To think that my DD should be guaranteed a place at this school?

[Lougle]

DD1 has SN and has started at the nearest Special School this week. The Local Authority could have allowed her to go to our nearest primary with a TA 1:1, but they felt that the Special School was the best setting for her. I am in full agreement, although would have been willing to try full 1:1 first, as long as a switch to SS was available if it didn't work. Because it is 10 miles away, the LA will provide transport. Her school finishes at 3pm, so she will arrive at our house at 3.30 ish. We HAVE to be there. If not, Social Services/Police are called. Council policy. Fair enough.

DD2 turns 4 in August, and therefore starts School in September. She is NT, so needs to go to a primary. The 4 nearest primary schools finish at 3.30 pm (2.3 miles away, with no on site parking), 3.30 pm (2.1 miles away with no on-site parking) 3.30 pm (2.4 miles away with no on site parking) and 3.10 pm (1.3 miles away with no on-site parking).

Obviously, this makes only one school (our nearest) logistically possible to be able to both pick up DD2 and be home for DD1's arrival.

We have been told that this year is a bulge year, and that even placement in our catchment primary is not guaranteed. Everyone is advised to carefully choose their 3 schools.

I have phoned the LA for advice. They told me

"Put down your nearest school, and leave option 2 & 3 blank."

When I said "but this is a bulge year, and we have been warned even catchment is not guaranteed..." she said

"Oh, yes. Well, put nearest school as option 1, then you need to hope that options 2 or 3 might have some afterschool provision that you can use...."

AIBU to think that as

a) It was the LA that decided DD1 should go to a Special School
b) That because her Statement names a Special School it is deemed her only suitable school
c) The LA determines the drop-off times, and they are non-negotiable
d) our nearest school is the only school that is logistically possible to take custody of both children at the designated times.

that the LA should guarantee DD2 a place at the nearest primary?

We quite literally have no choice here. By choice, we would send her to the school that all of her church friends go to, 2.3 miles away, although our nearest school is very good, and we would happily send DD2 there as an alternative.

I did ask if, as the schools further out are all Church schools (CofE), DD2 would qualify for transport, but she said that this tends to mean 'Catholic Schools', as anyone could go to a CofE school, it doesn't mean they are a Christian.

So, AIBU?

Yes YABU

your afterschool arrangements are not the responsibility of the LEA, unfortunatly (because I really sympathise with your position)

Pick up your daughter at 3pm and drive to the other school for 3.30pm, its doable if thats what has to be done.
If you get the closest school then it should all be ok.

On the face of it, no YANBU, especially as it is the LEA stipulating that you have to be there to meet your DC1. However, in reality, they will not (cannot?) deal with every family's individual circumstances. Lots of parents have issues with DCs at different schools and coordinating drop off and pick up times. I take there is no one else who could be in when DC1 comes home or pick up DC2? I am not at all unsympathetic to your plight but I think you are being unrealistic to hope the LEA will attempt joined up thinking to this degree!

this is a common problem, my friends dd's were late so often(sh had to wait for her ds's taxi first) that they were give a taxi to school in the end

YANBU. I really don't know how we are going to cope when our youngest goes to school (oldest also attends a special school miles away via local authority bus). What are we supposed to do? How are we going to manage school pick-ups and ensuring that someone is at home for DS when the bus arrives? It's a mess, really. I wish councils would consider this when they write the admission rules. Realistically, though, nothing is going to change, so best start plotting up childcare options now.

MMMyes and mmmno. I fully appreciate your dilemma. Otoh it is not really that different from that of a parent who has children at different schools because of their ages, or has to work, or has to have medical treatment at a certain time of day. The problem is that allocation of school places is done on the basis of the needs of the actual child getting a place, not the rest of her family. Which is why so many of us end up needing childminders for odd snatches around school delivery and pick up time. Still, I would explain your reasons under special considerations and hope for a compassionate admissions officer.

Have you looked at the admissions policy for the schools in your area? There may be a category for specifying a school choice on the grounds of medical or other need that might be wide enough to include having to meet your DD's taxi. This criteria, if in the policy, is usually near the top of the criteria for admission where the places are oversubscribed.

