Page 2 | Urgent Help - Year 9 school places for six children required asap

2010louises · 2024-10-12T12:03:50+00:00

I'm posting on behalf of a friend who would prefer to remain anonymous, could any one help or offer her advice please ? "Do any parents whose children are in Year 9 know of any local schools whose classes have room for 1 child (or up to 6 kids) ? My son is being forced to change schools at short notice , he is one of six kids in his year who are in the same situation, all the parents are now scrambling for a school that has spaces available. I have contacted my Local Authority (Bromley) and been told despite classes being full , not to worry as by law the local authority have to find him / them a place, so in the meantime we have to join the waiting lists "

Tiredalwaystired · 13/10/2024 20:51

clary · 13/10/2024 20:41

Hey @2010louises sorry you feel like that.

The good news is that your friend will find a space in a state school, I am sure her DS will do well, and assuming (as I infer) that they have been paying the £25k fees from income, they will have plenty of spare cash to pay for tutoring, sports, educational visits and whatever else may be helpful.

I think there is a fair bit of concern about parents suddenly needing a state school place. But in fact in my LA there are a number of schools with spare places and I imagine this is true across much of the country. So no need for anyone to panic. I see a PP has supplied a list of secondaries with spaces so it sounds as tho there won't be an issue.

(btw you keep saying that the parents are an NHS nurse and an electrician – nurses can earn up to £80k+ which, while not a huge salary in the SE, is a lot more than a lot of people earn. (of course your friend may well earn less). It's all relative. Tho I agree there is no need for anyone to be unpleasant and I hope I have not unintentionally been).

Edited

You’re talking the salary of a chief nurse. That’s one person in a hospital.

AvaJae · 13/10/2024 20:49

Yes, another thread trying to give publicity to the cause!

No need to worry, there are plenty of school places across the country. A local LA has closed 12 schools over the last 6 years, another is closing a large secondary and another merhing two into one.

stichguru · 13/10/2024 20:48

So first thing to do is for the parents to ring round all the local schools and see if any have spaces in the right year. If they don't, then the children will need to remain out of school until FAP (Fair Access Protocol) kicks in, which will mean that the children are seen by the LA as lacking a school place. Once this happens, the LA will have to find each child a school place.

clary · 13/10/2024 20:41

Hey @2010louises sorry you feel like that.

The good news is that your friend will find a space in a state school, I am sure her DS will do well, and assuming (as I infer) that they have been paying the £25k fees from income, they will have plenty of spare cash to pay for tutoring, sports, educational visits and whatever else may be helpful.

I think there is a fair bit of concern about parents suddenly needing a state school place. But in fact in my LA there are a number of schools with spare places and I imagine this is true across much of the country. So no need for anyone to panic. I see a PP has supplied a list of secondaries with spaces so it sounds as tho there won't be an issue.

(btw you keep saying that the parents are an NHS nurse and an electrician – nurses can earn up to £80k+ which, while not a huge salary in the SE, is a lot more than a lot of people earn. (of course your friend may well earn less). It's all relative. Tho I agree there is no need for anyone to be unpleasant and I hope I have not unintentionally been).

Original poster

2010louises · 13/10/2024 20:38

apologies for the last post typos .. this used to be a supportive platform for parents and children alike .. my question asking for advice was nothing to do with politics which is what the spiteful minority have twisted it to , if you don’t like a question asking how to get a school place , just scroll on by please

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Original poster

2010louises · 13/10/2024 20:35

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Very wealthy ?? The mum is an nhs nurse and the dad an electrician ??
I stand by my last post , this used to be a supportive Hertford fir parents and children alike , it’s clearly now an avenue for political judgement .. this post being reported

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Original poster

2010louises · 13/10/2024 20:31

SuperSue77 · 13/10/2024 20:11

Sorry but where were the tears for all the other kids who couldn’t afford private education? I rest my case.

