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Original poster

AIBU to feel cheesed off that my son still does not have a school place for when they eventually open

65 replies

choosingcrumble · 12/02/2021 08:39

We've moved back to the UK and we applied for a school prior to moving. They sent the response to the wrong address so I only found out there was not a space when I chased them. I then quickly put in an application for the next nearest school on 17th December. I've still heard nothing. They are an academy. The council said they would chase them last week, still nothing. AIBU to think they at the very least they should have let me know if he has a place or not when they re-open again.
It is for a secondary school place. So sick of it. I get we are in the middle of the pandemic but surely, it isn't a big ask?

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Likeasorethumb · 12/02/2021 20:08

Double check the middle school years as my childs middle school is years 5-8, they move to high school for start of year 9. Presumably though you have also missed the deadlines for high school applications too though. A term at a middle school and then moving to a high school with the same kids wouldn't be the end of the world.

Nith · 12/02/2021 19:36

What???? I've told you about your child's right to appeal, I've told you about the right to school transport, I've told you about the right to home tuition. Since when was trying to help "laced with poison"?

Original poster
choosingcrumble · 12/02/2021 19:33

@Nith
I don't read your advice Nith, everyone else has been kind, yours seem to be laced with poison.

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Nith · 12/02/2021 19:27

What do I do?

You've had advice on what to do upthread. Not clear why you're ignoring it?

Notcontent · 12/02/2021 18:50

That’s quite appalling. It’s not rocket science, is it - the council should check which schools have places - surely that should only take a day or two. Then they should check if any schools in neighbouring boroughs have places.

prh47bridge · 12/02/2021 18:13

The 20 school days figure is an invention. There is no set timescale in the Admissions Code for responding to applications. Schools may be struggling with a lack of administrative staff in the office due to the pandemic but they still need to respond.

The LA has a duty to find a place for your son. Don't let them brush you off. Contact them on Monday, point out that your son has been without a school place for over 2 months and ask them what they intend to do about it. Be clear that you will refer the matter to the Local Government Ombudsman if they fail to come up with a place quickly.

You can appeal for any school where you have been refused admission. I wouldn't worry about the lack of previous successful appeals. The fact that your son doesn't have a place and no-one is doing anything about it gives you a good chance of success. Indeed, if you appeal it may prompt someone to sort out the situation before the hearing.

Finally, I wouldn't worry about schools being more than 3 miles away with no transport links. If the LA has failed to find a place at a nearer school they are required by law to provide free transport to get your son to and from school. So go ahead and apply to those schools.

cashooo · 12/02/2021 17:02

They do. But I think there's no harm in politely chasing.
@prh47bridge and @admission might be able to help (I think I failed to tag them properly last time, I'm not very good with site stuff!)

PhillipPhillop · 12/02/2021 17:02

I would just phone them to see how it's progressing then. You never know, they might still be there otherwise you'll have to wait until Monday.

Original poster
choosingcrumble · 12/02/2021 16:48

@phillipphillop
I was told in December by the school that they had places - they just aren't doing anything about offering me one of those spaces. They told me on 17th December that they had 20 school days to come back to me and due to Covid they would take those 20 days. This has well and truly passed, still they are not coming back to me. I thought they had a legal obligation to offer you a place within a certain time if they had places.

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PhillipPhillop · 12/02/2021 16:41

Op there's no need to 'kick off' when you speak to the school! Just ask if there is a place for your ds and if there is, what happens now. If there isn't, contact the council again for schools with spaces. I understand you are stressed but take a deep breath before you call anyone Smile

cashooo · 12/02/2021 16:21

Transport can include taxis, so even if there aren't transport links, the LA would have to provide transport if there are no nearer options. Re the middle schools, I can see why you aren't keen on that option, but the LA might say you need to go down that route if there are spaces, rather than making a secondary take an additional child. Then at least you'd have longer to see if a secondary place came up via the wait list? Might be worth making contact with the middle schools to ask about spaces.

NeverDropYourMoonCup · 12/02/2021 15:53

[quote choosingcrumble]@Nith I've applied to every school that is within a reasonable distance that isn't middle schools - i.e the two. The others are more than 3 miles and no transport links and my other child's school is in the opposite direction.
Am I even entitled to interim home tuition? I doubt it. I read on here about lots of parents waiting months for a school place, none of them mention being given home tuition.[/quote]
I wouldn't have thought so when you've chosen to not apply to the other schools in the area.

TryingNotToPanicOverCovid · 12/02/2021 15:37

If they have a place they should offer to you yes absolutely be pushy!!! You can't not have your child in school.

The lea should have some provision. You definitely need to push.

Original poster
choosingcrumble · 12/02/2021 15:34

@TryingNotToPanicOverCovid
It doesn't right, but it is happening...to me.
All the schools around here seem to be Academies too so the way they handle admission is different. It's the truth, I've applied to the best school, got rejected. Applied for the second school before they broke up for Christmas and still left hanging. I believe the law states 20 school days to reply. What do I do? Kick off with the school and be labeled a difficult parent? We've been through enough the last few months, barely holding it together, I can't face another battle. Nor can I face hostility from the school if he gets a place but they're unhappy because I've been pushy with them. I am literally on the brink with everything at the moment. These people have no idea what they do. To them it is nothing, to me it is huge.

