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Original poster

my daughter hasnt been give a school yet

60 replies

arjuna · 01/09/2011 22:28

dear friends could you please advise me what i should do as my 4 year old daughter hasnt been offer any school yet out of 6 school choosen. all her nursery friends has been offered a school so she is really feeling neglected.

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yellowsubmarine41 · 11/09/2011 22:51

Are we talking about Haringey?

prh47bridge · 12/09/2011 00:49

jintygeorge - I would give you the same advice as I gave Arjuna. Contact the Admissions Manager and give them 7 days to come up with an offer or you will report them to the Local Government Ombudsman. If no offer is forthcoming don't bother asking the LGO about grounds for a complaint. Just complain. The LA are in breach of the Admissions Code. They are required to come up with an offer for your daughter and they have failed to do so.

I would also recommend appealing for your preferred schools. Base your appeal on the fact that the LA is in breach of the Admissions Code in that they have failed to offer you a place. If they still haven't come up with a place by the time the appeal is heard you will have a decent chance of success, but I suspect that appealing would push them into making some kind of offer.

jintygeorge · 12/09/2011 22:11

yes, yellowsubmarine41 I am, I don't know about Arjuna. I would love to know how many others in Haringey are without schools this year - I'm told it was 30 last year and this year is worse. prh47 thank you, I will do that. Fingers crossed!

yellowsubmarine41 · 12/09/2011 22:46

My friend works for Haringey LA and my dd has just started school in Haringey.

All families who applied on time were offered a place this year (albeit possibly not in one of their preferences) and there were some surplus. There were also schools with places after allocations (my neighbour moved in after April and had a choice of a few schools with places).

I do know of two people locally who didn't/don't have places: one person's application form got lost in the post, and she only found this out when her dd didn't receive an allocation. She's decided to stick it out on the waiting list of her closest school (3rd after first round and still waiting for a place). The other didn't get any of her preferences and rejected the school that the LEA did offer. She's decided to go private.

I remember your posts in the summer and, unfortunately, you've moved into one of the areas of the country most densely populated with young families with record-breaking waiting lists. I can imagine how distressing and frustrating this situation is.

I do hope that the LA comes up with something for you.

Original poster
arjuna · 13/09/2011 12:07

i was just on the phone to LEA i couldn't stop crying. they have offered me 2 schools which are out of my catchment area and different council too i have to make over an hour journey to get to the school. the admission manager still cant make it to the phone to me absolutely negligence. at this stage i am willing to take any offers which are in my catchment area.

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Original poster
arjuna · 13/09/2011 12:10

i live in Brent council. is it just the Brent council who aren't able to offer schools to children or are all the other council in the same position? shall i consider moving house in different council?

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Original poster
arjuna · 13/09/2011 12:49

please help

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mummytime · 13/09/2011 13:51

If the school is frther than 2 miles away, the LA have to give you free transport (normally escorted so she can go by herself). Here is the government website about it.

Yes schools in London and the South East are very over subscribed. There is usually no such thing as a "catchment".

Original poster
arjuna · 13/09/2011 14:06

mummytime

is moving area a good advice? if there is no such a thing as a catchment than why does LEA keeps on repeating the word. even though the school i have applied are the local schools they
keep saying they aren't in my catchment area. currently my daughter is in 36 in waiting list. so does that mean there are 35 children who lives even nearer than me and who has siblings?is that correct?

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mummytime · 13/09/2011 14:41

Okay Brent does operate a catchment area the relevant document is: admissions. This is why if they have too many people within the catchment it could be very difficult to get a place anywhere.
I am not sure it will be better if you move anywhere within London, but you can investigate. Just how able are you to move? It will be a huge upheaval.

prh47bridge · 13/09/2011 14:53

As mummytime says, if the allocated school is over 2 miles walking distance away they will have to provide free transport.

I would accept one of these places and appeal for one or more of your preferred schools. If the journey is over an hour each way the appeal panel may feel that this is excessive even with free transport.

Original poster
arjuna · 13/09/2011 15:20

hi prh47bridge
i have just placed a complaint to LGO. i am trying to call LEA regarding the free transport. i am on full time employment and so is my husband. don't know if i am eligible. that was a good advice. thank you.

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Original poster
arjuna · 13/09/2011 15:27

wouldn't it be easier for them to provide me with local school rather than paying me for transport? that is if i am eligible for free transport.

