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Original poster

Katerina's school nightmare: advice needed, I'm desperate! :(

142 replies

Katerina384 · 03/08/2012 20:45

A few days ago I posted about having no school places for my DDs in September. We moved to the area a few months ago ( an oversubscribed area) and originally were offered no school places at all. I also can't find a nursery place for DS, but as I work from home and will soon be on maternity leave I'm not so worried about that for now.

I finally had an email from the LEA today. DD1 has been offered a place in year 3 at a school approx. 4 miles away, and DD2 a place in year 2 at a school 7 miles away in a different direction :( I will be given free transport to school on public buses for both DDs.

The issue here is how I'm going to be able to get both of them to school. I don't drive, so we will have to use public transport. I was speaking to a neighbour of mine whose DC was also offered a place at the school 7 miles away, she and her DC tried the route on public transport and it took them almost 2 hours Shock I can't afford to put one DD into before and after school care to pick up the other as it is, but if it's a 4 hour round trip just to get DD2 to school then it's going to be impossible to get DD1 to school too. I would have to take one DD with me to drop the first one off too IYSWIM, as well as a 4 year old if no nursery place comes up soon and will be heavily pregnant/with a newborn. Surely this is never going to work?

The schools the DDs have been offered places at are both in speical measures and have horrible reputations, but at this moment in time I just want to get them in somewhere, I'll worry about trying to come up with something better later!

I know if I turn down one or more of the places then the LEA have no obligation to find me another one, but I just don't see how we could possibly make this work.

Advice greatly needed!
Katerina

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acebaby · 03/08/2012 21:16

Sounds awful - huge sympathies! Can your 7yo get herself to school and back and then go to a neighbour's house while you sort out dd2? Have you put both DDs on the waiting lists for eachother's allocated schools? Could one dd or other be taken to school by someone else? A few ideas - bit none of them particularly desirable. Sad hopefully one of the admissions experts will come along with more useful advice

Gumby · 03/08/2012 21:18

Sounds awful
Did you know it was oversubscribed when you moved?
Does dh drive? Could he work from home instead?

Original poster
Katerina384 · 03/08/2012 21:25

Thank you acebaby- I wouldn't be prepared to let DD1 travel to school by herself, not completely sure yet but I'm estimating the journey to be around an hour each way- too long for a 7 year old even with a parent, surely?! She's going to be shattered! :( Just to complicate things we've moved from abroad and none of the DCs speak much in the way of English yet, I realise mine is far from perfect too! I really wouldn't feel safe with her making 2 hourish long journeys by herself every day when she doesn't understand the language.

There aren't any neighbours who've been offered either of the schools my DDs have unfortunately- I have asked around! There's a couple who were offered places at these schools but turned them down and are homeschooling or went private.

Yes, I've added them to the waiting lists for each other's schools and to all the other ones in the local area, I'm hoping and praying something comes up.

OP posts:
AppleAndBlackberry · 03/08/2012 21:30

Can you speak to someone at the LEA in person or on the phone? They might be able to provide taxis, I'm sure I've heard of that kind of thing before? If I were you I would probably push for them both to get a place at the one 4 miles away, that sounds like the better option of the two.

Original poster
Katerina384 · 03/08/2012 21:33

DH has recently become ex DH unfortunately and has moved back to his home country, that's a whole other issue. The upshot is he won't be any help.

I did know the schools were oversubscribed when we moved but we didn't have a lot of choice as to where we moved to. It was a very hard decision to make but I still think it was the right decision in the long run, just need to sort out the school situation! And admittedly I didn't think it would be quite this bad. Blush

OP posts:
acebaby · 03/08/2012 21:37

Completely understand - my 7yo DS would not be able to travel himself on public transport, although I would be prepared to put him on a school bus. Maybe you should appeal for a place for dd1 at dd2's school? The class size rules are less strict for y3 up than they are in infants so your chances of success are greater.

3duracellbunnies · 03/08/2012 21:40

I personally wouldn't send my 7yo on a bus for an hour each way. Sounds like an impossible situation, have you rung them and asked if they can provide a chaperone for your 7 yr old. In your situation I would home educate, but it is different if you don't feel confident yourself and with two LO.

Do you know where you are on waiting lists of more local schools, and how likely your son is to get a place next year? Doesn't sound good if neighbours who were there at admission time haven't a place. Have you bought or are you renting? Can you move? You could appeal for a place, more likely for dd1 as fewer restrictions on numbers, but you still need to show why your dd1 would benefit from travelling 7 miles to a dire school. I personally think your best bet might be to move, but easy for me to say that, it might not be practical.

dinkystinky · 03/08/2012 21:40

Katerina - do you have space for an au pair? If so, worth looking into - so you have someone who can travel to school with one of your girls (And help you aroudn the house while on mat leave). If you can possibly squeeze one in, worth a try to hopefullly make this work - and keep trying to get the girls in the same school.

acebaby · 03/08/2012 21:43

Cross posted. Sorry to hear about your marriage breaking up. I do think you are being amazingly brave and upbeat! I would be in bits. Have a Brew and keep posting. Mn can be a very supportive place.

