To be angry that my DD1s school place has been withdrawn

[2kids2dogsandahorse]

DD1 is due to start her A level course this September. She has a place at a grammar school, an unconditional place that is not reliant upon her grades etc. Her sister already goes to this grammar school.

This morning I have had a phone call from them to say sorry they are unexpectedly oversubscribed and will probably not have space for her. She specifically wants to go to this grammar school as it is the only one that does all of the A levels she wants to do. They are considering offering her a boarding place but I can't afford the fees (you pay for the boarding bit not the actual schooling) and it was a day place she was offered.

Help please, as I have a letter confirming her day place do they have to stick to this?

Is this a State Grammar or an Independent?

Its a State Grammar :(

Surely they have to stick to it ?

I'd be livid!

I am sure they cannot withdraw a place once it is offered.

What an awful thing to happen to your dd, presumably just before her GCSE grades come out. I'd be fuming. Get in touch with the school and find out more details about why she was chosen as the one who was turned down a place. Surely you can appeal?

In the meantime though it might be an idea to start looking at FE colleges local to you just in case nothing can be done.

Also try to remember that these things sometimes happen for a reason, even if we have no idea what it is yet. Every cloud/silver lining and all that. Try not to let your dd see that you are so upset over this, as she may well need you to be the calm one!

Good Luck, I really hope it all works out for you both.

Ive spoken to the school, I've spoken to the woman who I spoke with, who interviewed her and who rang and confirmed her place and then wrote confirming it. Apparently there are more pupils staying on to 6th form than they anticipated and as she is not currently a pupil she loses her place, even though her place was NOT conditional upon grades or anything :(

I'm absolutely spitting I'm so angry I feel sick and I feel so so bad for my DD.

Oh and she has turned down offers from the other Grammar schools on the back of this place

I would check this with the LEA/Education advisor, though, as they offered a place in writing and it may (or may not) be a form of a contract (if they didn't inform you of the fact that it could be withdrawn under those circumstances). I would not accept this yourself in writing until you have found out the legal position.

Agree with the suggestion to get straight on to county admissions. Your poor dd :(

Has your DD passes at A-C in the subjects she wants to study at A-level, could that be the reason? Seems too much of a coincidence that this is happening on gcse results day?

they CANNOT do this, see admissions code (link on LHS) para 1.50

Who handles the admissions (the "admissions authority", LEA or school? I would write to the Head of admissions (if LEA) or chair or governors (if school) pointing out that to withdraw a place is in breach of the sdmissions code & you expect the place reinstated immediately. If that fails then go to appeal, any (properly trained) appeals panel will find in your favour.

Just to reiterate they CANNOT do this
(fraudulent applications etc aside of course, which I'm sure isn't the case here :))

Certainly universities can't withdraw a place when the conditions are met, and they have to pay a financial penalty if they go over quota, so I can't imagine that a state school sixth form is any different. Betsyboop's information is valuable, I would start writing that letter immediately.

Not sure the admissions code applies to 6th forms tbh.

However check your offer letter very carefully. It constitutes a contract between the college and your dd, and you could sue them for its breach - unless the small print said the offer could be withdrawn at any time. Your poordd

How come they have space if she boarded though - do boarders and day pupils have separate lessons?

I've just spoken to them, I was talking to my solicitor and he basically agreed with betsyboops info that it is breach of contract. I told them I was taking legal advice and they said they would get back to me.

They've reinstated her place and are writing to confirm this. I've asked them to email the letter over as well.

It's definitely Pimms O Clock here now, I will possibly be back later, not sure what sort of state I will be in by then as DD1 and I are about to hit the bottle

Thank you SO much for advice I sat with this in front of me while I was talking to them.

Sorry titchy I just saw your post - they have to take a set number of boarders I think. Should I report this now, its blatently obvious which school it is etc now :(

Well done! Sounds though as if they haven't got enough boarders and need to try any means necessary to up the numbers....

titchy admissions code applies to admissions to ALL maintained schools, specificall;y defined in the code as "includes grammar schools, Trust schools, boarding schools, and for entry into school sixth forms.", so yes sixth form is included.

2kids2dogsandahorse glad it didn't take them long to back down, they must have known they were in the wrong :)

Hooray, I'm so pleased for you. They were completely out of order, especially as you had turned down other places on the basis of that contract/letter. I'm sure there were several legal avenues you could have pursued, but luckily you don't need to. Phew!

So I wonder what happens now? Presumably they have one too many on the 6th form roll. Do they try taking back the offer from another child? I wonder how many pupils they are over?

I presume they will offer that child the space that my child would have taken up if she had boarded - it still confuses me slightly that there was room for her if she boarded but not if she was a day girl

The school is always oversubscribed I was quite surprised they gave her an unconditional offer but her sister is already at the school, she did v v well at her mocks and I did double check when they rang and confirmed her place.

Still it's all sorted now, I shall go back to sewing on name tapes.....