East Dorset (Christchurch/Highcliffe) - Mid yr School place - NIGHTMARE!!!

[jdubya]

Hi - if anyone has any advice on this I'd be very grateful. We're moving mid-Nov 2011 to Friars Cliff (nr Highcliffe) Dorset. Have applied for four primary schools and looks like none of them have a space in year 3 for our son. The surrounding schools on offer are Somerford Jnrs, New Milton or Burton on Sea, none of which appeal to us and were one of the main reasons we decided to buy in the catchment of the better schools. We will appeal for our original choices, but looks like homeschooling might have to be an option. Does anyone have a) any info on the 3 possible schools we've been provisionally offered b) gone through an appeal and have ANY advice c) homeschooled and got any advice???

Am feeling totally stressed/worried/fed up/close to tears now with the Schools, we are moving to offer our son better opportunities and it looks like we've got massive hurdles to cross before we're even close.

ANY help/advice gratefully received... many thanks Jo

As this is a Y3 appeal it will be decided on the balance of prejudice. You have to show that the prejudice to your son through not being admitted to the school outweighs the prejudice to the school from having to cope with an additional pupil. Your case needs to focus on the benefits to your son from attending the school. Look for any facilities it has which will be of particular use to your son and use them as part of your case.

You should find out if they have been over the admission number in Y3 before. The answer is probably yes but you need to know for certain. If they have you can point this out in the appeal hearing - the fact that they have coped once would tend to suggest they can cope again.

I would also raise the fact that having moved into the area that he needs to form friendship groups and going to the local school would be best for this. It is not a big point but one that may just swing the balance of prejudice in your direction.

thanks so much for both comments - all very helpful for a novice like me!! I hadn't even thought about a y3 admission before, am starting to put a list of things together so this is a good one! Do you think the Council would tell me if they've admitted a y3 before, or best to ask the school? Will try both and see what happens!

The admission authority has to answer any question you reasonably ask to help you prepare for an appeal. For a community school the LA is the admission authority. For free schools, academies and most faith schools the school is its own admission authority.

thank you prh47bridge - I will ask them, we're about to exchange contracts in the next week to ten days on the house in Dorset so will email them a copy of the contract as proof of residency from mid-November. At that point I am expecting them to say they don't have a space (if they didn't have one on Friday it's unlikely they would have one within a week or so of that) so with an appeal in the offing will ask the question then. It's all so worrysome - hardly slept last night!!

Barton has a good rep, as does Somerford though I can understand why you may not like it. (I live nearby, Christchurch/Mudeford. The schools you want are massively over subscribed, as all of the good ones here are. New Milton is also good I think, and a feeder for Arnewood which also has a good rep locally, ranked within places of Twynham which is hugely sought after.

thanks everyone! We're starting to look down the private school route as a backup. The fees for some seem aren't too bad (compared to some that are the £4K+ per term!!). It's good to know re New Milton, I might pop into the school next week as we're in the area and see how it is - the Ofsted seems ok. The recent Ofsteds for Somerford were a bit of a shocker, it had special measures a few years ago, and I would just feel awful sending my son there. Thanks again for the info - all very useful! Jo

Hello all, we are relocating to Dorset in a few weeks and have finally decided to send our children to St Thomas Garnets school in boscombe, we have yet still to find any where to live and are (desperately!) looking around the Christchurch, wick, southbourne area. Does anyone have any info on the parks and play areas and pubs/restaurants and surrounding areas that will help us to decide! Thank you*

Budden, you might be better starting a new thread but Christchurch is lovely - lots of places to eat, cafes, bars, restaurants - lovely park by the quay.

I love Southbourne - close to the sea, park on the cliff for little children, 2 near Stourfield school, 1 at Kings Park - lots of places to play. It has a proper highstreet with greengrocers, butchers, bakeries, fishmonger & cafes. Some pubs.

Wick is a little village - pretty.

How old are DC?