Can education welfare officer compel a school to offer a place?

[waltwalker]

Hi, this is related to my previous post regarding my 15 year old returning to school after 3 years out of school.

School admissions line is out of order probably because school offers have been announced recently.

Is it worth ringing the ewo, will it help, or will it jeopardise the home education of my other children.

Will they just put me in any school, or can I specify.

I realise I want to have my cake and eat it, just really stuck at the moment.

Hi, I don't have experience with year 10 but I have twice put my children into school during a year. My LEA does not have special rules for year 10 and 11. The fact that the year 7 (or other normal round) offers have been made make no difference to you. So you can just make an 'in year admission application' (as you would if you were moving to the area). In my area the Council still deal with most of the academy admissions. If the schools you put on your application have a place then they will have to admit your dd. This would go for an academy too but you may need to make a separate application. How could a school legally turn a child away?

If there are no places in your preferred school the LEA could offer you a place at another school, but you do not have to take it. You could stay on the waiting list or find an alternative way that would suit dd.

Do you think there are places at your preferred school? Why not talk to the schools and make the app. if it is refused, you could appeal (as you would have for a place at the start of secondary/high school). You could involve the ewo at that point to see if he or she has some way of convincing the school.

This is based on my experience and reading of the admissions code. I hope this makes sense. I am the tiredest girl in the world!!

Thank you stilllearnin,

I have spoken to my preferred school, year 10 is full. They said I need to ring admissions at the LA.

Good to know I don't have to accept a place.

Once you can actually get through to the LA, they are your best bet. They'll be able to explain the procedure. They are required to offer your son a school place if you want one, but it doesn't have to be at the school of your choice. If you send him to the nearest available school, then if it is over three miles away the LA will provide transport.

Are there any other schools you would consider? Find out where there are vacancies and have a look at the schools. You can also join a waiting list for the school you prefer, in hopes that someone moves away and frees up a space. The waiting list operates in order of admissions criteria rather than how long someone has been on the list; for example, someone who lives closer to the school than you is likely to be higher up the list. So you should be able to find out quickly how many people are on the waiting list and what number your son is on the list.

Not sure what your concerns are about jeopardising your other children's home education? The only thing which might happen is this: if you are currently not known to the LA's home education team and they find out about your home educated children, you're likely to have to correspond with them about the children's education, they may try to invite themselves to visit your home, etc. Some parents would rather not be bothered. If that applies to you, take care not to mention the existence of any other children when you are talking to the LA!

Hi Saracen,

We are known to the education welfare officer, and submit an annual report. The EWO knows that we educate autonomously. I am worried that returning to school seems like an admission of failure and that our other children will be under closer scrutiny, which I could really do without.

Present it to the EWO as "as part of our ongoing journey of autonomous child-led education, child X is choosing to go to school for the next few years"

I know several families who've gone down precisely this route. I see it as a vindication of the autonomous HE appraoch, to be honest - because the child has the freedom to choose school, and that also can be seen as an unschooling decision (they tend to interact rather differently with the institution than their peers, though, because they have genuinely chosen to be there...)

Ommward I agree- it's a positive as it shows you're not forcing home ed on your dc. Also Saracen sums up the admission stuff better than I! But my admission team are really good. I never hesitate to call them if I have questions about returning to school. It's a worry though I know given dd's age- we know it shouldn't matter but you so want to do your best for her. These things have a habit of working out particularly if you are able to be flexible and resourceful. Good luck - I am convinced you will find an answer. Btw apply to the full school anyway if you haven't already. Admissions are complicated and change on a daily basis- the school office may not have all the info!

Thanks everyone, Ommward you raise a good point, home education for us was never about being anti school and we have never expressed it in those terms, just what was right at the time for us.

I will apply to the full school, and I have a free school to look around this week.