Hi there, just needing a bit of a rant really. I have three children age 12, 8 and 4. Cutting it short (hopefully lol ) my eldest son didn't get a place at our first ( and only choice ) secondary school last year due to a sudden and unexpected change to the admissions criteria. Anyway the school he was given and now attends is not the best. Don't get me wrong he is actually quite happy there now and although I'm not happy with the school at all I don't go on about it in front of him and I try and make it as positive as possible.
So after much consideration and realising that our daughter in three years time would be given the same awful secondary school to attend we decided to move her to the local catchment school that is the main feeder to the secondary we want her and wanted her brother to attend.
The primary school that my son and daughter attended was not the catchment school to the catholic secondary we wanted them to attend ( obviously lol ) but as they are baptised Catholics and we live just within one of the three named parishes our kids we were assured stood a great chance of being accepted.
So when we received a letter telling us that the admissions process was changing, ( to were it only guaranteed places to children who had attended catholic primary schools within catchment ) and then our son being refused a place.
We made the decision to move our 8 year old daughter to the catholic primary school that was within catchment as this would then guarantee her a place at the secondary. She has settled in extremely well and has been there almost a year now.
We came up against a lot of backlash from supposed family members and friends for sending her to a primary school further away "just so she could get into a better high school".
But anyway, the time has come to apply for my youngest son to go to school this year and for some reason everyone seems shocked that we've opted for the same primary school as our daughter! (like I'd purposely chose to have three kids at three different schools! ). They seem to have a problem with me not choosing to send my kids to the local rough primary and secondary schools down the road, even though they know themselves how bad they really are.
But anyway the last few times I've been around these people I've had them stick it their noses in and it's getting to the point were I'm going to lose it. In particular my two cousins who have children around the same age as my daughter have openly said they can't be bothered to go to the effort to chose schools for their kids and that they sent them to the local school as it's more convenient for them and that they "couldn't be arsed" dragging themselves out of bed any earlier to have to drive to school.
Now I don't give a damn about their choices and what they do with their children is there own business but why put me down because i "can be arsed" to get up early and make the extra effort to drive my kids to school?
I already feel guilty about my eldest son having to attend a high school that is below standard and I wasn't about to let that happen to my youngest two. Now don't get me wrong the primary school my kids used to attend was amazing but attending that school would my have secured them a place at an equally outset adobe secondary which ultimately would impact on their education and future!
It want my fault the sands ions criteria changed and the la decided to change the catchment area. And although I'm not thrilled about having to send my kids to a primary school that bit further away it aw dyne only way to guarantee them a place at the only decent and outstanding secondary in our area. So why can't my friend and family understand this? It's like they think I'm being a snob just for not sending my kids to the local rough schools and for wanting the very best for them, but surely isn't this what every parent wants for they child?