School admissions fuck up.

[bristolcities]

My DS is due to start in Sept. Moved in with relative just before choices were made so had no tenancy agreement. So they asked me to provide council tax letter. All done.

Wait untill my allocation letter was a week late to phone them. They have no record. Then after some searching discover they don't have my new address, it hadn't been changed.

So not only has my letter been sent to the wrong address and they wont give info over the phone, figure that one out but my son might not be allocated the right school because of wrong address!

It also worries me that they would send the letter to a wrong address when there have been safety issues with DS's dad. The nursery knew this and seeing as they apparently take info from the nursery grant forms I thought they might have known this.

What can I do?

I'm not surprised they won't tell you over the phone. Most councils won't as there is no way of knowing that you are who you say you are.

You can obviously appeal for any of your preferences if you don't get in. If the appeal panel finds that the council have made a mistake and your son would have got in if the correct address had been used your appeal should succeed. The big question is whether you can prove that you gave the correct address with the required evidence. If you can't it will be your word against the council's and it will then be down to who the panel believe.

Agree with PRH, it comes down to what proof you have that the address should have been changed. You need to get as much written info together around the safety issues with DS's dad as that can obviously be used as supporting information that the LA should have known about the change of address but you cannot asssume that just because the nursery knew the admission office will also know. They will quite rightly point out that it is upto you to inform the admission office, hence the need to show a paper trail that you could show that the admission office failed to make the necessary changes.

I have a letter that was sent to the address I changed to . Confirming that they had changed it using my council tax document. so that's a bit odd but good proof.

I am actually keeping my fingers crossed he doesn't get in to my preferred school now because he wouldn't be able to go due to the ex p risk.

Can I say that in an appeal?

This recently happened to my friend - she changed her address before deadline and had proof. When she was refused admission based on wrong address- she took the proof to the head the next day. After realising his mistake and knowing that further away people got in, he has admitted her there and then - as pupil number 31. Don't know how that works legally but she had tons of proof.

sunnyday123 - It works legally because, for one year only, the child is counted as an "excepted child" who doesn't count towards the number of children in the class for the purposes of infant class size regulations. There are a number of situations in which a child is excepted, one of them being where they realise that a mistake has been made and the child should have been admitted.

bristolcities - Without seeing the letter concerned it is difficult to judge but if it is from the admissions team that should help your case.

Your argument that you don't want your preferred school due to the risk from your ex shouldn't help you if it is an infant class size appeal. You would need to show that a mistake has been made. You could still try and you may get a sympathetic panel but it would be a long shot. If it is not infant class size you will have a better chance. Do you have evidence that your ex is a danger to your son?

S. BRISTOL PRIMARY SCHOOL ADMISSIONS- LOCAL SCHOOLS FOR LOCAL KIDS
If you are one of the many Bristol parents who did not get one of their preferred places or are concerned about the lack of places in schools in their community now and in the future there is a meeting on MONDAY 2ND May at 11.00am at The Tobacco Factory. See Facebook page 'Local Schools for Local Kids'

S. BRISTOL PRIMARY SCHOOL ADMISSIONS- LOCAL SCHOOLS FOR LOCAL KIDS
If you are one of the many Bristol parents who did not get one of their preferred places or are concerned about the lack of places in schools in their community now and in the future there is a meeting on MONDAY 2ND May at 11.00am at The Tobacco Factory. See Facebook page 'Local Schools for Local Kids'