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Romesh Ranganathan - School Places & Entitlement

282 replies

FightingFish · 25/04/2025 17:39

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cewgj1ry9x7o.amp

I’ve seen this story popping up a lot on social media and we are only seeing one side of the story. Schools publish their allocations policy and apparently RR has moved house since his older children were allocated a place. He obviously didn’t consider the implications of moving outside of catchment at that point. There are only so many places, AIBU to wish that he would acknowledge that? I also feel sorry for the kid, if my father was a multi millionaire, I’d rather he shelled out on a place at a private school instead of bleat on about how hard done by he is!

Romesh Ranganathan looks on from the grid during the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco

Romesh Ranganathan criticises West Sussex council over son's school place - BBC News

He says his son's allocated school is "on the other side of town" to the one his siblings attend.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cewgj1ry9x7o.amp

OP posts:
samarrange · 25/04/2025 19:58

"Never believe that [they] are completely unaware of the absurdity of their replies. They know that their remarks are frivolous, open to challenge. But they are amusing themselves, for it is their adversary who is obliged to use words responsibly, since he believes in words. [They] have the right to play. They even like to play with discourse for, by giving ridiculous reasons, they discredit the seriousness of their interlocutors. They delight in acting in bad faith, since they seek not to persuade by sound argument but to intimidate and disconcert. If you press them too closely, they will abruptly fall silent, loftily indicating by some phrase that the time for argument is past."

— Jean-Paul Sartre, 1944. He was talking about anti-Semites, but you can insert any other form of trolling and it's as true today as it was then.

RipleyJones · 25/04/2025 19:58

DeafLeppard · 25/04/2025 18:41

It’s not flawed, and it’s not unreasonable to expect parents to think about and read admissions criteria. Schools have a duty to consult on changes, but that’s no guarantee parents will engage.

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Exactly.

RipleyJones · 25/04/2025 19:57

TheNightingalesStarling · 25/04/2025 18:38

In some areas its along the lines of Siblings in catchment, catchment, non catchment siblings, non catchment. Means that children can get a local school place and not be shunted out by siblings living a distance away.

Whichever system a school closes, some children will miss out. Not everyone can attend the most popular schools.

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Not even children of famous people?

sofasoda · 25/04/2025 19:56

Oh you have more thoughts @RipleyJones! 😆

RipleyJones · 25/04/2025 19:55

sofasoda · 25/04/2025 19:48

I don’t have thoughts about what he should or should not have done.. Not my circus.

Err the below is thoughts...

"He thought he could continue to signify his luvvie left wing credentials by using state school"

This place gets odder by the day! 😆

No no you don’t get to try and rewrite intent when the recruits are just there..

So, you think he should have sent them to a private school?

Still this morning I never thought I’d write a flippant comment about RR Child’s school place. Never mind people get het up about / not comprehend it..

Motherknowsrest · 25/04/2025 19:54

Secondary kids cant always get themselves to school. Around here the buses are sometimes full up so pupils have to wait and be late. 30 mins between buses too.

Dingalingalong · 25/04/2025 19:54

RipleyJones · 25/04/2025 19:48

So he didn’t keep up with school policy. Which would have been sent to all parents. Or alternatively he thought it wouldn’t apply to him. Again boo hoo.

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Again, nothing to do with his politics or money and fame.

sofasoda · 25/04/2025 19:54

@Catsandcheese did none of your dc travel independently?

sofasoda · 25/04/2025 19:54

If you have one at Primary and one at Secondary you would have to manage.

I don't get it, is it not completely normal to have points where dc are in different schools 😆

Catsandcheese · 25/04/2025 19:53

Sorry I had 4 kids at one point managing 3 schools. Not for the faint hearted when there are only 2 parents.

sofasoda · 25/04/2025 19:53

I didn't get my first choice for secondary because of more siblings this year, 35 extra vs previous years & the fact they added a feeder. Some siblings likely will have missed out.

TheNightingalesStarling · 25/04/2025 19:51

Catsandcheese · 25/04/2025 19:49

Exactly, you make my point for me. I don't know But it has to be easier if all your kids are in one place.

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If you have one at Primary and one at Secondary you would have to manage.

