To be cross that new family in village have got their children into our full school on appeal and have bumped up class size to 31.

[31inclass]

The family have moved almost opposite the school and hence became first on the waiting list. The school is extremely popular, and is always full with a waiting list in Reception year. The school turned them down initially but they have got two children in on appeal, one in Reception and one in Year 2.

It is a CofE aided school with strict admission criteria including attendance at our local church for at least two years, one parent has to be confirmed etc. I've heard through the grapevine that the family don't meet any of the criteria, but have got in simply because the LEA have said that it is cheaper for them to send them to this school than fund the cost of taxis to the next nearest school.

My children are also in both these classes, which now have 31 children although the LEA has paid for an extra teacher so it is now a ratio of 31 children to 2 teachers. This applies until another child leaves and then the class goes back to 1 teacher.

Some parents are ok with what has happened because of the extra teacher. Some are quite upset and angry because they know other parents on the waiting list and they feel the parents have worked the system. They also feel that as the school building and grounds are small that the school should be allowed to stick to 30 per class.

I don't want to ostracize the parents or children but I must admit that I do feel a bit cross myself, having made a lot of effort to meet the criteria when I applied. AIBU?

It wouldn't bother me since there are now 2 teachers so actually your teacher:child ratio is now better than it was with 30 children and one teacher. I would not so happy if one teacher was going to be left to manage a larger class.

yes, YABU. Ideally there would be adequate school places for every child living in the vicinity of the school. If you want to turn your anger at something, tackle the education authorities that see children as numbers to be bused around to keep all schools at viable numbers levels whilst ignoring children's actual needs. Now that would be an appropriate use of mental energy.

Has there been a special offer on torches and pitchforks in your local garden ceb=ntre, 31?

Can you let me know where your village is so I can be sure to avoid it in future? You're clearly not very welcoming to newcomers!

yab very u...

unbelievable attitude.

class size at that level will make little difference.

if you were in their shoes...?

Is your village like The Wicker Man/Balamory? Do you hate and fear change? do newcomers pose a threat to you?

And a ratio of 2/31 is a sodding good ratio. My son spent the first three of his school life (bar one term in a private school) in a 1 teacher/36 pupils, with one part time TA/ or occasional parent helper. Most children are in a ratio of 1/26 or more. Be thankful. Or take yours out and have them bused to another school.

I can see how this is very annoying to those on a waiting list and irritating to everyone who has waited patiently, its like queue barging, we dont like someone going infront it seems like bad manners. BUT its dog eat dog out there and people are bcoming very selfish and using "the System" to make their own gains. Thats life in the UK now!

And can I just how effing fed up I am about the bloody smugness that reigns in this country over meeting sodding school criteria? It's just bloody selection, there's no other word for, and let's not kid ourselves we're offering a fair deal to all the state-educated children in this country when parents can pick, choose and be excluded from particular schools.

Thus endeth my rant of the day. Ithankyou.

But we don't know that the family did play the system!

Plenty of MN-ers are having to move house in the midddle of the schools admission system. This family moved to a house that was for sale. Schools admissions isn't a simple queue.

If the family had moved in a year ago the upshot would have bveen exactly the same, minus the extra teacher and minus the family in the class who currently live furthest away.

It is none of your business why or how these children came to attend the school. Get a life.

jesus, royston vasey does exist after all

Are you telling me that the parents already at the school would have attened church on a Sunday morning for two years if it was not for getting their child in that school.

I bet every parent at the school has played the game somehow to get their child there , whether it be .

I mean no offence to church goers and peoples beliefs but the majority of parents would never go to church.

I think you should get off the moral high ground before you are pushed !

Do the Christiam thing and get to now these parents before making judgements about them based on the 'grapevine ' .

lol - has anyone done a satire on church school parents yet?

They live opposite the school - if people feel so strongly perhaps those that live far away or have cheated the system should leave first.

Simply moving house doesn't indicate they were playing the system. We're not all so obsessed with schools that we'd do that. Perhaps there were other motivations - more space, bigger garden, wanting to move to a nice friendly village with a welcoming atmosphere .

"A local school for local people!"

I feel really sorry for this new family, moving into the village that's inhabited by nosy, meddling fuckers.

Where do you live>

I will not be moving there anything soon

Sheik- I'm thinking probably "rural" Kent or Sussex or Hants. Close enough to London for the school mania and competitiveness to be in evidence, but far enough away that it is a village.

Goodness, I daisgree with EVERYONE.
Ha, ha, ha.
I don't quite understand why you ae bothered, because you get another teacher out of it. But the other parents on the waiting list may be quite miffed. Not the parents fault. But the LEa does 'appear' to have made a wierd decision, if they don't fulfil the criteria.

YABU- Everything else has already been said.

But Oblomov - there is no real evidence that they do not fulfil the criteria.