There's supposed to be a free school opening in our area in September. We applied for it as a possible option for dd1, since I couldn't see her coping with a large comp. She didn't get offered a place on the first ballot, so we opted for a smallish comp which although it's just failed it's ofsted and has poor results, lots of parents say it's great for helping kids with problems. So we've come round to actually being quite positive about it.
We were surprised to get a letter offering her a place just a couple of weeks ago at the free school, so presumably plenty of people have taken up places elsewhere and they reballoted. The thing is we're well into the process of getting dd1 to the comp now. She knows which friends are going up with her, and was looking forward to transfer day today. I decided she was better off knowing where she stood, so I turned down the free school place politely.
I received an email from them persuading me to reconsider, saying they're almost ready. But they're not. They don't have planning permission yet, have been saying for months it's to be confirmed any day now. And this is only for the temporary site. How can I send a nervous unsure child to meetings and things about a school which might not happen? And then transfer her back to the one she was going to anyway. And I think if she went to both lots she'd feel even less secure.
I drive past the site every day for work. It is still a completely vacant office block. Surely they can't kit it out as a 4-13 yr school in 2 months? Knowing how slowly everything happens there's no way they can be a well equipped well functioning school by then is there?