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Lonnie · 13/09/2011 15:35

that depends upon what you mean by easier. If they have 4-6 children needing transport then it would be a lot cheaper than having to provide for a extra full time teacher somewhere (assuming they would have classes slightly oer subscribed elsewhere..) So for some LEA's no it would not be easier or more cost effective. the schools can only take to full capacity once they are full you need either to find places elsewhere or give a extra class somewhere that will mean 1 teahcer to pay for

prh47bridge · 13/09/2011 17:20

Your employment status is not relevant for free transport. If the allocated school is over 2 miles walking distance from your home you are entitled to free transport. It really is that simple. But it is unlikely they will pay you for transport. It is far more likely they will provide a taxi to take your daughter to and from school. Note that the free transport is only for her. They don't have to provide transport for you.

The problem the LA has is that all local schools are full and there is a legal limit on class sizes in infants. They may therefore need to employ an extra teacher if they admit your daughter and possibly bring in a portakabin to create an extra classroom, and that assumes the school's governors will agree to this. Free transport to a school which has a place may therefore be cheaper and easier.

jintygeorge · 13/09/2011 21:07

We haved lived in the same house in the same part of Haringey since 2007 - we were out of the country with my husband's job for 18months and as soon as I knew our return dates I wrote to Haringey by email and by post to explain we'd need a achool place - March. What concerns me is that we are so far down the waiting lists... 25, 36, 46 in Haringey - I took us off the list that we were 67th on. If everyone in the borough has places, who are all the people on the lists ahead of us??

jintygeorge · 13/09/2011 21:13

I have followed your advice prh47bridge. Admissions Manager who was far too busy to take my call emailed a reply immediately. Local Cllr has added pressure on our behalf. LGO is taking a complaint forward for us too. What hoops to get a school place! I fear we will be offered one in a school that we simply can't get to, as we both work fulltime, I'd be interested to hear how people deal with that knotty issue.

jintygeorge · 13/09/2011 21:15

Just seen ur advice on this issue prh47. Thx

SofCricklewood · 15/09/2011 23:21

Hi - I am in the same situation. In Brent too. I know a couple of other local parents also desperate to find a place for their kid. Thanks for all the suggestions posted here. Some of you mentioned an appeal but was there not a deadline when by April, it should be lodged? Beyond all the suggestions, it is clear to me that there aren't enough places so shouldn't we try to ask for the creation of extra classes? Using all the facilities at their disposal, nurseries, libraries, etc...I am feeling so powerless, I can't just wait until a place becomes available. What is my daughter suppose to do in the meantime? I wish there was something I could do. If there are any other parent in the area, should we try to organise ourselves, to campaign for a solution now? Thank you

prh47bridge · 15/09/2011 23:53

The deadline in April is purely for administrative convenience so that they can hear all the appeals for each school together. You are still entitled to appeal. They cannot reject your appeal simply because you missed the deadline.

Missing the deadline may reduce your chances of winning an appeal if there have already been successful appeals for the school but that is as far as it goes. If there have been no successful appeals, missing the deadline makes no difference at all. And I wouldn't fancy the LA's chances of winning an appeal when they haven't offered a place to the child.

If there is a general problem I would suggest talking to the local press about it and trying to put some pressure on the council. And I would encourage all the parents involved to appeal. That may prompt the council to get on and sort out the problem. They must have known they had a shortage of places since at least mid-January so they really should have sorted it by now.

Original poster
arjuna · 16/09/2011 14:37

prh47bridge

hi You are simply the best. every advice you have given to me has worked very well for me. THANKS

OP posts:
prh47bridge · 16/09/2011 20:47

You are very welcome. Always happy to help.

Liz79 · 17/09/2011 21:11

I find this absolutely disgraceful. Even if parents don't actually apply & state preferences the LEA knows how many kids there are & how many places there are well ahead of time & should therefore be able to allocate every child a place somewhere. If there are too many children they have plenty of time to create new places. Shame on them.

Liz79 · 17/09/2011 21:24

I find this absolutely disgraceful. Even if parents don't actually apply & state preferences the LEA knows how many kids there are & how many places there are well ahead of time & should therefore be able to allocate every child a place somewhere. If there are too many children they have plenty of time to create new places. Shame on them.

yellowsubmarine41 · 17/09/2011 22:19

How do the LEA know exactly how many kids there will be in a given intake? They have predictions, but no exact figure.

I agree that they should start sorting things out as soon as this becomes evident ie in January/February when all applications are in, but it also takes time to recruit teachers, construct portacabins and everything that goes with that. I agree that the bulge class that OP mentions should have been ready for September.