To decline my school place?

[LG123]

I'm so cross, just want to yell at admissions (I won't).

My daughter got offered a place outside of catchment as my catchment school os oversubscribed. They wouldn't have to provide transport because she's under compulsory school age so my tiny 4 year old would be expected to walk 2 miles each way everyday.

Bet all the ones that drive got their place at a school round the corner.

AIBU to tell them to jog the fuck on?

[quote LG123]@lickenchugget if its 2miles+ and they are under 8, the council is obliged to offer transport but only if they are of compulsory school age.[/quote]
I agree this is a flaw in the system.

Therefore I agree with others to accept, go on waiting lists and defer her entry until she's compulsory school age.

OP - if you are still reading!!! Accept the place for now. Go on the waiting list for your preferred school, you must be quite high up thr waiting list. Go on the waiting lists for the other schools nearby you also applied for. Then delay your start by a year later on when you are delaying on a school you want.

Otherwise you could be facing the same option next year or even have no place for next year.

Only decline all places if you have a private plan (be it home ed or prep school).

@clarcats how many times do I have to say it? My county is supportive of delayed starts.

@Quincythequince

I have no comment on the private school system and not sure the same rules apply.

But should legally have the same duty of care to minors.

Precisely same rules apply to private and state re child protection issues Exactly the same

And gap year students of 18 are in the majority of private schools

@MargosKaftan for a delayed start you don't get to keep the preferred school.

@Quincythequince

Why do you keep banging on about schools not being able to have 19 year olds on site when a number of posters have pointed out that Op's daughter would be 18 at the end of year 13?

Just to clarify I am familiar with my LA's deceleration policy.

@Headabovetheparakeet I've started to just ignore her now 🙈

Ah, in our county you would delay to the school you have accepted (so if you got the preferred place you could then delay that)

I suppose the risk is you are in the same position next year, what are the chances, was this year an unusual one with high numbers of siblings or big birth group?

For those stressing your dd won't feel settled being a year older - there was a boy in my dc1s class born on 1st September 2009, and a girl born 30th August 2010. They were effectively a year apart yet by year 2 were similar academically and it no one felt it mattered. I refuse to believe a child born 30th August 2009 would feel so massively out of place in the same class as kids born only a few days later, yes some would be a year younger, however in their "real" cohort they would be nearly a year younger than some of their class. Only issues would be further down the line if you want to go for secondary schools who won't do our of year places or if your DD wants to resit a year at 6th form she won't have that opportunity- but thats something that effects a very small number of children.

[quote Headabovetheparakeet]@Quincythequince

Why do you keep banging on about schools not being able to have 19 year olds on site when a number of posters have pointed out that Op's daughter would be 18 at the end of year 13? [/quote]
I haven’t.

I said they don’t have to accept them, not that they never did.

I have said this eight or nine times.

And explained it in full almost as many.

And many others have also explained that this has been the case for them explained to them by the LA; their own independent explanation from someone else.

I am answering questions, not banging on. Because people don’t bother to read.

@LG123

I don't understand why you've been given such a hard time on here. If you've read the LA's policy, are happy with the process, and think it's the best thing to do for your daughter then it sounds like you've done the right thing.

Just to offer a different perspective.

I know someone with a child 31st August 2015, should be in Year 2 but is in Year 1 and the mum regrets delaying. Says her DD while smaller than the Year 2s is working above expectations and is finding the work repetitive. She also didn't cope well with starting school right after covid lockdowns and her mum thinks she'd have been in a better position had she already been settled at school when she went back.

Her DD was due end of October 2015, so was about 6-8 weeks early and has a slight delay.

I also know people who wished they'd delayed and are glad they didn't and other who did delay and are glad they did.

I think it's what works for your child.

I have said this eight or nine times.

I would definitely describe that as banging on about it.

[quote LG123]@Headabovetheparakeet I've started to just ignore her now 🙈[/quote]
Indeed. I am repeatedly being asked questions which is nothing to do with your scenario.

You can ignore this aspect of it in the same way you have ignored school application rules and advice from other parents who have been in your situation. One of those is far less detrimental than the other two.

@Headabovetheparakeet

I have said this eight or nine times.

I would definitely describe that as banging on about it.

Because I have been asked 8 or 9 times, that’s why. I am answering questions by people who haven’t read the thread. And If you’d read the thread, you’d know that.

whenyougonna good. They’ve obviously adequately risk assessed and haven’t been challenged. So it works for them.

[quote Headabovetheparakeet]@LG123

I don't understand why you've been given such a hard time on here. If you've read the LA's policy, are happy with the process, and think it's the best thing to do for your daughter then it sounds like you've done the right thing.[/quote]
The “hard time” is that she’s furious
But seems to have spent her time researching the defer policy rather than the likelihood she would be accepted in to a popular oversubscribed school when clearly not in close catchment to the school
And then considering the travel implications if she wasn’t accepted in the one school she put down

So many pages so sorry if covered

This is an oversubscribed and popular school. A school that the Op is clearly not in close catchment for.

So if she defers… how can she be even remotely confident that she will be successful next year?

@Whenyougonnalearn the school I didn't get IS my catchment school.

Also I did put three schools down

[quote LG123]@clarcats how many times do I have to say it? My county is supportive of delayed starts.[/quote]
I'd be interested to see which county, mine is 'supportive of delayed starts' but doesn't mean they'll actually let you delay- here's Gloucestershire's info. Which county are you in, I'd be interested to read it (I am an early years teacher, I'm always interested in how other counties 'work' their admissions)
view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gloucestershire.gov.uk%2Fmedia%2F2111094%2Fsummer-born-information-sheet-and-application.docx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK

@clarcats my county agree if they head does, and once you have agreement then all schools that are controlled by the LA are covered even if you don't get the suppotive school. Then there is also a process if you get a refusal. They have to state why it is in their best interests to start in year one, not just go 'they should start in 2022'

@Whenyougonnalearn I don't understand why you think I only applied for one out of catchment school - I applied for my catchment school and the next closest ones. I did not get any of them.

[quote LG123]@54ballsdeep people should educate themselves on summer born legislation before chiming in on this matter.[/quote]
Yes, there’s a lot of incorrect information being given to you. She does not have to start until the term AFTER she’s 5, so next September, not after Easter or summer term as some have suggested.

She will be fine if you defer (we had deferred entries into my daughters year R class so they do not automatically all go into year 1.

Don’t do anything today; you can always accept and defer later (this happened in my daughter’s class too - even some we met in our trial sessions went on to defer, just over a month before actually starting.

Sleep on it for while. I can understand how you feel, but a few days’ distance will help you feel calmer about it.