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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Original poster

Talk to me about changing primary schools when you have 3 there.

16 replies

ImFab · 04/02/2011 16:51

I have had enough. Yet again one of my children has been hit at school. Enough is enough and I am going in on Monday to have words.

First I need to know what I need to say to make this clear it stops now and secondly, if they are not able to stop the physical bullying how do I go about moving all my children please?

My child has been bullied on and off for a while and it has now become physical and I have had enough. It stopped for a while when I said I was taking photos of his injuries but here we are again Angry.

OP posts:
Original poster
ImFab · 04/02/2011 20:27

bump

OP posts:
lovecheese · 04/02/2011 20:45

Poor you, and your children; nothing helpful to add, sorry, not been in this situation myself, but didn't want your post to go unanswered. I hope you sort this out.

Goblinchild · 04/02/2011 20:46

You can take them out and homeschool without much odf a problem. The difficulty if yoyu want to transfer all of them will be finding a school with space in all of the yeargroups you want. Unless you are happy having them in different schools.
I've got a child in my class whose sibling is at another primary until we have space.

Goblinchild · 04/02/2011 20:47

Sorry, I meant to say that I'd ring around and ask about spaces.

Original poster
ImFab · 04/02/2011 20:59

Thank you. I need to see what is said on Monday.. I don't know what I am going to say yet.

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schoolsecretary · 04/02/2011 21:27

If you were in our area I would suggest ringing round other local schools you would be happy for dc to go to, then here you would have to apply to LEA for places, which is why it's worth seeing who has spaces first. But first I would go in and raise merry hell, speak to head, ask to see bullying policy, if school has a website it should be on there have a good look at it and point out where they aren't following it. If you aren't happy with what gets said write to chair of governors, no children should be being physically assaulted in school. Good luck

IndigoBell · 05/02/2011 08:08

We had to move because of issues with our old school.

The other school didn't have places for all 3. So we moved them one at a time.

Because everyone on our old street goes to the old school we just had to beg favours from everyone to pick up and drop off at the old school while we took the others to the new school.

It took us a term to get all 3 moved across and it was the best decision we ever took.

Remember once you've got one child in the others get sibling priority and go to the top of the list.

All 3 children are pleased they moved And don't miss their old school at all. They still see their old friends because they all live very close.

IngridBergmann · 05/02/2011 08:23

Oh Jeez. I'm so sorry to hear this.

Thank goodness they have you as a parent, who will take action to protect them...I know you will sort this out one way or another.

What;s been said is correct. Look up their anti bullying policy, and quote it at them - I would actually email so you have a 'paper trail'. Face to face meetings are the favourite of HTs who want to BS you into submission. If necessary follow up any meeting with an email clarifying anything said and agreed.

Ring around a few schools, get recommendations from other parents and so on, that's a great way to check schools out.

They will tell you if they have places but you'll have to apply formally through the LEA and can download their 'in year admissions' form from the county council website (under education section).

You send this off with a few choices of schools for each child, and they process it and let you know about places in a few weeks' time.

IB is right, it could take a while to move them all over. But it will probably be worth it.

I'm trying to do the same at the moment, sadly our place disappeared between ringing the school and our application being processed, but ds2 is on the list for the school so if he is given a place ds1 will go to the top of the waiting list.

Good luck on Monday...I'll think of you, as I'm doing something similar Smile

IngridBergmann · 05/02/2011 08:25

and don't forget, often schools start at staggered times in the morning, ie 8.45 and 9am, so you might be able to juggle drop off if you are cunning (and lucky!)

Original poster
ImFab · 05/02/2011 09:36

I said in my OP it had now become physical. What I should have said was it has been physical again. It stopped for a while last year when I said I am taking photos of his injuries.

I would prefer dh to come as I am seeing the deputy head and I don't think he likes me much. I complained to him about the head and argues back when he tried to put the blame on me. I wasn't having that. I am so pissed off.

I know of at least 2 families who have moved their children because of bullying and the head just says there is no bullying at the school HmmAngry.

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IngridBergmann · 05/02/2011 09:56

They sound like a jumped up lot with no concept of bullying and how it is presnt in almost all schools.

I wish you luck, yes, take DH if possible, just having both of you there will alter the dynamic.

Our last meeting (with similarly deluded head) was three of them against one of me - totally unfair and they kept trying to bring in extra people.

They know how to do it. You need to fight them at their own game.

admission · 05/02/2011 17:43

Your big problem is that finding places for 3 children in one school is not going to be easy, so whilst i would go in and play hell about the situation I would not completely burn your bridges with the school.
You need to be selective about changing schools and the first question to answer is what age are your children and whther they would be subject to the infant class size regs at a school. If they are then the potential for getting into a full school will be virtually nil.
If you need to go to appeal for schools you will need specific written evidence of the bullying. So look what you have in the way of written evidence. In many cases there is a lack of concrete evidence, it has all been handled by telephone and meetings where there is no minutes. So I would start immediately to make sure that you communicate everything in writing, normally being confirmation of what has happened at meetings. Get the school to confirm they accept the decisions made.

TheVisitor · 05/02/2011 17:49

I phoned the primary school, asked if they had 3 places, confirmed yes, then moved them. I didn't go via the LEA. Secondary school is via the LEA though.

IngridBergmann · 05/02/2011 18:46

TheVisitor, in our LEA (and I presume others, now) it has recently changed so that one can no longer go through the school directly.

admission · 06/02/2011 17:10

All admissions are now through the local authority as of September 2010.
Those LAs that are bureaucratic will have forms to fill out in triplicate and you can't go any where near the school, those that are more sensible will welcome you going to a school and discussing the situation, though the forms have to be lodged and confirmed by the LA.

Original poster
ImFab · 07/02/2011 18:59

Update - deputy head said he will check his diary when he can talk to me. Must be very busy as hasn't come back to me. Has spoken to ds though.

T

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