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I wans not asking for tears or sympathy , read my original post , I was asking for state school
entry advice … shame on you

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FloralGums · 13/10/2024 20:20

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SuperSue77 · 13/10/2024 20:11

2010louises · 13/10/2024 20:07

I rest my case .. not one ounce of empathy for a childs well being just a comment of “ your friend is joining the thousands of us who see private education unfair “ .. I didn’t want be political but excuse me , what she chooses for her child is her business and no one else
my friend is an nhs nurse , an nhs nurse who during covid pandemic gave her heart and soul … and a few on this group still feel entitled that it’s ok that she she is sneered at and judged .. the political few have reared their ugly spiteful head and soured what I remember was once a beautiful and supportive group , supportive to all parents and all their children .. im disgusted with the judgemental posts like this , the hugest of thanks to all the informative helpful and dare I say it non judgemental posts , I’m genuinely shocked what was a supportive community of parents is now a community of politics on this site , judging parents .. a nhs nurse and an electrician ??? I no longer wish to to be part of this group , goodbye mumsnet

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Sorry but where were the tears for all the other kids who couldn’t afford private education? I rest my case.

Original poster

2010louises · 13/10/2024 20:07

SuperSue77 · 13/10/2024 19:48

"I’m not liking the albeit spiteful minority"

I think what we are encountering here is that the spite is aimed towards what is an unfair system based on people with money attempting to buy priviledge for their children aka private education. The difference is that your friend and her son (and others in a similar position), are only now discovering how unfair it is.

My discovery happened 2 years ago when all the private schools I applied to turned my son down because of his SEN. Your friend is discovering how unfair it is now that she can no longer afford to send her son. It is all unfair - the spite is aimed at the unfair system, not your friend or her son.

So all the Labour government has done is move the goal posts of who finds the system unfair - your friend is just joining the thousands of us who already see private education as unfair.

And to be honest the more people who find the system unfair, the better the alternative will become.

I rest my case .. not one ounce of empathy for a childs well being just a comment of “ your friend is joining the thousands of us who see private education unfair “ .. I didn’t want be political but excuse me , what she chooses for her child is her business and no one else
my friend is an nhs nurse , an nhs nurse who during covid pandemic gave her heart and soul … and a few on this group still feel entitled that it’s ok that she she is sneered at and judged .. the political few have reared their ugly spiteful head and soured what I remember was once a beautiful and supportive group , supportive to all parents and all their children .. im disgusted with the judgemental posts like this , the hugest of thanks to all the informative helpful and dare I say it non judgemental posts , I’m genuinely shocked what was a supportive community of parents is now a community of politics on this site , judging parents .. a nhs nurse and an electrician ??? I no longer wish to to be part of this group , goodbye mumsnet

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SuperSue77 · 13/10/2024 19:48

"I’m not liking the albeit spiteful minority"

I think what we are encountering here is that the spite is aimed towards what is an unfair system based on people with money attempting to buy priviledge for their children aka private education. The difference is that your friend and her son (and others in a similar position), are only now discovering how unfair it is.

My discovery happened 2 years ago when all the private schools I applied to turned my son down because of his SEN. Your friend is discovering how unfair it is now that she can no longer afford to send her son. It is all unfair - the spite is aimed at the unfair system, not your friend or her son.

So all the Labour government has done is move the goal posts of who finds the system unfair - your friend is just joining the thousands of us who already see private education as unfair.

And to be honest the more people who find the system unfair, the better the alternative will become.

Arran2024 · 13/10/2024 19:30

2010louises · 13/10/2024 18:34

I thought exactly the same as you .. but the school have fair criteria and “ set in stone boundary” rules , they can’t be seen to give wiggle room .. harsh I know but I understand the huge can of worms it would open if they gave special preference to one child over another .. quite rightly if another parent got wind of it the school would have a huge legal case on their hands … can I just stress that’s my personal opinion , this is not aimed at you but after not posting on
mumsnet for years (mine are grown up ) I’m not liking the albeit spiteful minority , I thought this group was about all parents looking out for the better good of their kids .. over and out

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I was thinking more of a payment plan. Let's see what happens when they say they are leaving.