AppleAndBlackberry · 03/08/2012 21:44

Surely the LEA have an obligation to provide a place at a school that the OP can actually get her children to, or to provide appropriate transport with a CRB-checked chaperone or driver? She shouldn't be pushed into a position of having to either homeschool or pay for something other than normal transport costs should she?

EdithWeston · 03/08/2012 21:45

Subject to advice from the admissions experts, I would say that you should ask the LA to provide details in writing of their chaperone arrangements and/or their risk assessment for unaccompanied children travelling to school under their current transport offer.

CoteDAzur · 03/08/2012 21:47

How can a 7 mile journey take 2 hours on public transport? Shock

Can your neighbor take your DD to this school with her DC in the morning and you collect them all in the afternoon?

ivykaty44 · 03/08/2012 21:52

How can a 7 mile journey take 2 hours on public transport?

Where I live the bus does a journey in 1 and a half hours that I can walk in the same time - I would walk direct though and it is 3 miles - the bus journey is probably 4 - 5 miles indirect but we would end up at the same place.

i have friends that get the train as the train takes less than 4 minutes, as long as the train is running!

MerylStrop · 03/08/2012 21:55

Can they not provide taxis for the further school? (naive).

If the closer school is managable, get your elder DD in for now and Home Ed your younger one whilst on Mat leave. Then you would get sibling preference for the first school and be higher on the wait list. Also get them both on the waiting list for every other feasible school and sit tight for a place.

Horrible situation, how stressful, you poor love

NarkedRaspberry · 03/08/2012 21:58

Ask them how you are supposed to get them both to school.

NarkedRaspberry · 03/08/2012 22:01

Ask the LEA, not your children Blush

AnnieLobeseder · 03/08/2012 22:03

Have you asked about taxis? At DDs school lots of kids from out of catchment are brought in by taxi. Far from ideal, but better than struggling on the bus. I hope you get places at a nearby school soon. Good luck!

LoveBox · 03/08/2012 22:06

Yes- was under the impression any school offer had to be "a reasonable travelling distance" - which neither of these sound like.

Do you know if you LEA has a "fair access protocol"- it should. Its there to be used when there are no school places within a reasonable distance for movers-in with no school place. I would ask your LEs why your daughters hadnt been placed in a school using the Fair Access policy.

tiggytape · 03/08/2012 22:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Katerina384 · 03/08/2012 22:14

I'm planning on appealing for a place for DD1 at DD2's school, doesn't resolve the issue of losing 8 hours of each day with DS and a newborn though, dreading that Shock

I haven't rung them yet, doing that on Monday, I'll ask about a taxi. I'll also be asking what on earth they expect me to do to make this work Angry

We're right in the catchment for a lovely RC primary, but sadly it's ridiculously oversubscribed. All the children I know of with no places or those at schools miles away couldn't apply there because they aren't religious families and you have to be regular attenders of the attached church. We are RC and have beeen going to the church regularly and very involved since June, so I'm hoping I'll be able to get DS in there. Once he's started next year assuming he gets in I'm hoping I'll have more of a case to fight to get DDs in- both are on the waiting list but a long, long way down, not a hope at the moment really :(

OP posts:
NarkedRaspberry · 03/08/2012 22:19

If you were regular church attenders where you used to live you can get a letter from that priest to pass on.

Original poster
Katerina384 · 03/08/2012 22:23

I would get an au pair if I could, just not doable at the moment financially :(

appleandblackberry that's exactly what I thought, apparently not Angry

Cotedazur I know, it's ridiculous. The bus route goes round the houses a bit and there's a change, the wait between the change is 20 minutes Shock The neighbour turned down the place there and is homeschooling, so can't ask her for a lift.

I will ask about the fair access protocol on Monday, thank you lovebox

tiggytape that's really helpful, thank you.

Would I be able to appeal to schools locally we weren't given offers to on the grounds that the journey is unrealistic with a 3 year old and a newborn, or just to DD2's school? And should I turn down places in the meantime or hold onto them?

OP posts:
Original poster
Katerina384 · 03/08/2012 22:25

Narkedrasberry we were, also greatly involved with the Church, would this still work if previous church was abroad though? (South America)

OP posts:
NarkedRaspberry · 03/08/2012 22:27

Was it RC? If so yes, a lot. It will help full stop actually because children of christian faith (other) who attend come above those who don't in the order of preference for Catholic schools.

joanofarchitrave · 03/08/2012 22:29

Hmm, could you and your neighbour work something out with some joint homeschooling? sounds a LOT less stress