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Moondust001 · 12/02/2021 15:19

@choosingcrumble

We've been here since December and resident here. He is Year 8
My neighbour didn't get her school of choice - and she applied for it in the March before her daughter was due to go up to secondary school and not during a pandemic. Her daughter then didn't have a school place until the following late October. So if you arrived in December you may be lucky to get a place that quickly.
Nith · 12/02/2021 15:16

As I said, if the school is more than three miles away and you can show there is no nearer suitable school, you would be entitled to transport. Not sure how that would play out with the middle schools, but if they too are full then problem solved.

Yes, you are entitled to home tuition if you have no school place and can't find one. I explained in my post of 9:41.

TryingNotToPanicOverCovid · 12/02/2021 15:13

This doesn't sound right. It's not normal not to be offered a school at all.

Original poster
choosingcrumble · 12/02/2021 15:10

@Nith I've applied to every school that is within a reasonable distance that isn't middle schools - i.e the two. The others are more than 3 miles and no transport links and my other child's school is in the opposite direction.
Am I even entitled to interim home tuition? I doubt it. I read on here about lots of parents waiting months for a school place, none of them mention being given home tuition.

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Nith · 12/02/2021 15:07

Really, you need to be more proactive about this. Apply to every school within a reasonable driving distance that isn't a middle school, and be prepared to appeal if refused using the argument I referred to upthread. If the school is more than three miles away and you can show that there is no nearer suitable school, you will be entitled to home/school transport.

Have you contacted the council about arranging interim home tuition?

Original poster
choosingcrumble · 12/02/2021 15:04

@haskell
I moved here on 4th December, I submitted the applications before this date and noted that I would be arriving on 4th. They said they would start the process on this date. My youngest was offered his primary place the same day.

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Original poster
choosingcrumble · 12/02/2021 15:03

@cashooo
I have applied to the two schools in the catchment area, although the second is nearly 3 miles away. The other schools that are further afield still and are middle schools so he would only be there for one academic year and a couple of months so I want to avoid that scenario. The problem with my preferred school is that they changed this academic year from a middle school to one that caters for years 10 and 11 also but without yet expanding the building. So on paper it looks like they are oversubscribed by 30 pupils for the years - that might make sense to you. So 30 children would need to leave before I could get a space. The other school I am not so keen on, the admissions person on the phone was quite cold to me in December when telling me they would be taking the full 20 school days to respond. I accepted this and marked out the days in my calendar. It has got a couple of weeks beyond this and still nothing. They come across as very uncaring. I am very anxious about my son starting school here in the UK anyway, it is very different from what he has been used to, we've left a loving extended family behind who we all miss terribly but we had to come here due to Covid-19. So I was hoping for a nice, supportive school for him. He has no friends and feels like none of the schools want him.
I just feel terribly sad about it all even if he gets a place, I will have mixed emotions and will probably go home and cry after dropping him off.

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Haskell · 12/02/2021 14:54

It's not really acceptable to have heard nothing from a school that was applied for on 17th December! That is 30 working days ago.

I'm afraid that you can't apply for a school until you're resident, so I'm not surprised the first school rejected your application.

I would say though that it is extremely difficult to get starting dates for incoming children atm, due to partial closures of schools. If the admissions officer in the school is I'll (or has been ill) it's highly unlikely anyone else is picking up their workload, schools are swamped atm.

Do you have the name of the person in school 2 that handles admissions?

cashooo · 12/02/2021 14:41

I'm really sorry OP, it must be very stressful. I'm assuming you are on the wait list for your preferred school? You could also consider an appeal, if you think you might have grounds. If you missed out on a place because of a misdirected letter then that could definitely be relevant. But even without that, you don't have anything to lose by appealing.

Are there any other schools within reach beyond these two that you could try? If not, I'd go back to your LA again, even though they sound crap! If you don't get any joy with the admissions dept, maybe see if you can find contact details for the CME or attendance/inclusion dept and give them a call. You might not get anywhere, but you just might find a sympathetic person who might galvanise someone into action. In the meantime, hopefully one of the MN gurus will be able to help.

Original poster
choosingcrumble · 12/02/2021 14:28

Ironically, I called the school I originally applied to and was rejected from. I called on the off chance that space had come up (long shot). The gentleman called me back within 10 minutes and spent 15 minutes explaining the oversubscription they were facing. It made me so sad that he couldn't go there, the school I have had to apply for has not even bothered to contact me in the two months since my application.

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Original poster
choosingcrumble · 12/02/2021 14:26

@cashooo

Thank you, that is exactly our situation.

I was told they had places back in December when I applied but because I haven't heard back, maybe those places have been snapped up. I totally agree as well about the safeguarding issues. I am suffering from depression at the moment with all the changes we've been through the last months. I am in tears at intervals throughout the day, the school situation is compounding it. I feel totally isolated in a new town, where we know nobody and I can't even gain access to education for my eldest, even if it is just online learning. Fortunately, I would never harm my children, but I am off everyone's radar at the moment. In some circumstances, that is very worrying

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