There's lots of arguments for sibling priority but "what if they both have an accident at the same time" really isn't one.

sofasoda · 25/04/2025 19:50

@Catsandcheese but my point is loads of dc purposely go to different secondaries and it really isn't a big deal.

witheringrowan · 25/04/2025 19:50

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/aug/31/rometh-ranganathan-interview

Children were 14,12 and 9 in August last year. So I guess Child 1 got in by being in catchment, they moved house in 2021 and Child 2 was out of catchment but got in under a sibling policy, and for Child 3 either the school has changed policy or there are more in catchment kids that take priority than there were in Child 2's year. Either way, it's a risk they must have known they were taking when they moved.

Romesh Ranganathan: ‘My greatest fear? My children ending up anything like me’

The actor and comedian on rants he regrets, his gross grooming habits and being vegetarian at KFC

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/aug/31/rometh-ranganathan-interview

sofasoda · 25/04/2025 19:49

It's definitely annoying if the policy changed after he moved but it happens.

Catsandcheese · 25/04/2025 19:49

sofasoda · 25/04/2025 19:44

Presumably the school nurse/teacher until you could get there? What do you think single parents would do or parents where both work far away from the schools?

Exactly, you make my point for me. I don't know But it has to be easier if all your kids are in one place.

RipleyJones · 25/04/2025 19:48

Dingalingalong · 25/04/2025 19:46

You clearly haven't read about it in detail. He lived in the catchment area when his 1st child got admitted, then moved further away and his 2nd child got admitted because of sibling priority. Then the school changed their admission policy, and now his 3rd child isn't admitted. I think most parents would be bummed by this, really. Got nothing to do with his political views or his financial means.

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So he didn’t keep up with school policy. Which would have been sent to all parents. Or alternatively he thought it wouldn’t apply to him. Again boo hoo.

sofasoda · 25/04/2025 19:48

I don’t have thoughts about what he should or should not have done.. Not my circus.

Err the below is thoughts...

"He thought he could continue to signify his luvvie left wing credentials by using state school"

This place gets odder by the day! 😆

RipleyJones · 25/04/2025 19:46

samarrange · 25/04/2025 19:34

He thought he could continue to signify his luvvie left wing credentials by using state school.

So, you think he should have sent them to a private school? Or might you just possibly also have expressed an opinion about the hypocrisy of luvvie lefties had he done that?

Edited
Show quote history

I don’t have thoughts about what he should or should not have done.. Not my circus.

Dingalingalong · 25/04/2025 19:46

RipleyJones · 25/04/2025 18:25

Boo hoo. He thought for some reason his kid would not be subject to normal admission procedures. He thought he could continue to signify his luvvie left wing credentials by using state school. But only the state school /s He wanted. They’re all full, he got bumped to the one available. As do thousands of others. Using state funds when he could easily pay for it himself. But couldn’t do that god no the optics the optics! 🙄 heart bleeds.

You clearly haven't read about it in detail. He lived in the catchment area when his 1st child got admitted, then moved further away and his 2nd child got admitted because of sibling priority. Then the school changed their admission policy, and now his 3rd child isn't admitted. I think most parents would be bummed by this, really. Got nothing to do with his political views or his financial means.

OP posts:
sofasoda · 25/04/2025 19:44

Presumably the school nurse/teacher until you could get there? What do you think single parents would do or parents where both work far away from the schools?

Iloveshoes123 · 25/04/2025 19:43

waterrat · 25/04/2025 19:16

I think it's wrong he hasn't got a place for the youngest - absolutely obvious that if you have older children in that school it's best for all round if they are kept together - that's in the best interests of the children

People often have to move to upsize/ get more rooms - why should that be penalised? Particularly when a child is impacted.

And what about the child who lives in the catchment a few minutes from the school and then has to travel because a sibling gets priority? The system is fairest when kids in the catchment get priority.

pinkfloralcurtains · 25/04/2025 19:43

LimitedBrightSpots · 25/04/2025 19:40

The council should have to provide transport for children where parents have children in different schools. It's not really logistically possible for parents to do the school run to two schools in many cases.

Or parents could just make sure they lived in the catchment of their preferred school, if two school runs aren’t feasible.

privatenonamegiven · 25/04/2025 19:42

CurlewKate · 25/04/2025 19:40

Do we actually know that he moved house?

I am waiting for someone to evidence this too... also if his other children are in year 8/9 even if he did move in 2021, they would have been at the same address as when applying with his third child...