No secondary school offer ?

[Innatenvi]

I have posted in secondary education as well but I'm posting here for traffic.

We applied on time, got email confirmation, put catchment school first, then another 2 sensible choices. Our LA only let you put 3 options.

We did not receive an email with school allocation this morning so we had to log into the council portal to find out our DC is on the waiting list for all three schools with no other offer of a place.

I am on hold to the council but I don't even have a reference number to check where we are on the list because it was on the email - which we didn't get.

What can I do?

Oh I see, thank you. I can't see it on the website and I'm still holding for the council admissions to answer! Worth knowing though, thanks.

If you want you can pm the school name and authority and I will have a look.

Thank you so much for this. Have sent pm.

How did you find out what numbers you are on the waiting lists?

Very annoying. I've had a good look round a particularly unhelpful County website and can't find anything. The charts like I've listed above are so helpful. Sorry, normally I can find such information

@HappyAsASandboy

How did you find out what numbers you are on the waiting lists?

I emailed the admissions service after about an hour on hold and there was a different telephone number at the bottom. So I called that number and the person I spoke to could give me a reference number so I could check waiting lists, but he couldn't help any further.

My DH works for the council in a different capacity so he tried to get through internally but no one answered.

Still no answer on the phone, no email. I've tweeted and emailed my MP. I'm not willing to let this drag on like this.

Thank you for looking @Crockof, your kindness is appreciated.

Oh OP, no advice to add I’m afraid, but just wanted to hand hold and send you a virtual hug. You must be so stressed 😔

In the paper this morning there is a report that, thanks to a baby boom 10 years ago there are a lot of people in your position.

I experienced this years ago with primary places, and learned a lot! Firstly, it's the LA's problem - they have to provide a place for your child. But ... it doesn't have to be a place you like. IME, the LA had to scramble round persuading schools to put on bulge classes and see where spaces could be found. This took a while. We were offered a place in a school that was ridiculous - an hour's round trip through heavy traffic, when we had 5 schools within 2 miles. But I accepted and waited it out and a bulge class arose much nearer in my least-wanted school. We accepted that and, when the dust settled, my DC ended up in a class of 15, with the most fantastic teacher. We kept the DC's name on the waiting lists of all the schools we preferred and before the year was out, got offers in two of them. It was a pity to move the DC, but we had explained from the outset that this was a short-term place, and we didn't want to risk the bulge class merging into a huge class in year 3. I also learned that the LA Education Department was not some huge, impersonal thing, but two friendly and sympathetic women working flat out; one of whom I've remained friends with, despite my 'bothering' them a lot!

So my advice is, wait it out. Go on every practical waiting list. Keep in touch with the LA. Take any place offered and switch if a preferred option comes up. If you end up with an impractical place, explain to DC that there will be a move when a better place comes up, even if established in school. Don't fear moving - lots of DC have to because their family circumstances change or they move areas. Unless, of course, what you got first turns out to be better and more practical than you expected.

2 out of 3 schools in our town have gone over their PAN. One by 8 pupils (1 extra per form) and the other by a whole 28!

Any news op, I've looked again and still nothing published.

I only got ours at 17.05. Was going out of my mind. Called the council 3 times and was refused any help twice. On the third time, about ten to five I had a bit of a sob (needs must, but to be fair the idea of waiting over night was upsetting - DS was stressed) and they finally pulled their finger out. We got a text message offer in the end to our first choice. Did you hear yet?

I finally got through to the council. Basically we're on our own. We have to stay on the waiting lists and appeal the places. There are 2 schools within 10 miles that have spaces, one I wouldn't touch with a barge pole and one that looks promising. I've put the feelers out on that one and it seems to be highly regarded. We're going to make an appointment to look round that one, so we have 4 options instead of just 3. Will be very stressful though! I'm hoping for waiting list movement - we've already gone up 2 places for one school just this afternoon.

I don't think the council can absolve their responsibility and say it's for you to sort. They have a legal responsibility to offer your child a school place.

Do you know any other parents whose children haven't been offered a space? I would be tempted to see if your MP can help.

@Innatenvi

I finally got through to the council. Basically we're on our own. We have to stay on the waiting lists and appeal the places. There are 2 schools within 10 miles that have spaces, one I wouldn't touch with a barge pole and one that looks promising. I've put the feelers out on that one and it seems to be highly regarded. We're going to make an appointment to look round that one, so we have 4 options instead of just 3. Will be very stressful though! I'm hoping for waiting list movement - we've already gone up 2 places for one school just this afternoon.

That is not acceptable. The council must come up with an offer. Next time you speak to them, mention the Local Government Ombudsman.

So have they offered you a place in one of those 2 schools? I’m confused how can they not offer you a place anywhere if county schools do have places?

Who knows, all the officer who answered the phone told me is that "they don't do that". All the schools we applied for are academies, so maybe that's why? They said that they have their own admissions criteria? My ex-judge stepdad drafted a brilliant letter referring to the council admissions policy that we send to the head of the council, head of the local authority and local MP.

@Innatenvi

Who knows, all the officer who answered the phone told me is that "they don't do that". All the schools we applied for are academies, so maybe that's why? They said that they have their own admissions criteria? My ex-judge stepdad drafted a brilliant letter referring to the council admissions policy that we send to the head of the council, head of the local authority and local MP.

Again, unacceptable. Whether schools are academies or not, the LA is responsible for co-ordinating admissions. The academies can set their own admission criteria, but that is all. If they have places available, the LA can allocate those places without needing any involvement from the school at all. It is, of course, possible that you spoke to someone junior who doesn't really understand the system. But if there are schools with places and the LA is not allocating those places, that is maladministration.

Thank you very much for that, it's good to know. I will definitely be taking this further!

Update - the schools we were told had places in fact do not have places and they have their own waiting lists. So we're back to square one. Admissions say we have to wait for the letter to find out how to appeal and they can't discuss it over the phone. So what if the waiting lists don't move and we lose the appeals? They can't comment on that apparently. Banging my head against the wall! We don't have the money to go private, so what - my child isn't going to secondary school?!

Do you know if anyone else is in the same situation in her class? Or in the nearby area? Hopefully a school will be asked to provide a bulge class.

(We had a similar position when we moved house... the council made it clear they were working on it. But the initial letter saying no places available was terrifying. Good luck.)

She is one of 3 in her class with no place. It's absolute madness.

Is there much private schooling around in your area? A lot of people planning on private school will have applied for a state place as well, especially if private places weren't known when applications had to be in. There's often a lot of movement once people have to accept/decline the places. If there's a private school taking 90, even if only half applied for state as well, that will be 45 kids coming off the lists. If there are forty kids without places, it might all be sorted quite quickly.

There are a few private schools, I have my fingers crossed. I just can't believe we did everything "by the book" and sensibly and we're in this crazy situation.

Your post had brought back all the angst of 20 years ago! So sorry you're going through it. Agree with the above comment re independent schools also grammar schools. Parents will hang onto a place until something moves on the list of their first choice.
You seem to be well down the list. Is there a bulge year where you are? If so I would be mad because they would have known about this for years!
Also are you in a area where the postcode is new? Just thinking about the software that the LA would use in determining your distance. Anyway, hope it gets sorted in the next round.