In-year admissions and frustrating (lack of) communication with LEA

[TheThreeMoos]

So sorry if this is long but I wanted to include all the facts .

I applied for a Year 2 place at local school from Spetember for DD1. Application submitted online on the frist day that we could - 11th June.

We have yet to hear officially LEA and keep being told we will be sent a letter that has all the answers.

I phoned them for an update (ignoring the message saying they cannot tell you anything about your application until you get the letter). By the end of the conversation, I established that they didn't have a place, we didn't want another place elsewhere as we've been HE this year DD1 and would continue to do so until a place became available and asked to go on the waiting list. The person I spoke to said DD1 had been added to the waiting list and phoned me back to confirm we were at number 1.

Great. Except I read on the LEA website that waiting lists are discontinued on 31st July so I called again to ask what I needed to do to add my daughter onto the list that starts on 1st August.

I have now been told I can't add her to the list until I get my letter which will come in due course.

All I want is to know that, if a place becomes available, my DD1's name is on the waiting list at whatever number is determined by the admissions criteria and that she has a chance at a place.

It's a city school with a steady turnover of children and the head thinks it's highly likely a place will come up over the Summer. I don't want DD1 to miss out on a place just because I haven't responded to a particular letter that the LEA have taken over 7 weeks to send.

Sorry, I meant to say - am I being massively unfair in my expectations of the LEA and is this, intact fairly standard practice?

Thanks tiggy.

Yes, we did just put one school on. I spoke to them before submitting the application to clarify that this would be okay and we were told it would and that we could jsut continue to HE and stay on the waiting list.

And I wasn't clear on the timings. I was told 2 weeks ago we were on the waiting list and then today that we had to wait for the letter before they could do anything else.

Frustratingly, I e-mailed them just after posting to specifically ask for clarification about whether we were on the waiting list (although not as well put as the way you did!) and received the following response.

Dear Parent
You application has been recieved and processed. A letter of notification will be sent in due course.
Kind Regards,
School Admissions.

I'll e-mail them back....

You definitely need to get the paperwork in order for this as this will be critical come any appeal situation.
If you have not got any email from the LA that says your child is on the waiting list for X school, then I would send them an email which states that you applied on 11th June for a place at the school, that you are still awaiting written confirmation of the outcome of that request but that you understand from a subsequent conversation with the admission office that you are on the waiting list for the school (it would be good to confirm this date of telephone conversation as well if you can - even an estimate would be better than no date). You now understand that waiting lists are to be discontinued as of 31st July and then subsequently reinstated but that you confirm that you wish your child to stay on the waiting list after that date, without any interruption to being on the waiting list.
That should mean that if a place becomes available at any time in august that the child at the top of the admission criteria order of the waiting list will be offered the place. Hopefully that will be you.
What you also need to do is keep a very close eye on the year group involved to see whether there has been any movement. If there has I would immediately appeal on the basis that you my have been disadvantaged.

Thank you both so much for taking the time for such detailed responses.

I have e-mailed admissions today using some of the language you have used and asked them to ensure that DD1's name is on the list and to confirm that in writing asap.

DD1 was at the school for Foundation Stage so, luckily, we have a good relationship with the Head and the school office so will be able to keep an eye on the status of the year group.

I'll let you know how I get on.