TeenToTwenties · 13/10/2024 19:17

FFFFFFFFF · 13/10/2024 19:14

I'm sure there must be spaces somewhere. I grew up in South east London and it was pretty common to travel to another borough for school or out to Kent Schools.
When I moved my children last year, I just looked at which schools were under PAN on the GOV website and contacted those ones.

I suspect one issue will be whether any spaces are acceptable to the parents.

Their children may need to move twice. Once to 'any' school and then again to a 'more preferred' one.

FFFFFFFFF · 13/10/2024 19:14

I'm sure there must be spaces somewhere. I grew up in South east London and it was pretty common to travel to another borough for school or out to Kent Schools.
When I moved my children last year, I just looked at which schools were under PAN on the GOV website and contacted those ones.

Original poster

2010louises · 13/10/2024 18:34

Arran2024 · 13/10/2024 17:19

I bet there is a lot of brinkmanship going on here.

How is this private school going to find new students in the middle of year 9? If they can't, they will be losing £27k per child per year. I suspect that a deal will be done to keep the children in school.

But also, re the parents, don't they have to give notice? Won't they be committed to next term anyway?

I know the head of a private school in sw London. She says it's the recruitment of new pupils they are worried about, not the retention of existing pupils. They are not passing on the vat. They are having a wage freeze, no capital expenditure etc.

I bet this school cracks when there is a huge exodus.

I thought exactly the same as you .. but the school have fair criteria and “ set in stone boundary” rules , they can’t be seen to give wiggle room .. harsh I know but I understand the huge can of worms it would open if they gave special preference to one child over another .. quite rightly if another parent got wind of it the school would have a huge legal case on their hands … can I just stress that’s my personal opinion , this is not aimed at you but after not posting on
mumsnet for years (mine are grown up ) I’m not liking the albeit spiteful minority , I thought this group was about all parents looking out for the better good of their kids .. over and out

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dollopofsauce · 13/10/2024 18:19

Araminta1003 · 13/10/2024 17:27

Some of the posters have been really nasty! A current Year 9 would have missed 6 months off school in Year 4 (from March 2020 to September 2020) and then another whole term in the Spring Term of Year 5. They may already have trauma from this and so do the parents.
For a Government to then inflict another quasi out of school period on a child and their parents who has already gone through this, is unconscionable.

The parents had choices to make here have to live with the one they made. This has been on the cards for a few years now. All school kids in the UK lived through Covid. From reading threads on MN I'd say those in private education had a better experience than those in state as they had proper online lessons rather than the odd worksheet sent home.

I do feel sorry for the kids tied up on this. But their parents need to take responsibility for the situation. I'm quite flummoxed now that posters have started to suggest GP appointments and diagnoses of anxiety etc to try and help him get a place. The OP has said that the boy has no health needs. That he's worried about the situation which is a completely normal reaction to this shitty situation!

Original poster

2010louises · 13/10/2024 18:08

Araminta1003 · 13/10/2024 17:43

@2010louises https://childlawadvice.org.uk/information-pages/fair-access-protocol/

Send this to your friend to read up on it. Anxiety will be a medical condition. If he is genuinely properly anxious because of the situation/not sleeping etc, he is now vulnerable and the GP should record it and the Council will have to find him a place. I would be getting a paper trail in any event because Governments should not get away with inflicting these kind of policies on vulnerable children deliberately.

Thankyou , i guess he wasn’t “vulnerable “ or anxious before , in fact the total opposite , a very happy go lucky kid
he understands the reasons he has to move schools , leave his friends (broke his parents heart telling him but there you go , that’s life ) . its just as a kid the uncertainty, means he can’t mentally prepare what school he moving too .. Im extremely blessed / thankful my two are grown up / not put in this position x

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SabrinaThwaite · 13/10/2024 18:04

Come off it. March 2020 to September 2020 is not missing 6 months of school.

Private schools generally have 2 months off for the summer break and then you’ve got the Easter holidays within that time too.

Arran2024 · 13/10/2024 18:00

Don't get anxiety needlessly added on a medical record just to get a school place. This could have repercussions - what if he wants to be a fireman or pilot etc?

