to be totally pissed off

[susia]

My DS was last year not offered a place at any of my three preferred primary schools; despite them being the three nearest schools to my house and instead was offered a REALLY poor school a long way away due to the other schools being oversubscribed.

I waited, appealed, waited some more, considered moving, was really upset - all his friends, all the children in our street and area going to my first choice (5 min walk away) and where he went to nursery.

My parents offered to pay for him to go to private school till a place came up and this is where he went last year. He was happy but it meant a half hour drive out of the direction of my work, my parents can't afford it for long and as a lone parent and with one child I really, really wanted him to a part of our local community.

Anyway despite being on the waiting list all year a place has not come up and he has just started year 1.

Anyway, this school is now expanding, it wouldn't help my son but is needed in the area. The alternative is building another school but the Council has decided to go for the first option. Of course, the parents of children who got into that school are really annoyed, petioning the Council etc.

I found out (because I saw her picture in the local paper) that one of the petioners is someone I used to know. She either got her daughter into this school by the skin of her teeth or by lying about her address as I could swear she lives further away than me (but don't know her exact address). This same mother years ago told me that she was lying and pretending to be a single parent despite having a partner to get some grant when as a single parent myself I have had to struggle! I didn't say anything but was pissed off at the time. She is a middle class pushy mother who is prepared to lie about this and maybe where she lives.

But what pisses me off is her (along with others) holding up a banner to try to prevent the expansion of a school when her child doesn't even attend the very good local school to her. It's the 'I'm alright Jack' attitude that really annoys me. Her child is alright - to hell with everyone else's.

I need some advice to get over my anger or am I overreacting???

Yanbu. BUt unfortunately, I think this sort of attitude really does prevail. I know of a school where they campaigned to get a 3rd class, so their children would get in (but only for 1 year), and are now campaigning against becoming permanently 3 form entry...

Maybe it is the same school?

other people I know even had the money to buy houses right by the school (and keep their old one). (surely they could actually afford a private school!) then complain when the school is going to expand to accomodate the locals whose children couldn't get in.

susia im not saying its right its certainly not fair but im afraid thats life- on the positive side at least your parents could fund a private school many single parents dont have that option.

its no good getting cross bout what tht woman has wether shes lied cheated or stole it you need to concentrate on your own predicament.

good luck i hope your dc gets a plce soon

yes I know, it's just seeing her face in the paper when I know that she has either lied or is very lucky and is campaigning to prevent other children to attend their local school.

shes very stupid if she has lied to get her place and then been front face of the campaign cos if you have seen it and realised so have others .........

maybe she didn't lie, just seems she lives further than me though. It's the hypocrisy of it all that annoys me, you could be sure she would be campaigning the other way if her child hadn't got a place and like I said it's the 'I'm alright Jack..' attitude that is so annoying.

No I completely understand. The alright Jack syndrome is rife when it comes to schooling.

Can you appeal on the grounds that you are a single mother on a relatively low income, struggle with the petrol, feel your son will be made to feel like the poor one at his private school? Lay it on thick, thick, thick. Should you infact be driving at all, with your migraines hmmm

I completely understand why you're annoyed and upset. It's so unfair.

Not had an appeal last year that was unsucessful - to be honest winning an appeal for infant school is almost non existant. Only grounds of them having made a mistake will be sucessful. But did try though.

though I am in no way condoning her the appeals process takes into account loads of different issues and distance isn't the only one, she maybe just maybe she has other issues

naah she is a lying toe rag, - write into the local paper to complain (not giving names) but examples of who would benefit

You're not over-reacting, susia. I'm facing a similar situation when my boy is due to start next year .. the whole village is over-subscribed.

They've built 1000 new houses, and haven't made a single new school place available. Meanwhile, people from the city are able to place their children in our schools due to the sibling rule, amongst other things.

I have already been told that it's extremely unlikely that my child, who was born in this village (and we, his parents, have lived here since childhood) will be able to go to school here.

I don't drive, so if he doesn't get a village place, he doesn't go to school.

Could I swing for other parents who don't even have the technical right to place their kids in our schools?

Yup.

yes desiderta that is how it is here too plus some people round here are so wealthy they buy 2 houses - one right by the school and live in till their child has a place and another that they still keep to move back to. And they are the ones protesting that the school is expanding so accomodate the children that actually live here!

noonki - they take very little into account actually at infant class size predjudice appeals apart from distance, and fair allocation of the actual process - having been through the process myself I researched it thoroughly! at primary school about 30% of appeals are successful - not so with infant schools (with class size predjudice ). There are very few that are successful...certainly personal circumstances are not considered. Believe me I know what I am talking about this on this!

Agggggghhhhhh !!!

I've no practical advice at all, beyond the usual platitudes .. don't take no for an answer, go to the papers, set up a forum for other parents in the same situation, etc.

But in the meantime, go shit in their shoes

catchment has priority over out of catchment siblings, here... i know it can differ...

weirdly, they also appear to have changed our catchment boundaries, so i got ds1's junior school application form today, and the catchment school listed is different from the catchment school listed on his sister's junior form two years ago... they don't like making it easy, do they? i didn't even look at this school for dd1!

we only got a junior place on appeal, so looks like we're onto another winner already...