Romesh Ranganathan - School Places & Entitlement

Totally but if my husband hadn't been there we would not have been able to turn up at both schools to deal with the emergencies. Obviously the diabetes issue was the most important but then who would have been looking after the year 7 11 year old with the broken ankle exactly?

It's not really logistically possible for parents to do the school run to two schools in many cases.

Is it really not normal for secondary dc to travel themselves? How do parents with some in secondary & some still in primary manage?

May be he will decide to help the poor and instead pay for a private school place, by not clogging a state school place that could have gone to a child more in need of a place.

Hard disagree.
Parents with money should not feel obligated to pay for private education, nor should state education be seen as a less than option for those with more money. The best thing for state education is a wider range of economic backgrounds.

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.

Do we actually know that he moved house?

-it happened once for us- one child at one school, a diabetes event, and at the other school we had a broken ankle both on the same day. Fortunately my husband was in the country, as he travelled a lot otherwise what are you supposed to do!

But that's surely an unusual scenario?

I don't think he mentioned this on the post I saw him talking about it. Not good to leave out key information.

But did he move before his older children went through the process? No one seems to be able to prove this is the case? If he moved in 2021 which is what is alleged, he could have children in year 8/9 who went through the process after he moved?

I lived 300 yards over the border for our preferred school, I appealed and fortunately won, had I not I’d have to juggle between two schools, ten miles apart.

We had three teenagers at 3 schools at one point (private schools), Habs, NLCS and Merchant Taylor's but the teenagers could use coaches so it was fine. Even our 2 girls did not get into the same private school right through to age 18. I think he will manage.

May be he will decide to help the poor and instead pay for a private school place, by not clogging a state school place that could have gone to a child more in need of a place.

@privatenonamegiven I travelled an hour, knew dc who travelled longer.

I think of DoE considers 75mins acceptable....

PS just FYI we never moved, the policies changed

Yes and the basis of our appeal was it was 35 mins in one direction and 35 mins in the other for the two schools so an emergency at both created huge drama -it happened once for us- one child at one school, a diabetes event, and at the other school we had a broken ankle both on the same day. Fortunately my husband was in the country, as he travelled a lot otherwise what are you supposed to do!

I think it's very fair that kids in the catchment get priority over siblings outside the catchment. Otherwise you can have someone move to a catchment for a short period and then get multiple siblings into the school.
I don't agree he should have to send his kids to private school, he is as entitled as anyone else to use the state system but I don't think his criticism is fair.

I thought it was very strange his youngest didn’t get in - until now reading here he moved house! Well what did he expect?! It’s pretty common for out of catchment with siblings to be lower down than catchment.

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

that's unfair, plenty of successful people who went to state school aren't scared of it for their dc.

Wow 45 minutes!!! Not normal in my experience...

different holidays would annoy me

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?

My daughter’s school is at the other end of a NSL country road with no lighting or pavements. Not far enough away for a school bus. No suitable service bus. Not safe to cycle or walk at 11 in the dark/rain. (It’s just under 3 miles each way.)

With regards to the holidays being different it really does depend where you live.. and you would be surprised it happens a lot.. and inset days are often different.

Obviously, in his case money is not an issue but many families would like to hand down school uniforms which is not possible when they go to different schools..

Again do we know for sure he actually moved since his older children went through the system?

Good God imagine going through life this bitter for others

Anyway if any of you have had this situation you will know it is really hard to manage over a long period of time which it was for us (6 years).
We got there I am pleased to say but I'd really rather not have had to juggle no holidays because of half terms not coinciding meaning no time left for summer holidays.
Good for Romesh speaking out, it is a very difficult situation to find yourself in.

And completely normal to travel for 45mins or longer to get too.

Maybe because i'm a Londoner and it's quite normal to go to different schools (many are single sex for one) I don't think it's that big a deal.