Page 7 | Romesh Ranganathan - School Places & Entitlement

clary · 25/04/2025 20:16

Catsandcheese · 25/04/2025 20:13

Thank you, it was difficult but we are now out the other side with mostly every body left school now and at university.
We are on a county border so that's why we ended up with different holidays.
I just will never understand why siblings are not a priority. I remember when our primary school changed the rules, it was the year after our youngest joined there, otherwise we would have been going to two primary schools as well.
Never mind Romesh, ordinary families are caught up in these scenarios too, and is very difficult. In the end up we had to move house to make the secondary schools work, not the other way round!

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Yes county boundary must be a PITA and of course there is no reason why you wouldn;t live on one! I agree btw totally re primary schools and sibs, just for reasons of practicality.

forgotmyusername1 · 25/04/2025 20:17

FightingFish · 25/04/2025 17:39

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cewgj1ry9x7o.amp

I’ve seen this story popping up a lot on social media and we are only seeing one side of the story. Schools publish their allocations policy and apparently RR has moved house since his older children were allocated a place. He obviously didn’t consider the implications of moving outside of catchment at that point. There are only so many places, AIBU to wish that he would acknowledge that? I also feel sorry for the kid, if my father was a multi millionaire, I’d rather he shelled out on a place at a private school instead of bleat on about how hard done by he is!

Crawley and Horsham don't have sibling priority. The reason is because people were getting first kid into a school and and moving out of area so they stopped it by putting siblings below catchment

CleaningSilverCandlesticks · 25/04/2025 20:18

macaroniandcheeze · 25/04/2025 17:46

It’s a shame but not uncommon, most secondaries take children in catchment with siblings, children in catchment without siblings, then children out of catchment with siblings, but it varies from school to school.
Some people don’t realise that siblings aren’t that high a priority.
(Edit to add when I say “with siblings” I mean siblings already at the school!)

It does seem very unreasonable however to be offered none of your 4 choices! I agree with him that that’s not ok and I think he’s got a platform to complain about this where most ordinary parents in his position couldn’t.

Edited

He was presumably offered none of his preferences because he did not meet the criteria for them. Other children did. You don’t rise up the list because you have selected only sought after over subscribed schools as your options,

sofasoda · 25/04/2025 20:18

I just will never understand why siblings are not a priority. I remember when our primary school changed the rules

I definitely get the primary school
thing because they can't travel independently until the higher years.

sofasoda · 25/04/2025 20:20

It's very unusual to not get 1 of your 4 preferences at secondary. He must have chosen very oversubscribed schools and or live in a black spot

TheAmpleBalonz · 25/04/2025 20:23

Surely secondary school kids get themselves to school. They’re not babies.

He’s a loathsome man anyway

Catsandcheese · 25/04/2025 20:24

But ultimately that's the point. The schools changed sibling priority and you know your 10 year old needs taking to school but suddenly it's ok for the 11 year old to take a train plus another train plus a 20 minute walk. Which is what ours had to do. That is why once everyone else was in a school we had to move house because that was out of order. And the bleeding secondary would not allow them mobile phones!
I am so glad those days are behind us (ish) , the 20 year old has left school now and the 18 year old can manage now on his own 😂as long as he gets the results he needs

sofasoda · 25/04/2025 20:26

I won't be moving until all my dc are in secondary

JudgeJ · 25/04/2025 20:27

macaroniandcheeze · 25/04/2025 17:48

This is true people don’t read them, and lot of people seem to misunderstand them and think that by putting X first they have more chance of getting Y etc

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If people don't bother to read the instructions or rules then they can't complain if they fall foul of them.

Unitarily · 25/04/2025 20:28

as system that pretends you have choice

Yes thats an interesting point!

I have the joy of this next year for the first time.

I have seen the threads in the past. Bitter regret that they should have put a different first choice and others saying it doesn’t make a difference the order.

If it doesn’t make a difference why are they asking!? It’s confusing and really I have no idea how this works. I have looked at it is not clear imo.

Supporthelittleguys · 25/04/2025 20:29

I don’t think his being unreasonable at all! Not only do most people expect to get a place with a sibling link (it’s one of the top priorities in the allocation policy) but he also didn’t get any of his 3 top choices! That is exceptionally bad luck… I’d be pissed off too.

Hagl3y · 25/04/2025 20:29

TheAmpleBalonz · 25/04/2025 20:23

Surely secondary school kids get themselves to school. They’re not babies.

He’s a loathsome man anyway

Why is he loathsome?🤔

sofasoda · 25/04/2025 20:32

@Unitarily you put down your order of preference and then the schools will measure you against their criteria. You may be eligible for all of them so your order of preference matters.

askmenow · 25/04/2025 20:33

clary · 25/04/2025 18:56

Sounds as tho he didn't read MN and put a banker on his list!

Not all secondaries have siblings as a criterion anyway as there is no logistical need for sibs to go to the same secondary and in fact I know a number who don’t.

This is odd: He said it was not feasible for them to accept the allocated place because they would be unable to get their children to different schools so far apart each day.

Who does he have to get them to school? Can they not find their own way? I assume the older ones are at least 13 and maybe older. Get on a bus!

