossible to achieve in the 8 weeks notice we have been given. In addition....... it's one thing selling anything and everything in order to continue their schooling, but we also need to provide them with a home.

We live in army married quarters local to my husbands base so we can't just upsticks and move to a better area for the schools.

Like every middleclass family in this country we are being shafted and in this instance it seems my childrens education is of little or no importance.

OP posts:
Report
kangers · 27/02/2011 09:33

Agree with Caoimhe. And iskra but be careful with newspapers making you pariahs.
You have to refuse unacceptable schools to appeal. I would visit said schools with your kids first though- judge for yourself. But not if too far to travel- that alone is a reason to refuse places.
There must be cheaper private schools in central London??

Report
ruddynorah · 27/02/2011 09:35

24k?! They could be at my old school in the lakes, rated ofsted outstanding at the moment for less than half that!

Report
kangers · 27/02/2011 09:36

Lack of notice is a huge issue- get to the papers. Whole reason for original govt funding is cos military have to live where they are told- and that now seems to leave you in an impossible position. I would home ed too- and pay a private tutor for sciences- see if you can access old school for sports still.

Report
Caoimhe · 27/02/2011 09:39

Look here for state boarding schools.

You need to get on the phone pronto to some of these for dc1 in Y10. Then start appealing for local state schools for dc2. I would normally suggest begging private schools for a scholarship/bursary but a lot won't touch a Y10 child as he may have been doing a different syllabus for his GCSEs.

Report
Matilda031 · 27/02/2011 09:45

Sorry the fees are 24k not 26k. 4K per child per term which adds up to £24K per year. Yes - that is state boarding school fees. In addition there are all the other costs associated with BS's.

We are applying for a loan for our son so he can remain at school to finish his GCSE's but so far our own bank has declined - I think in this financial market it's hard to get loans approved.

OP posts:
Report
NonnoMum · 27/02/2011 09:46

Not much to add but IF you need to go to one of the local schools, I would say don't worry about the rugby and athletics... your children can join local clubs (not affiliated to schools) in order to keep up this level of interest.

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

Matilda031 · 27/02/2011 09:51

I have thought of going to the papers. You would have thought the MoD would allow children currently in the system to be allowed to finish and it's shocking they are not prepared to do this.

My worry about going to the press is 1. This could damage my husbands career and 2. I don't want my children splattered over the news and talked about amongst their peers. Kids will bully other kids for the slightest of reasons and I don't want my children highlighted as different or special.

Thank you for the links people have sent - I am working my way through them.

OP posts:
Report
Matilda031 · 27/02/2011 09:54

And thank you to everyone for your advice.

OP posts:
Report
Caoimhe · 27/02/2011 10:13

Wow, I didn't know that any state boarding schools charged £24k - there are private boarding schools which charge less than £24k!

I think it is harsh for the MoD not to fund your ds to the end of his GCSEs - moving in Y10 is very, very difficult.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.