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Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Secondary education

Does anyone know about in year admissions please.

16 replies

Cannotthinkofawittyusername · 20/03/2016 18:29

Looking to move dd as she has been very unhappy since June. Followed by a very serious incident involving a fixed fairly long exclusion of a pupil. The pupil has not been expelled. Imo they should have been. (police officer said the same)

We have seen a school we like but need to apply to the LA to do so. Unlike dds school this school finishes Thursday for Easter Holidays.

The council say they will process in ten days. Once school is open.
The council state they will only start the child at new school at the start of half term if a place is granted.
The council state they must stay in current school or they won't transfer them.

Dd is frightened of the child returning to her school next week and does not want to stay there till May half term. Will they really make her?

Also does a visit to the other school count against attendance?

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Report

prh47bridge · 20/03/2016 18:40

Assuming you are in England the council cannot make admission to a new school conditional on remaining at the old school. If there is a place available they cannot delay admission until half term.

Taking your daughter out for a visit to the other school may count as an unauthorised absence. However, you are unlikely to be fined if her attendance is otherwise good.

Cannotthinkofawittyusername · 20/03/2016 18:52

Thank you. Yes England. This is what it says. (should be screenshot attached)
She has had 3 days off from 118 (i think) with d and v. Possibly 3.5 as she left at 2.05pm one day and they hadn't done the register.

Does anyone know about in year admissions please.

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prh47bridge · 20/03/2016 19:16

In my view that is not enforceable. They are doing what is administratively convenient. Complain loud and long.

For what it is worth I don't think the first bullet means you will lose the place if you decide to home educate while you wait but you need to check with the LA.

Cannotthinkofawittyusername · 21/03/2016 11:14

Thanks very much prh.
I have rang and they have said because her attendance is above 95% they will process in ten school days and that they will negotiate a start date with current school.
It does mean she will have to stay in school with the lad child who threatened her for a few weeks though :(

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prh47bridge · 21/03/2016 12:26

That is not good but at least there is light at the end of the tunnel. If they say the current school is refusing to release your daughter you need to kick up a stink. The current school should not have any say in the process.

Cannotthinkofawittyusername · 21/03/2016 13:19

Can I ask if the current school can refuse to release her as in can they stop her from moving schools?

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Alfieisnoisy · 21/03/2016 13:23

This is dreadful...your poor DD,

It was different circumstances but I literally did not send my DS to school for the last two weeks of the schoo year n 2015. There had been too many problems and concerns. It is telling that the school did not bother to contact me.
In September he started at a new school (in our case this was a special school) and we haven't looked back.

Hope things work out for your daughter...how horrible to fear going to school,

tiggytape · 21/03/2016 14:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Cannotthinkofawittyusername · 21/03/2016 14:46

Thank you. That at least is reassuring.

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admission · 21/03/2016 21:34

Your questions have hopefully been answered but can I just say that this is one of the worst examples I have seen of an LA coming up with their own rules as to how the admission of in-year pupils will take place.

Ragusa · 21/03/2016 21:39

Admission, agreed.

I fail to see how those arrangements are reasonable or fair.

Cannotthinkofawittyusername · 22/03/2016 08:34

Doesn't suprise me admission. Our council is awful.

They also according to the council send all children when I phoned on a six week probation with threat of being sent back to their old school mentioned.

Not sure how that helps a child transition.

Am definately being told if I remove dd from current school it will delay our admission and cause problems.

Do you know if I would be best given processing time to apply now for the school we want (it is my old school so fairly familiar and know lots there) before our appointment to look around to cut out some of the time she has to spend in current school while processing especially as potential new school goes back a week earlier than current one.

Can you turn down an offered in year place and if needs be? The other school we are also looking at is in another council area so reapplying not an issue.

Dds year are losing pupils every week or two at the moment so mindful of places being filled.

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prh47bridge · 22/03/2016 18:00

They also according to the council send all children when I phoned on a six week probation with threat of being sent back to their old school mentioned

That is a clear breach of the Admissions Code paragraph 2.13. Once a child has started at a school the place can only be withdrawn if the place was obtained fraudulently. There is absolutely no way they can take the child on probation for a few weeks then send them back if they don't like them.

Am definately being told if I remove dd from current school it will delay our admission and cause problems

Another breach of the Admissions Code.

Do you know if I would be best given processing time to apply now

I think you should apply now.

Can you turn down an offered in year place and if needs be

Yes.

I know which council we are talking about here. You are not far from me. Please refer their leaflet about "in-year" transfers to the Schools Adjudicator. You should also tell the Adjudicator what the council said about a six week probation period. They need to be brought into line with the Code. Their current approach is completely unacceptable and the threat of returning children to their old school if they don't pass a probationary period is outrageous.

Cannotthinkofawittyusername · 22/03/2016 18:09

Thank you. I have spoken to the school and they said they take children with severe behavoural problems who are on verge of exclusion from current school or very low attendance on trial to see if a fresh change can improve things.

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Cannotthinkofawittyusername · 22/03/2016 18:18

Sorry pressed post too soon. So the trial periodbis not applicable to dd thankfully and school thinks the council lady was getting mixed up

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Foxyloxy1plus1 · 24/03/2016 15:05

Yes, I know that there are, or were, arrangements for a managed move in situations where the child is at risk of exclusion from school and it is an attempt at a fresh start in a new environment. As a former SENCo, I have seen it be successful, but equally there have been times when it wasn't. It was only in very exceptional circumstances though and I thought it was quite a usual thing.

Very different from the OPs situation though.

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