SIL just got e-mail that son didnt even get into any school choices - any help?

[igotissues]

I feel so sorry for my SIL she got the e-mail this afternoon (lives in Herts) and was absolutely devastated that her son didnt get allocated ANY of her primary school choices. He has been offered a place at a notoriously under-achieving school. I bumped into her as we were collecting our dcs from school and she looked so withdrawn. I felt so bad and she (understandably) rejected the 'cold comfort' I offered. She is normally a really chatty person, but today she couldnt even bring herself to speak.

Does anyone have any advice about what her rights are and how realistic an appeal might be?

(even though im feeling so bad for her, just wanted to wish congratulations to those who did receive good news today).

[Miaou]

How close does she live to the crap school compared to the other schools she chose? Does she have other children already at school? These things help, but AFAIK if she cannot come up with a cast-iron reason as to why her son should go to one of her preferred schools then it's very unlikely that they will change their position (the fact that the school allocated is under-achieving won't be enough of a reaon, I'm afraid).

[igotissues]

I suspected so. The school offered is less than a mile away from her. We looked at the appeal criteria when she was doing the application and there doesnt seem to be any criteria that applies to her to appeal under.

I did want to ask whether if she rejects the offer, is there an outside chance that she may be accepted at one of her choices when they do the second round of offers - ie for the late applicants. Or does is it likely that a late applicant could get a place at one of her choices if others who received offers there reject (IYSWIM)?

[misdee]

what area is it in?

i know you say herts, but if its welwyn/hatfield then we could figure out what hope she has.

[hertsnessex]

Im bishops stortford way, can i help at all?

Cx

[DimpledThighs]

the best thing to do is get the selection criteria from each of the schools that she did not get a place in. She could also ask how far down the waiting list her child is - will give some idea of how 'close' she came to getting in.

[igotissues]

She lives in Welwyn Garden City.

[misdee]

she didnt get peartree did she?

[igotissues]

She considered all the selection criteria when making her choices - as she was particularly anxious not to 'waste' any of her choices. Going private isnt an option financially, but it seems that her options are pretty limited right now.

[misdee]

if she wanted applecroft then tbh unless she lives next door she hasnt got a hope in hell.

[igotissues]

no, I think it was Swallow Dell.

[igotissues]

She didnt even select Applecroft for that very reason. Do you know any schools that might be worth putting her ds on the waiting list for?

The way things are right now, I cant see her sending her ds to SD until a better offer comes along.

[misdee]

swallow dell isnt that bad, dd1 went there for errr 2 terms lol.

i will have to get this deleted later as it makes me very identifiable. but we put her on the waiting list for holwell and a place came up just as dd1 started year 1.

[misdee]

holwell is a brilliant school.

can you guve me an idea of what area she is in? nearby road name or anything?

[igotissues]

Sorry but i dont actually know her current address. Also she is in the process of buying a house in the Nursery Way (I think) area, so that's another thing she's thinking about for the future. As the process started after the application was submitted she was limited in that regard. She's considering pulling out of the house if it means she has a trek to drop ds to school once they've moved.

She knows another family whos dcs go to SD and they have not been happy or settled there.

Im exasperated on her behalf.

[misdee]

nursery hill, right there is a brilliant school, harwood hill i think its called. near monks walk school. they had a places when we were looking for dd1 school (we moved here after dd1 got allocated a place at a hatfield school, Green Lanes).

SD will be a trek from that side of town. its anightmare at SD in the mornings.

[igotissues]

thanks for your advice. I do feel a bit more hopeful. I think i'll leave until after the weekend and try to make some helpful suggestions or offer meaningful advice / support. I think she is still in shcok right now. I am a bit more hopeful about the possibility of getting a decent school with the places that may be 'leftover'.

[misdee]

i'll see what i can find out, the letters should be arriving by the weekend, which will tell her how to appeal. she can also just apply straigth to the schools i think.

off to get my post on dd1 school deleted.

[igotissues]

just been on the hertsmere website, to see the following schools still have places. Any thoughts? Particularly re those nearest to swallow dell or nursery hill?

Harwood Hill, Commonswood,
Holy Family RC
Homerswood,
Peartree,
Rowans,
Springmead,
Swallow Dell.

[misdee]

cross peartree off straigth away.

[misdee]

Harwood Hill, Commonswood, BOTH V GOOD SCHOOLS. COMMANS WOOD IS A LARGE SCHOOL AND HAVE APPROX 60 CHILDREN PER YEAR


Holy Family RC, CATHOLIC SCHOOL,. NOT SURE ON THEIR INTAKE RULES.

Homerswood, DUNNO MUCH ABOUT THIS ONE

Peartree, NO WAY!

Rowans, DONT KNOW

Springmead, IS OK, GOOD AVERAGE SCHOOL


Swallow Dell. IS OK, GOOD SCHOOL, HAS A BIT OF A BULLYING PROBLEM PART OF THE REASON WE LEFT.

[igotissues]

Thanks for that. I will definately encourage her not to lose heart and to put name down on preferred school waiting lists. Im quietly hopeful and actually suprised that a waiting list of 30 could diminish so quickly.

[igotissues]

thanks, this has been really helpful and sorry to go on,
BUT
do you know whether if she applies for one of the 'available places', does the selection criteria process start all over again for those places, or is it first come first allocated?

[misdee]

i'm not sure as we moved here from the neighbouring town afterthe selection process. we preferred swallowdell at the time as it was an ok school and walkign distance, but still put dd1 name down at HW.

[suzanneme]

I live close to where you are and wanted to recommend Harwood Hill - it has a great reputation, and also a lovely playground with lots of exciting things in it (I see when I drive past!). Is there any point in a situation like this ringing up Harwood Hill and asking to go and have a look around, and ingratiate yourself with the Head slightly? It can't hurt and it'd be useful for your SIL to see the place for herself.