Original poster

2010louises · 13/10/2024 17:51

NeverDropYourMooncup · 13/10/2024 17:47

I answered in good faith in case it wasn't another private school fees complaint (especially as 'big' incidents can and do lead to groups looking for a new school at the same time).

Non selective secondaries with spaces within easy travel by car/bus/train from Bromley/tram from Beckenham;

Oasis Shirley Park - 119/194/tram, 5 minutes walk
Orchard Park - 119/194, 6 minutes walk
Shirley High - 119/194 + 5 minutes walk
Oasis Arena - tram
Harris SN if Beckenham is full - train + 6 minutes walk
Coombe Wood might have spaces, tram + 3 minutes crossing the road

1-2 boys per school, all sorted within 15 school days (legal timeframe to handle application).

And if there aren't any spaces right now in Bromley (which I doubt as they've spent loads on increasing capacity in the last two years unlike most parts of London, it's more due to it being just over a week since Census Day when funding is set and the two weeks until the Year 7 application deadline of 31st), it's perfectly normal for places to open up straight after Christmas as it's when people start moving house or changing schools ready for year 10.

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You are so kind for taking the time to type / give all this information, from my heart Thankyou , it’s very much appreciated and im
sure my friend and her son will feel the same x

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NeverDropYourMooncup · 13/10/2024 17:47

2010louises · 13/10/2024 16:37

I’m really sorry you in this position , Im seeing first hand my friends son go through this uncertainty , he is a kind kid, obviously he will have to adapt to whatever school he gets placed in , it’s the worry for his mum (my friend ) that when he asks what school am I going to , she can’t tell him where he is going and it’s causing him massive anxiety ..such a terrible worry for any parent whatever the circumstances . It’s taking its toll on her so much so that I’ve stepped up to try and get some concise advice .. which I have to say lots of comments have very kindly offered 💕, I’ll prob not comment further on this thread , my first question to the group was nothing to do with politics , i find it very sad a post about children’s well being has turned into a political slanging match , someone asked earlier why didn’t my friend post herself , I’m glad I have shielded her from some of the extremely judgmental comments that have absolutely no empathy for a child 😢

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I answered in good faith in case it wasn't another private school fees complaint (especially as 'big' incidents can and do lead to groups looking for a new school at the same time).

Non selective secondaries with spaces within easy travel by car/bus/train from Bromley/tram from Beckenham;

Oasis Shirley Park - 119/194/tram, 5 minutes walk
Orchard Park - 119/194, 6 minutes walk
Shirley High - 119/194 + 5 minutes walk
Oasis Arena - tram
Harris SN if Beckenham is full - train + 6 minutes walk
Coombe Wood might have spaces, tram + 3 minutes crossing the road

1-2 boys per school, all sorted within 15 school days (legal timeframe to handle application).

And if there aren't any spaces right now in Bromley (which I doubt as they've spent loads on increasing capacity in the last two years unlike most parts of London, it's more due to it being just over a week since Census Day when funding is set and the two weeks until the Year 7 application deadline of 31st), it's perfectly normal for places to open up straight after Christmas as it's when people start moving house or changing schools ready for year 10.

Sailonsilverrgirl · 13/10/2024 17:46

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Araminta1003 · 13/10/2024 17:43

@TeenToTwenties - it will be down to the GP to diagnose not you.

Araminta1003 · 13/10/2024 17:43

@2010louises https://childlawadvice.org.uk/information-pages/fair-access-protocol/

Send this to your friend to read up on it. Anxiety will be a medical condition. If he is genuinely properly anxious because of the situation/not sleeping etc, he is now vulnerable and the GP should record it and the Council will have to find him a place. I would be getting a paper trail in any event because Governments should not get away with inflicting these kind of policies on vulnerable children deliberately.

TeenToTwenties · 13/10/2024 17:38

Private schools on the whole did much better with covid teaching than state, so playing the 'covid disruption' card won't wash.

This is no worse for the pupils than say a parent needing to relocate at short notice requiring a new school. It is unfortunate, but stuff happens.
The parents need to use the same admissions rules as anyone else.

At least they can use money saved on fees for top up tutoring if needed.