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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Primary education

School Transfer Woes

31 replies

Amy205 · 22/04/2018 19:58

Hi, I'm looking for a bit of guidance really. Our son started a new school because of a relocation last october and is in year 4. He has been subject to months of bullying and has asked us to change his school, a decision we support because we've seen our son lose confidence and can only see benefits of removing him from a toxic situation. The school have been unsuccessful at resolving the issues. He has never has trouble at all with being bullied (until the new school) and makes friends easily.

The head teacher of the school hasn't taken it well and has been very obstructive with her part of the transfer process and delaying sending forms back amongst other things.

Can anyone advise on our rights with regards to transferring him? Surely this process shouldn't be as stressful as the head is making it!.

OP posts:

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TeenTimesTwo · 22/04/2018 20:01

I think the admissions experts tell you that it isn't acceptable to be made to get the current HT approval before moving schools.
I think the usual guidance is get on the phone to the LA and point this out and demand to be put on waiting lists regardless.

MarchingFrogs · 22/04/2018 20:07

Is this an independent school? Certainly in our area, the mid-year transfer process in the state system doesn't rely on the previous school sending anything to anyone as a condition of the move taking place - it just goes, apply for desired place, either get place immediately or go on waiting list, plus appeal if you want the place urgently enough.

Amy205 · 22/04/2018 20:14

Thanks for your responses. I feel much better knowing that information provided, I at least have some back up knowledge now. It's not an independent school, just a standard primary state school.

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spanieleyes · 22/04/2018 20:19

Phone up the admissions department in the local authority. Either

ask for a mid-year admission to a school with vacancies- they will be able to tell you which ones have
or
ask to go on the waiting list if you have a specific school in mind which doesn't have a current vacancy

Neither courses of action need anything from the current head

Amy205 · 22/04/2018 20:29

Thank you. I will be phoning admissions first thing tomorrow. The school we have in mind has a space currently in his year group so hopefully it'll all pan out.

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Paddling · 22/04/2018 21:25

Also call the school you want your DS to go to -they can be a mine of information and help to ease the transition (both admin and educationally)

TeenTimesTwo · 22/04/2018 21:36

OP. I did a search for you and found this thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/education/2794499-Does-my-childs-headteacher-HAVE-to-see-transfer-papers-b4-signing

Look for the posts of admission and prh47bridge who are the experts.

Amy205 · 22/04/2018 23:39

Thank you

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GrimSqueaker · 23/04/2018 09:13

You don't need to do anything with your existing school at all - all done via the LEA+new school when that's confirmed. I did get an attendance phonecall after mine had transferred because the LEA hadn't passed records across properly but I just explained to the secretary and she pootled off to check the LEA records perfectly fine.

admission · 23/04/2018 19:23

There are quite a few LAs who make it as difficult as possible to move to new schools by asking for all sorts of forms to be completed and yes head teachers can sometimes hold things up. But there is nothing that says this is the way it should be. I would go immediately to the LA admission office.Make sure that they understand that it is for an in-year admission to year 4 and tell them that you understand that there is a place available in the school you want. They will probably waffle on about forms to be completed, so say that you will email across the form to the office. Fill in those bits you can, just put N/A in every other bit of the form and then send it by email with a letter saying that you want the available school place allocated to you with immediate effect and when can you expect to have a positive reply. Hopefully the LA will accept that you are serious and do the necessary.

Amy205 · 24/04/2018 06:41

Thank you so much all. I have taken your advice on board and I will contact the LA today. I had no idea that the head didn't actually have to fill out the form. The LA website certainly didn't give that info away!

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prh47bridge · 24/04/2018 08:28

They may try to insist on getting the form filled in by the head. If so, be clear that you will refer the matter to the LGO on the basis that their requirement to get agreement from your son's current school is in breach of the Admissions Code.

Amy205 · 24/04/2018 11:07

Hi Thanks for your input. The forms have now been accepted by the LA and our application is being processed now. We have been told to expect a longer wait because we have applied to change his school and we haven't moved house. Won't be expecting an offer for a while yet then!

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GrimSqueaker · 24/04/2018 11:11

I found the LA very helpful when we had to do this last year. Took a few weeks to process it all and confirm the place.

prh47bridge · 24/04/2018 11:14

We have been told to expect a longer wait because we have applied to change his school and we haven't moved house

That is naughty in my view. It shouldn't make any difference. If you miss out on a place as a result I think you would have a decent chance of winning an appeal.

TeenTimesTwo · 24/04/2018 11:18

Amy If there is a space in the right year group at the new school there is no reason why there needs to be any delay.

Whether you have moved house or not should be irrelevant. They can't slowly process and then say 'oh look someone else has moved into the area who needs the school'. You have applied, you say the school has a space, that space should be yours.

Being bolshie, I don't see why you can't say 'That space is ours. DC will start at new school on Monday'.
(Disclaimer, not an admissions expert).

viques · 24/04/2018 18:32

I agree, if there is an appropriate space in a school you like and you are asking for it then it should be yours. As long as you are happy to start your child as soon as possible and are able to get them to and from the new school on time then that should be all the school and the admissions staff should be concerned about.

Paddling · 24/04/2018 19:48

Have you called the school you are going to directly? They are often far quicker and helpful.

spanieleyes · 24/04/2018 20:20

we've just accepted an in year admission from an address in America!

Amy205 · 24/04/2018 20:47

I have spoken to the school again and also tried admissions dept however nobody available and they will call be back tomorrow. I hope we don't miss out on the place. I don't think we are seen as an urgent application because they see it that he already has a school place at his current school and we've applied to transfer without changing address so they think we can wait. I really hope this isn't the case though and we can get this place we want!.

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admission · 24/04/2018 23:02

If you know there is a space in the class, then there is a temptation to contact the school and say as there is a space and we havefiled inthe form it is with the LA, we would like to start Charlie next Monday and see what reaction you get.

Amy205 · 26/04/2018 17:40

So we've been pretty much told to sit tight and wait. Apparently because we've not moved house the priority to allocate a space to him is less than if someone applies because of a move into the area. I understand this but it's so frustrating and I can see that available space disappearing before they get to us!

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prh47bridge · 26/04/2018 18:09

DO NOT accept that. It is wrong. Tell them that, if they do not allocate the available space to you immediately, you will refer the matter to the Local Government Ombudsman as a clear breach of the Admissions Code. You have applied. They cannot hold on in case someone moving into the area wants a place. And, if someone did turn up, they still can't offer them the place ahead of you just because they have moved into the area. The place must be allocated using the admission criteria only.

This behaviour by the LA is completely unacceptable. Do not let them get away with it.

Amy205 · 04/05/2018 10:07

Hi All. Thanks for your help and advice. He was offered the place we wanted, so happy!.

As the school is 2.5 miles closer than the old school we are thinking we should move his sister but the school is full for her year group...

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TeenTimesTwo · 04/05/2018 10:55

Put the sister on the waiting list
Will she get higher priority once your DS starts?
What year is she?

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