What to expect from a meeting about school arrangements for DNs

[NoideaFinch]

My sisters kids came to live with us and we have a meeting tomorrow and one of the focuses will be school. I'm wondering if anyone can tell me what to expect and what questions to ask.

DN1 should be in secondary school but she may be moving to my mums so I'm not sure if getting her into a school now is the best option. She also wont want to go and I will have no way to make her so not sure if we will get into trouble if she doesn't attend

DN2 and 3 will be going to a primary school. Will we have any say at all about where they should go or is it just a case of whoever will take them

Also, DN3 will be one of the youngest in her year and she is nowhere near where she should be academically. She should be going to year 2 in September. Is there any way we could argue for her to join the year below instead or is that not our place to try and make that happen?

Any help or tips would be really appreciated

Are they now officially in care i.e. Looked After Children? If not ignore everything I am about to say. Assuming so, they legally have top priority for school places, it doesn't work like it would for a regular family moving to a new area having to take whatever space is available. Everywhere I have worked it has effectively meant that a child in care can attend any school that is chosen for them and the LA will force the school to take them even if over PAN.

You should have input into the choice of school but the local authority will also have a view e.g. I some councils they will not allow a child in care to attend a school that is Requires Improvement or below unless there is a very strong rationale for it and if it looks like there is SEN they will suggest schools that they know work well with children with those needs.

There should be someone at the meeting from Virtual School, which is the council team that oversees education for Looked After Children. They should be leading on the decision making process so please ask who this is.

I don't know what they will suggest re holding DN3 back a year or for your DN1 though, those are complex issues so likely open to discussion.