Driving past two of my preferred infant schools to get to allocated school which I don't want ds1 to go to

[2boysnamedR]

I found out last week that ds1 didn?t get into any of my three ?preferred? primary schools. I chose the three closest schools as they are all ok and I thought I would stand be able to get into at last one of them. Number 1 is 0.7 miles away, it is the only school I can walk to and it takes less than 10 minutes walk. It is my village school. I was married in the church next door, both boys where baptised there. My second and third choices where 2 miles away. These are the three nearest schools to my house.

I have not got into any of my choices and in fact have to drive past both my first choice and second choice of school to take my son to his allocated school which is not too good to put it very kindly.

I was not to happy (to put it very mildly) about this and phoned about 15 local schools, but no one had any places. After much upset all round we eventually found a school with places but is 7 miles away and in another county (ironically under treat of closure but seems lovely). So much for the carbon footprint. I am appealing but know I am doomed to fail as at least 12 other parents are in a similar boat to me. However I want to do something - maybe try to get the schools role increased as it was cut a few years back. Also I am narked that I was dismissed for school number 2. How can you drive past two schools to get to another school when I live closer to them??

Any advice on where to channel my efforts? Should I appeal for oversubscribed school one, school two or both? I have already contacted local Mp and local Gov representatives, local paper etc. Generally getting myself heard locally. Any advice please???

[tania111]

It depends on whether the schools is claiming Infant class size predjudice as the reason for not going over 30 pupils or not. If not, you have a good chance (about 30%), if they are I think there is about 2/3 people in whole country who win..i.e virtually zero chance.

[UnquietDad]

Oh, and your local councillor may be a better bet than the MP.

[UnquietDad]

About 1/3 of appeals are won at primary, so it's certainly not "zero chance"! That proportion will be higher among parents who have taken the time to inform themselves and arm themselves with helpful data.

If there are already over 30 in the class you could push for an extra teacher.

Look at numbers in the WHOLE of KS1, not just your class. If Y1 and Y2 are under, they may have flexibility.

Memories of our appeal are a bit hazy as it was 3 years ago! But here are a few things...

The advice line I spoke to (ACE) agreed with me that our school was trying to "have it both ways" - i.e. argue that infant numbers were 74 now, so they didn't need an extra teacher (i.e. had space) but thanks to staggered entry would be 94 after January so they couldn't let us in.

So we played a bit of a numbers game, insisting they had to look at the situation as it was now and not as it might be in the future. DD went into a class of 32 and she was the 33rd pupil. Sounds mad, but we felt very strongly that we had a right to a place as it was our catchment school. You have to go in all guns blazing. Play it by ear, but if the appeal panel has two or more women on it, you may do well to turn the tears on a little. Worked for us! I appealed to the "head", DW to the "heart"...

The school also tried to argue a lot about physical space, but don't let them get away with this - I'm not sure, but I don't think it should be a criterion. The appeal panel is independent and will look at your arguments based on the suitability of that school for your child. Make your arguments positive, not negative - "my child needs to go to X school because" and not "we don't want Y school because". Play up community links, friendship ties with other local children, the transport issue, especially if you don't drive.

Good luck!

[2boysnamedR]

Thanks again. I will do that. The LEA just keep on telling parents you have zero chance of wining appeals but I guess it's in their interest to say that. Some parents have totally given up - even driving 8 miles to get into another school. Luckly there is a small group of parents who are as disgusted with this situation as me. Lets hope we get somewhere. I am hoping that pushing for a extra class will work. I don't know how I could make myself more annoying with the LEA. Maybe if I go to every drop in clinic my local MP has. I am going to read up now!! Thanks again. Glad that someone has won. Did they make an extra space for your DC or was it a class of less than 30?

[UnquietDad]

We appealed successfully in Y1. It is possible. But you need all the info on numbers, etc. Talk to ACE, look at the Appeals and Admissios rules on the DfES website, and read Ben Rooney's book, here

(I am not him!)

