Changing schools help

[GetOrfMyBin]

Hi,

We’re moving area next month and so I called our new LA at the beginning of June to check on places for the local schools. Currently DC go to a catholic school and we would like them to continue in catholic education. The village we are moving to has three primary schools - one catholic, one c of e and one community. DH went to the catholic school growing up.

When I spoke to the LA they told me that the class DC1 is due to go in has 31 in already in the catholic school, when the limit is 30. The lady I spoke to checked with another colleague and asked me a few questions about DC1 - any additional needs etc - to which I replied no. We’ve always been told by teachers that DC1 is a pleasure to teach. One of those kids who is always willing to help out and is doing very well in school. LA lady said she would check with headteacher of the new school whether they’d be able to admit her and she’d call me back. Got a phone call within 10 minutes to say that the headteacher was fine with it and that due to there not being another catholic school within two miles that they’d be able to take all 3 DC. Was told to fill transfer forms in and send them to LA lady, which I did straight away.

After I sent the forms off I called new school to organise a visit. Receptionist asked me whether LA had said they’d have places and I said yes, due to conversation with LA lady. We had a visit with DC at the end of June and within that visit we organised a morning settling in session, where the children stayed until after lunch, with the headteacher. This took place at the start of July. I was given registration forms for each child, which I filled in and dropped back off the next week.

I emailed the LA almost two weeks ago as we’d not had a confirmation letter and I wanted to have everything done and dusted before school broke up. I received a response to say that they were waiting on info from current school, so I chased up current school. Yesterday I received a letter from the LA. They’ve said that the governors can not accommodate DC1 due to the class already being at 31 but they can accommodate DC2 and 3. As I’ve ticked that they all need to stay together they’ve offered the c of e school instead.

Now, I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with the alternative school but after being assured by the LA that they would all have places, the headteacher (who is a governor) being happy and having all the visits/forms filled out I am really cross.

The letter says I can contact the LA to speak to them about it and if we want to appeal we need to go through the archdiocese. I’m going to ring up the LA first thing tomorrow, but is there anything I can do to avoid the faff of having to appeal?

Sorry it’s long and thank you for reading

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Do the primary schools feeds to different high schools?

[LIZS]

Accept the Catholic school places for dc 2 and 3 then dc1 will be at the top, or near as, waiting list for a place as a sibling. You could appeal but if this is infant class size you may be up against it.

[GetOrfMyBin]

Thank you for your replies.

The catholic school feeds to the catholic high school which is a couple of miles away and also to the local school, which isn’t catholic. The c of e feeds to the local school.

DC1 will be in year 6, so it’s only one year. I don’t want to chance splitting them up, so I’m not really keen to accept places at the c of e if there is a chance they can still go to the catholic school together. Though I suppose I’d have to accept places of DC2 and 3 at the catholic school and then appeal?

I’m really confused as to why I was told that they definitely had places a few weeks ago and now they’re refusing DC1 a place. There was still 31 in the class when I first spoke to the LA so nothing has really changed in that respect. Assuming I’ll definitely have to appeal then?

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Do you really want her in a class of 32 though? It’s not unusual around here but that’s a lot of children.

[LIZS]

So they would be split in a year's time anyway. Could dc1 get into the catholic secondary without attending the feeder, as presumably those in the community school could? Worth checking the admissions criteria now.