Is anyone having issues with Surrey Primary School Admissions?

[Zellie1]

My son hasn't got a place in any of our local Weybridge Schools. We recently moved here from West London. Surrey Council are so vague about where I am on the waiting list, they don't want to tell me as they say it's due to change but they can't tell me when they'll be clearing up the waiting lists or chasing up the people on it. This is all so wrong, all I'm asking is that my child gets into a local school.....what a nightmare.
I've said no to the school that they have offered me as it's impossible to do the school run with my children in schools in opposite directions. My younger son goes to nursery school in Weybridge. The problem is with a place for my older son in Year 1.

Does anyone know what my rights are, should Surrey Council not be obligated to tell me where exactly I am on the waiting list?

Any help will be appreciated.
x

If they have offered you a place, then they have fulfilled their statutory duty and are not obliged to find you another place. You will simply have to wait it out on the waiting list.

With schools starting this week, they will be waiting to see if any children don't turn up as expected and then chase up if they have relinquished the place or are simply absent (which might take some time to establish in all cases). They should be offering confirmed vacancies to children at the top of the waiting list as soon as they have established it is indeed a vacancy.

So, yes, you can expect movement on waiting lists shortly.

Have you established how (and for which schools) the LA keeps waiting lists for years other than reception?

Whilst this is going on, what education will you be providing for your DS? As he is in year 1, he must by law be receiving a suitable education and, having declined the offered state school place, you need to arrange something else (private or HE being the main options).

Do you mean that you declined the place because you had to go in the other direction to get your younger child to nursery? I may have misunderstood, but surely getting your Year 1 child sorted with a place would take priority over the nursery situation? If I were you, I'd have accepted the Year 1 place (unless there was some much more serious reason not to take it) and sorted out alternative care for the pre-school child. Otherwise as Edith says, the LA has done its duty and you just have to wait and hope - and HE or pay, or possibly go back to the LA and see if the declined place is still available and take it!

But yes, they should be able to tell you your position on the list, but the reality is that things may well be in flux this week so you may have to be patient and see how things lie when school has re-started.

As others have said, Surrey has met its legal responsibilities by offering a place. Since you have declined that place they are under no obligation to come up with an alternative.

I would normally expect the LA to tell you where your son is on the waiting list for each school but there is likely to be a lot of movement over the next week or two. It is surprising how many parents fail to tell the school that they are moving away or going private. I can understand Surrey wanting to wait until things have settled down before answering the question. Even when they do tell you where you are, remember that you can go down the waiting list as well as up.

Your primary concern right now must be sorting out an education for your son. Legally it is your responsibility to ensure he receives a suitable education. You therefore need to accept whatever place is available, start home educating or get him into an independent school as soon as possible.

It's probably worth double checking that you are indeed on the waiting lists of all the schools you are interested in. LEAs may hold the waiting lists for community and VC schools only. If any are their own admissions authority (eg VA, academy, free school) then, as this is not a reception place, they may hold their own waiting lists and LA won't automatically add you.