[2boysnamedR]

Thanks unquietdad. Its a real shame but I can't see how anyone is going to get in on appeal. Our only hope is the small number of parents who apply to state and private dropping out when they get their private places. Do you know what happens if you win your appeal but no more places are made available? Do you move up the waiting list? The head of the local school keeps on telling everyone there is no room for more classes (dispite the fact there was 10 more children per year group a few years back) as they can not bring back mobile classrooms. Are they now outlawed? Not that I think they are aceptable. On the outherhand that is up to the LEA to sort out. If my company had to take on extra work they wouldn't say "oh sorry we don't have the staff / room" They would plan ahead and get resources in on time. But that would be too easy.

[UnquietDad]

Do contact ACE as they are a good source of info for appeals etc.

website here

[2boysnamedR]

So sorry to hear that tania. I have been very busy making a complete p in the a of myself. Been in the local paper, met my MP, gone to parish council etc. Since writing my appeal I have found out that 100 dwellings have gone up in our village over the last two years. At least 15 other parents in the same position as me with regards to not getting any of their prefered schools. The government want all these houses in the south east but no schools hospitals, doctors etc to go with them. There are many private schools near me. I can't afford to go private. No one should feel forced to do so either. Anyone reading this in a similar situation should kick up as much fuss as they can. We will never get good local state education if we don't. I am very close to the top of the waiting list but still not sure I will get in. However I have secured anther school place just phoning around and going onto about 15 waiting lists. Even if he does get in, I can't be sure there will be a junior or secoundary place for him anywhere as it really is a massive and growing problem where I live. I dread to think what will happen when my baby reaches school age. Fingers crossed for you a place comes up soon

[tania111]

to make matters worse, the school that was my first choice is expanding this year but this still won't help my son as it is only expanding from the bottom up. He is in reception currently so it will be from next year.

He has been on the waiting lists for all three schools since September and still has no place. I wouldn't mind so much if I thought he would get a place in a year or two but there is no way of knowing.

[tania111]

Sorry to bring bad news. Exactly the same situation happened with us with my son - we are less than 500m from 2 schools which are excellent and similar distance to a third. He didn't get into any of them and was allocated another school which was in special measures about 2 miles away.

I appealed but lost and the outcome is that my son is at a private school I can't afford.

He is doing very well at the school is at at but the situation is awful as all his neighbours, friends from our street go to the local schools and I have to drive him to a different school completely beyond my means.

[2boysnamedR]

Opps!! Sorry did try that earlier but in a flap as the local press came round today. I have contacted you now. You would never guess I had a very technical job Viewed another school today and was wondering if I should view allocated school to give it a chance - but I know I wont be sending ds there so whats the point? To confirm my fears? Now I just feel totally deflated!! Any help would be fab!!

[princessosyth]

At the top of the screen it allows you to contact a mumsnetter. If you press on this it should allow you to send me an email (I think!)

[2boysnamedR]

Hi - sorry I don't know what CAT is? Can you direct me to some instructions please? Thanks in advance!!!!

[princessosyth]

That is awful . As I said in an earlier post we had a very similar situation in our town recently and the LEA did sort it out due to the amount of parental pressure that was put on them.

If it would be helpful, CAT me and I will give you some information on our campaign.

[2boysnamedR]

Just phoned the LEA - again! 56 parents put name down as first choice for the 30 places. 4 siblings got in. I can't claim for travel as I didn't go with the allocated school even though I didn't get into any of my three choices. The woman at the LEA was quite helpful and said there is a good chance I will get into one of my schools on the waiting list. She can't tell me where I am on the waiting list until the end of March. However I have spoken to the head at my first choice school and she doesn't hold out much hope for me. I wonder if LEA said that to get me off their back .

So in summary no place in any local school and no help with travel fees unless I send my kid to school under special measures. The school is in a eastate that was on the front of the local paper due to antisocial behaviour and asbo's being issued and tennants evicted. How can they expect me to drive 5 miles to go to a place like that? Stupid LEA rules they take no account of personal cases.