My sympathy is deeply limited tbh.

ETA: I see PPs have sympathy for him but we don’t know where the schools were he listed. If he did indeed list his closest schools after then it does seem unfair tbh

Edited

I always thought he was a pompous Arse and he’s confirmed it.

Hagl3y · 25/04/2025 20:33

Supporthelittleguys · 25/04/2025 20:29

I don’t think his being unreasonable at all! Not only do most people expect to get a place with a sibling link (it’s one of the top priorities in the allocation policy) but he also didn’t get any of his 3 top choices! That is exceptionally bad luck… I’d be pissed off too.

This. The system is shit.

sofasoda · 25/04/2025 20:34

And you need to look at the criteria and see if you have a realistic chance of a place. Plenty of people just chose their favourite options regardless of whether they meet the criteria or not.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 25/04/2025 20:38

ThisIsMyYearToFindMyself · 25/04/2025 17:44

Schools publish their allocations policy

But do people always read them? I read our local policies at the relevant times and they were very clear, and still heard people in the playground saying rubbish. I even had one teacher at the school the oldest went to telling me they would ‘see what they could do’ for my youngest.

That's what teachers say to make parents feel like somebody's listened to them.

We sometimes find out at a later date that a friend of a friend of a friend or a distant relative has contacted colleagues to see if there's any way they can 'help' or somebody has been very sympathetic and listened to a parent's unhappiness and tried to comfort them with such phrases. Never, ever gets to Admissions at the time, though - because they know it's covered by very strict laws; even the admissions committee make their decisions blind to avoid any hint of impropriety - and the person with responsibility for doing the bulk of the work will not be happy to hear that their impartiality is being questioned.

It's somewhat irritating to encounter comments such as 'Their friend was a Governor, so it was fixed' or 'The Head told me it was guaranteed', just as it is to have the playground lawyers pontificating about only putting down one choice, refusing all other offers and then demanding a place because 'they've got nowhere else to go, so you HAVE to give a place BY LAW' - or on some spectacular occasions, coming and shouting at Reception or buying a uniform and dropping the kid off on the first day thinking they'll get in that way.

EastGrinstead · 25/04/2025 20:41

It's always depressing to read threads where even basic maths is beyond the capabilities of the OP.

Catsandcheese · 25/04/2025 20:41

sofasoda · 25/04/2025 20:34

And you need to look at the criteria and see if you have a realistic chance of a place. Plenty of people just chose their favourite options regardless of whether they meet the criteria or not.

So that isn't always strictly true.
For example if last year all applicants got in to 2.3 miles and you live 2.2 miles away you'd imagine you have a realistic chance. But then because there is a sudden influx 2.1 miles away on the other side of the catchment you get caught out.
Distance criteria is fluid and depends on new house building, far more children this year than last etc. It is not an exact science. That's why siblings should be prioritised, because for all the reasons you and others have mentioned - single parents being one example. It isn't feasible any other way.

CleaningSilverCandlesticks · 25/04/2025 20:44

In terms of having children at two different schools - given one is only just moving to secondary presumably he has managed them at two different schools for many years already.

TheAmpleBalonz · 25/04/2025 20:45

Hagl3y · 25/04/2025 20:29

Why is he loathsome?🤔

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To me, it’s the unique mix of both pompousness and faux self depreciation.

LookingAtMyBhunas · 25/04/2025 20:46

He's my guilty crush. (Misses all the point)

sofasoda · 25/04/2025 20:48

@Catsandcheese it definitely is true that parents choose schools that they don't have a hope of getting into..,distance criteria is always fluid.

Hagl3y · 25/04/2025 20:48

TheAmpleBalonz · 25/04/2025 20:45

To me, it’s the unique mix of both pompousness and faux self depreciation.

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I don’t recognise either of those qualities. I think he’s funny. To say he’s “loathsome” is more than a little unpleasant and over the top.

CleaningSilverCandlesticks · 25/04/2025 20:52

NeverDropYourMooncup · 25/04/2025 20:38

That's what teachers say to make parents feel like somebody's listened to them.

We sometimes find out at a later date that a friend of a friend of a friend or a distant relative has contacted colleagues to see if there's any way they can 'help' or somebody has been very sympathetic and listened to a parent's unhappiness and tried to comfort them with such phrases. Never, ever gets to Admissions at the time, though - because they know it's covered by very strict laws; even the admissions committee make their decisions blind to avoid any hint of impropriety - and the person with responsibility for doing the bulk of the work will not be happy to hear that their impartiality is being questioned.

It's somewhat irritating to encounter comments such as 'Their friend was a Governor, so it was fixed' or 'The Head told me it was guaranteed', just as it is to have the playground lawyers pontificating about only putting down one choice, refusing all other offers and then demanding a place because 'they've got nowhere else to go, so you HAVE to give a place BY LAW' - or on some spectacular occasions, coming and shouting at Reception or buying a uniform and dropping the kid off on the first day thinking they'll get in that way.

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What is really frustrating though is when one of these parents gets a place off the waiting list in the conventional way but is convinced it is actually because of one of these reasons you state and nothing will change their mind. And they tell everyone about it.