Out of Catchment places

[TallTreesShortWoman]

Hello, just looking for a little bit solidarity I think - school placements.

We were homeless a few years ago and I then managed to buy a house, just the first one that came along that accepted my offer and I could afford. The house needed structural work i wasnt aware of and too tired to notice before buying, it has truly been the worst years of our lives. It's just my son and daughter and I. This move took us out of Catchment and I have been driving them to their schools since. My son has several diagnoses, including ASD. He has only ever known the HS his sister attends, and that is where his PS feeds. The placement for out of Catchment pupils seems, to me, to be absolutely brutal for all families, but for ASN families is unbearable. My son is becoming unwell, as am I with not knowing. I am trying to mentally get ready to move (with no savings left) because he absolutely cannot attend his current Catchment HS. We have absolutely no ties to it. He has said some scary things to me about it and is becoming more withdrawn. He has had no transition days because they only do these to Catchment. I can't sleep, I feel sick, I'm in a constant state of panic.

I don't know who to talk to that would understand. None of this is his fault and the guilt is a lot. I had an email today saying there is no way they will let us know until the end of April, I feel sick. Why can't they just let me know if we've been unsuccessful? I need to figure out how to move and I need time to do that.

Ok breathe!

First, what year is he in? Is he in year 6 and you are concerned about where he’ll be allocated for senior, or is he year 7 already at a different school from his sister and you are trying to move him to her school? Or something else?

Can you clarify please?

Sorry, I am panicking stricken!

We are in Scotland, he is in P7, so will be going to HS in August (School term finishes in June).

His sister is in S5 (year 12), we were in catchment when she joined. DS has had to work very hard to have any friends, he didnt have any until around 2 years ago, and they are drifting again as he becomes more withdrawn and more focused on obsessions. But at least he knows these people. I can't imagine putting him into a school he hasn't stepped foot in with people we have never met. We had to move out of the area for cost, but we don't spend much time here, we don't feel at home in this house.

Scrapped everything, you’re in Scotland, so it makes a difference.

Surely transition days won't be until after allocation day anyway. My dd went to a school in the next county because we moved but she definitely went to transition day. I just rang them up.

My dd also had no ties to secondary and I was really worried about it but it was fine. The other pupils are just kids, the same as yours is just a kid. They aren't all scary.

It sounds like you have already requested a place at your daughter’s school for him, is that right?

Presumably you have explained all of what you say above - his sister is there, his friends, his familiarity with the school - all extra important to him due to his ASD.

Does your son have any additional support needs? Would his sister’s school be better able to provide these? If so then have you explained this in your request for a place?

Is it an oversubscribed school, do they always fill all their places with catchment kids?

You can also appeal if the council says no.

Does he have a echp? (or equivalent) i think in your shoes i would start visiting the catchment school if possible, even if to just drive their on weekends as apart from a sibbling who might of left not sure of years in Scotland i cant see why he would get chosen school unless under subscribed. I don't mean that harshly but being autistic without a echp doesn't help with school allocations (this is in my area) stay positive and if he can she tour not worried hopefully he won't pick up on it

They can’t tell you yet because they won’t know. They have to wait until the final date for all Placing Requests to be in and then work out from there.

Is the school at capacity or running under roll? When schools are under roll PR’s are most often accepted. The only time they tend not to be is if there’s an unusually high funding cost associated with the pupil or if they’re over capacity.