[leosdad]

You don't have to drive fourteen miles round trip, as they are under eight the local authority has to provide transport for over two miles as they have allocated the school. Perhaps they will get fed up at having to pay out for taxis/coaches every day (and if they provide transport then if they are late for school because of traffic etc it is not your fault)

[2boysnamedR]

The lottery system hasn't come in around here yet. They have chasen the nearest children in a straight line from the school. Seeing as this is a rural area with two pubs, one post office and a corner shop you would think that there would be a case to increase class size as they have built about 20 new Housing association homes in the village and about 60 luxury flats, no account has been taken of that with the local school intake. Unless I lived right next to the school I stand no chance of getting in. I wouldn't mind so much if I had been offered my second nearest school but I wasn't. I feel so mad, like my family has been brushed aside. I live here, my boys plays with the local kids, I helped out at the local toddler group when my boy was small, I was thinking about being a local NCT rep but I have been excluded from my village community. I know its not personal but it really feels personal and I want to fight the desision to the end

[princessosyth]

Forgot to say that group parental pressure can a huge difference. Contact your local press, newspaper, radio etc. Start a campaign in your local area.

In our area the LEA have been forced to open a new classroom for local children who would otherwise have had to travel outside the area.

[princessosyth]

Make sure you get hold of the maps that they have used when determining the shortest designated route. Sometimes they miss short cuts and may have calculated that you are further away than you are actually are.

[marmadukescarlet]

I am shocked at this, is this a result of the lottery system?

I thought that it would only be used in town/city environments as it is quite obviously - as your post demonstrates- not suitable for rural areas.

[idlingabout]

I'll bet you could '2boys' - as indeed could most of MN ! I don't have anything to add to the sound advice already posted but wanted to sympathise. I have concluded from my own experience ( dd didn't get a place at our catchment school) that LEA's don't give a damn about rural schools and rural communities. All they care about is filling up the spaces in the undersubscribed schools thereby making a complete mockery of the intention of the whole 'choice' thing which was meant to have allowed popular schools to expand. The LEA however, will not allow the popular schools to expand when they have places available at other schools and this discriminates disproportionately against people in rural areas. If you live in town and don't get a place at nearest school there is still likely to be another school within walking distance. But,as in your case, when the LEA fails to allocate a place in your local school you are faced with a car journey. The whole thing is a mess and runs contrary to the environmental responsibilty which councils are meant to demonstrate.

[2boysnamedR]

Thanks for all of this. I will be back on the phone to the LEA tomorrow and try to arrange a visit to the office with my hundreds of questions and screaming 4 month old!! How can they not take work into consideration??? When the government / EU says you have to consider family freindly policy's??? It's all so arsed about face. I could run the country better myself

[evie99]

Just one last point. The local authority I am thinking of stresses that it doesn't take take work or childcare factors into account (ridiculous I know). I would check their policies first, and then just possibly say that you can't afford the petrol for all this running around, will have to give up the job/car and they will have to pay for taxis or whatever to get your child to the miles away school. It might put them on the spot. Let us know how you get on.

[2boysnamedR]

evie99 thanks for the advice. I will talk to my work as my office is 14 miles away in the opposite direction from school so that is a good argument for a taxi. I will have to drive 14 miles there and back to the school before then going 14 miles to work. There is a possibility if my work is not flexible enough then I have to give up my job, which is the majority of the family income. That might be a good argument for a taxi. Also it?s the truth as I will have to start work at 7am to be back by 3 to pick up my little boy.

[evie99]

2boys, some local authorities will pay for transport costs if your child doesn't get into the nearest school. Suppose you couldn't afford to run a car or couldn't drive? In some cases (I don't pretend to know them all) the authority have to pick up the cost of alternative transport and in this case they sometimes prefer to "bump up" the class size via paying for an additional teacher during the period in which the class size is over 30 rather than pay ongoing transport costs. Might be worth finding out what the policy is of your local authority.