No Secondary School Place

[rosysslave]

I am feeling desperate and absolutely miserable. I don't have a secondary school place for ds. The local authority offered me a place at the local sink school, which wasn't one of my choices. dd's school (she is in year 8) does not have a sibling policy and, following an appeal, would not give him a place. He is way down the waiting list which is not prioritised in any way. So I am having to consider home school him, and try to keep a job going at the same time. He is very miserable, he really wants to go to school, he has been looking forward to secondary school since we did the visits for his sister. He feels that he is not good enough and that is why the school won't offer him a place and I feel desperate for him. I don't know anyone in this position. Any advice?

[AMumInScotland]

Even though you and he are disappointed, do try to make clear to him that it is not personal - I assume he didn't have to do any sort of entrance tests for the school? So they are not rejecting him as an individual. It's simply that there were more applicants than places, and they have a set of rules where you/he came further down the list than others. It has nothing to do with him not being good enough, or you not trying hard enough.

Is the "sink school" completely unthinkable, even for the short term? He could stay on a waiting list for your DDs school and move when a place comes up - there is often some movement during the year with people moving house, so he might get a place. Others on the waiting list may give up their places on it after the term has started, so even if he's a long way down the list at the moment, a place could be offered during the year.

Are there other schools in the area which are not full? You could ask the LA which other schools have places available.

Home education is also an option - combining it with work can be tricky, but people do manage it - do come over to the Home Ed topic and post there if you want to hear about how others manage it. Again, you could still keep him on the waiting list for your preferred school.

[rosysslave]

Thanks for that, I hope I have managed to keep it from him completely and have definitely tried to impress on him that selection is totally random. The school they have offered me is not really an option even in the short term. I am in the process of ringing round other schools in the borough at the moment, nothing so far. I think home education would be very hard but possibly very rewarding and it is mainly the fact that he really does not want to be different and really wants to be going to school that makes it heartbreaking. I shall have a look at home ed,

Thanks very much for the advice.

[intolerant]

No sibling policy? Where are you? Very for you - and him, by the way!