Ime medical and social needs only refer to the child actually applying to the school, not to any other children in the family.

""Pick up your daughter at 3pm and drive to the other school for 3.30pm, its doable if thats what has to be done.""

There you go OP, Dan has the prefect solution

memoo, except that the closest school, the one that will take 30 minutes to get to, finishes at 3.10, so I would be 20 minutes away at finish time, even if I was to get DD1 out of school exactly on the dot of 3 pm.

The school(s) that finish at 3.30 pm are the ones that take 40 minutes to get to, which means that I would be 10 minutes late for pick up, even if I got DD1 out of school on the dot of 3 pm, then her mobility issues means that she would double the walking time from the carpark to the school, so I would be in reality at least 20 minutes late.

Not a solution at all.

other options that may be possible:

1. after school care for one child leaving you time to get there

1. child dropped off at childminder rather than at home

I would organise childcare for the short period of time that you need it, after picking up dd1 and travelling to get to dd2.

I can see that it's inconvenient, but tbh many parents have the same issue, because their children are at different schools - often the same school doesn't suit all siblings.

Could you find a child minder to pick up DD2 from school? or maybe another parent would help you out?

Its a very difficult situation!

YANBU, I think they should prioritise you over other families under these circumstances.

If you cannot afford after school care I think it is more of an issue than if you can but just dont want to use it.

If they dont allocate a place in your favour could you move or homeschool?

Part of me thinks YANBU, because the LA could have tried 1:1 and then you would have had sibling priority at DD1's school, but then there are other parents with the same problem just without SN children.

Tricky one. I think your best bet is to hope for a nice admissions officer!

Thank you all. There are no easy answers, are there? (Well, there is, but most of you think IABU to suggest it ).

I will just hope that we get DD2's catchment school, and work around it if we don't. Somehow.

TBH we really can't afford to pay a CM. DH is on a very low wage, and I need to be available for DD1. It would be very hard to find a CM that would have her, as she needs constant supervision at all times, hence the special school.

There are 60 places for our nearest school. In past years it was very undersubscribed, but they have worked incredibly hard in the last few years, and it is now quite popular. This year was no problem for places, I think they had around 13 spare. But 2009 was a boom year too, and they were well oversubscribed.

It may be easier to find childcare for dd2 though? Presumably there will be other children in the same position, living near you, who have to travel to the school she'll go to? No doubt some of the other parents will also need childcare because of work, so would be looking for a childminder who could perhaps transport the children back to near where you are?

Yes, perhaps violethill. I suppose we'd just have to find the money somehow. DH is on £14k per year, though, so it would be very tough. But still, that's life, I suppose.

if your daughter has lots of church friends going to a school 2.3 miles away, maybe one of their parents would be willing to help you out? perhaps picking up your dd and taking her back to their house until you get there?

You will be entitled to financial help towards it as you're on a low income - and it won't be a great deal anyway, if you just need a bit of overlap care - surely no more than 5 hours a week?

Fingers crossed for you. That is really tough. I would write a letter to the GB of the school stating your position and asking for special consideration. Good Luck.

herladyship that is an idea. I think I'd feel uncomfortable asking though, to be honest. I couldn't say it was a short-term or temporary thing. It will last years. It would be different if it was the odd time, or short-term. But every day for years on end is too much.

violethill I don't think I would be, as CCTC only applies if both parents are working 16 hours or more. I have another DD who is 17 months, so right now, working is not possible with the mix.

But seriously, thank you all. I might not have anything to worry about. If DD2 gets in at the nearest school, it will all be fine. If not, I will sort something out.

I am just surprised that the LA don't make provision for this sort of thing when it is their provision for DD1 that is causing the difficulty, although I am grateful for the place at the Special school, they are rare as hen's teeth.

My dd is disabled and is also picked up from home an taken to school, whilst this works for me most of the time, there are occasions when I am unable to be there, I have simply asked for my dd to be dropped off at a different place which they have done.

Maybe it is worthwile asking the taxi firm if they could drop off your dc at the school your other dc is at, I don't think it would be much of a problem

If the school the LEA allocates your dc to is more than 2 miles away they have to provide free transport.......

Cuuld DD1 be dropped off at DD2's school rather than at home?