Primary School Places Maidstone Kent

[sassyblonde42]

We were not offered any of our places to start school in September. The school that was offered had such bad reviews we turned it down point blank and set up an appeal hearing. I then did lots of research and realised it was futile to appeal as was a class size appeal so we cancelled the hearing. Decided to see the school for ourselves that was initially offered and turned down. Oh dear! It was worse than what we had heard! The secretary admitted she could not even pronounce the teachers name that would be teaching my son. She said that no one at the school knew how to say it therefore wrote it on a piece of paper. Then she said that the class would be mainly reception but quite a few of the children would be year 1's as they could not speak English so they were going to keep them back. There were children running riot and the teachers seemed to have no control ;-(
I have no idea what to do next. We are on the waiting list for two schools and 10th on one 7th on the other. Does anyone have any advice as I am quite aware he needs to be in school although have no idea what happens next. There is another round of admissions going out on July 22nd so do I just keep my fingers crossed until then? Please help.

[admission]

What you need to do is contact the admission office of the LA. They can advise which schools do have available places. You do need to be realistic that they are going to be schools which are not that popular and that they could be a distance away from your home. But you need to get to see these schools ASAP and make a decision to accept one of those on offer as the backstop
I would then relook at every school that is near to your home that you would accept and get on the waiting list for all those schools with the LA admission office again.
If any of those schools are not infant class size then my view would be that you ask for the place officially and then ask for an appeal. Quite frankly you have nothing to loose by appealing and you should just go to the appeal on the basis that you need a school place and have messed up on getting the one that you wanted. The probablity is that you will not get a place but you never can tell what might happen.
You can decide to defer your child starting at school if their birthdates are after Christmas which then gives you a bit more time hopefully to get a place at a school you are happy with. If you can defer and decide to then you need to talk to the school about that to confirm this is what you are doing, but not that you are actively looking for another school, though they may well guess that.

[sassyblonde42]

Hi and thank you. I have been trying unsucessfully to get through to the LA this morning to ask about places in the area. They are constatntly busy so I am phoning every 10 minutes. Unfortunately his birthday is November so I am not granted that additional time ;-(

[Lonnie]

Hi sassy

Not claiming any understanding of appeals etc but you might if this is at all an possibillity want to pop over to the Home Education board and see what aid you can get there that will buy you some additional time good luck

[Monkey230705]

Hi, the school you had been given was that in Maidstone? If so which one did not speak English?? I haven't got any of my 3 choices and have been given a school I have never heard of in Maidstone and wondered if it was the same school?? Really worried now!! Thanks x

[Nipplebuster]

My advice would be to get in the car and drive round to all the schools in your area. Ask to look round - If it doesn't feel right it probably isn't. There must be somewhere with places but I wouldn't put my child in a school without seeing it for myself first.

[mummiekins]

I was looking at school admissions with my Sister in law last year, we were looking at the other side of town - past Maidstone West station and up the London Road.

Now although it was a year ago, we were relieved that her some of her locak schools (bar church ones) were under subscribed or had seemingly large catchments.

I think it was Brunswick, Westborough area. There has been so much building of new houses in certain parts of town but the older part of town hasn't any new estates built.

Are you South Maidstone?

Things may have massively changed in a year, so I'm sorry if this proves to be fruitless. Good luck.

[Nipplebuster]

It's so difficult to know what to do - we live in South Maidstone - any further advice on whats hot and what's not!??

[3duracellbunnies]

No specific advice on Maidstone itself, but have you tried looking at some of the villages south of you? Sometimes village schools have more 'flexible' class sizes. For example if they combine year groups and there are fewer children in yr1 they may be able to accomodate an extra reception child, so 13 yr1 and 17 yr R. Talking to friends who are governors at village schools they are all keen to keep the roll above 100, this is one way that they do it. Worth asking. Target schools which don't have a PAN of 30, 60etc as more likely that they have mixed yr class sizes. He doesn't HAVE to start education until term after he turns 5, so jan at latest.

[Nipplebuster]

Heard really good things about Park Way - They have got a new build because they are expanding so that can't be bad.