To think that parents who are sending their DC to Private schools should not hang on to State school places until the last minute?

[DanceTimeInTexas]

Just met up with my sister whose DS has just been allocated a place at his first choice secondary school, which they are all really pleased about.

However, the Local Authority in question had to ring around several sets of parents whose DC didn't turn up to Induction days. These people seemingly had no intention of taking the state school places and didn't even bother informing the Local Authority or apologise to the school for wasting their time.

Meanwhile, my nephew has been to three Induction days at the school he WAS going to attend and my sister has bought (at great expense) and washed uniform she no longer needs (although you could argue that she was being a bit too organised and some people might not have bothered washing it, 'just in case', but still annoying all the same) so no chance of a refund. Also, he has missed the Induction days at the school he is now going to.

I know it's ultimately a happy ending for my nephew, but it still begs the question; why are some people such selfish twats so thoughtless and inconsiderate?

How do you know their kids are going to private schools and haven't simply moved to another area?

Because a state place is a 'right' and therefore you hang on to your 'right' in the event of an unforeseen emergency that might prevent the private place being up taken.

They may not have taken their places for umpteen reasons. YABU to assume it's because they have opted for Private Ed. In any case, as it's all turned out OK fr DN why would you care?

YABU - a lot of people hang on to school places they probably won't use for lots of reasons - house move, on the waiting list of preferred schools etc, waiting for the outcome of appeals etc.

Every child is entitled to a state school place.

Slightly annoying for your sister yes, but I would've thought the delight she feels about getting a preferred choice rather outweighs the cost of unneeded uniform.

Because if you have been offered your 2nd or 3rd state choice you have to accept it to stay in the running for your 1st choice - once you decline the state place you have been offered your position on the waiting list falls in the run up to the September startss because the local authority no longer has an obligation to make an offer to you. In the meantime many parents pay the deposit for the private school place which is their back up if the 1st choice doesn't come through. We know a handful of children who have been offered their first choice in August and who have bitten the bullet over the £2.5k deposit for the private school.

I know it's because they have opted for Private and I think it's rude to just not bother turning up for Induction days knowing that they don't want the place.

They would have known weeks in advance about Induction days, a polite 'no thanks' would have been all that was needed.

I held on to DSs state school place as although we were fully intending on sending him to a private school my job was a bit uncertain and we weren't going to find out until after the deadline date for the allocations. Luckily we found out before the date we had to return the forms to the school once receiving our offer but if we hadn't I'm afraid i would have held onto the space until we knew for sure.

I could not have taken that chance as all the schools in our area are oversubscribed so we would not have got a last minute place anywhere nearby.

Actually, we wrote to the 2nd choice school as soon as we got the 1st choice and it took the school at least 8 weeks to get us off the invitation/mailing lists, etc., so it isn't always the parents. The schools have to wait officially until they receive the confirmation from the local authority.

How do you know? The LA certainly wouldn't have told your Sister that information.

I have heard this is happening alot more, mainly due to worries about the economy/job security so people want to have their bases covered. This is understandable but stressful for people like your sister.

I accepted a place for primary I wasn't planning on using as other mentioned I had to according to the LA rules to stay on the waiting list for schools I did want. Surprisingly I ended up sending dd to that school for a half term until a place came up, which definately wasn't the plan.

People may have told the LA but the LA hasn't dealt with the info.

I promptly declined DD's stae school place in writing. We then kept getting invites to induction days. I called the school who said the LA hadn't informed them. I called the LA who denied all knowledge. I knew they had received it as they had referred to info in my letter in other correspondence.

Induction days aren't compulsory anyway. I wasn't aware the LA would have anything to do with them.

Am on a brief name change, so hopefully won't out myself, but there are 6 places available at my highly oversubscribed grammar school due to this very reason. Because LEA allocations have already been made these places can't be offered to anyone else.

I held onto my place until the last minute whilst I decided which school to send my DD to. TBF other parents on the waiting list were not upper most in my mind.

Presumably your sister's son has freed up a place in his second choice school too? Not just a private vs state issue, or selfishness, just how the cascade works.

it's very annoying especially if you had bought uniform and child had attended induction days etc. unfortuntaly the 'other parent on the waiting list were not uppermost in my mind' thinking doesn't surprise me

my son's new uniform cost over £150 this week and he's had three induction days too, i would have thought most parents could inform the school if they didn't want a place before now!!

If it were me in that position, I would've made my DC attend the Induction day anyway - why would they not if the parents really were using the State school as insurance? I'm amazed that people think this is OK - depriving another child of that opportunity is something I wouldn't contemplate personally.

I don't know why I'm surprised I'm getting such a pasting on here, but I stand by my original post.

I don't think you are getting a pasting; other posters are just explaining how the system works and it doesn't work as simply as it seems it should.

As others have said its not always the parents. I had a state school place for DD in case she didn't like the independent school attached to her nursery. As soon as I felt confident she would be ok I contacted the state school to release the space. This was March and they never got back to me despite my attempts to ensure they knew. I assume they gave the place to another child but I don't know for certain.

How could you possibly know it was that these parents had opted for PE unless you a) work at the school b)work at the LEA?

We gave up the ds places within 2 weeks of being offered it. I did for the reason the OP states. There would have been children desperate to go to that school yet did not get a place. So, once I was absolutely sure we did not want the place s I let the school know in order that some other family would be put out of their misery asap.

BUT I fully agree with those who keep the place for longer, beause they would have their reasons.

My oversubscribed school has about 10 pupils every year who just don't turn up in September. No phone call/letter, then when admin chases them up it turns out they've gone private. Generally children from the waiting list have started their allocated schools then, so their parents have a difficult decision to make.

It is rude to not let the school/LA know.

How do you know all this information? The LEA or the school are acting very unprofessionally if they have told your sister - I'd be wary of any school so willing to give out personal information about their potential pupils.

FWIW we gave up our state school once we had sent our confirmation, and cheque to the prep school DD was to attend - which was within 2 or 3 weeks of receiving the state school offer.

About to go through the secondary school application and will do the same.

Likewise we did not inform the other prep school we had considered until the chosen one was confirmed.

YANBU

they hang on to the places because they don't care about other people

It's a relief to see that a handful of posters have the same views - so thank you!