in catchment for worst state primary in the area - WWYD??

[elephantsdung]

I haven't started a topic on here before so here goes (pls be gentle):

We live in a nice'ish house but have an estate behind us which also has the local primary school in the middle of it. This is obviously our closest primary school but also has the worst reputation and OFSTED report in the area. It has an above average no. of children who have free school meals and, 'whilst the majority are White British there are a large number of Travellers from Irish heritage' (Quoted from OFSTED report). Whilst I really don't want to offend anyone I am looking for some advice:
DS is nearly 3 so will be starting primary school in 2014, so I will need to apply this time next year. Originally I was set on moving but, having estimated moving costs this will cost us around £18-£20K to move to a similar house to the one we have now. We have also considered private school but this would make it really tight for us (and we have no.2 on the way)
This school has been closed down a few years ago and started again as it got so bad, the thing is all the other schools in the area are really good but I know there is a real push to send people to this school (as no-one wants to go?) so there's no guarantee we could get him into another school.
So my dilemma is - should we
a) stay where we are and fork out for private school (although we probably wouldn't be able to afford it for no.2 as well)
b) stay where we are and apply for all other schools except for this one and just keep fingers crossed
c) Fork out the money to move so we are close to a good school
WWYD??

[Blu]

It's wholly possible that people rented an address! When poeple do this they then move miles away and get all the siblings in, and the rented address gets used by another family who get child number ne in and then move away while all the siblings get in...it hugely increases the number of siblings.

But I think that is quite differrent to suggesting that the LA deliberately and fraudulently kept local people out of a popular school in order to divert them into a less popular school, which is what I thought you were saying.

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

And all the schools I applied for were schools that had in previous years taken children in from
Distances greater than ours.

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

Ok I admit that. But still didn't stop things that came out afterwards from sounding a little odd. Especially as there hasn't been the same problem before or since. Perhaps I just was unlucky. Even the head master said they never usually turn people away and that we shouldn't have a problem.

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

Well if it all worked out for you then that's great unfortunately some people are left in shitty situations through a process that's meant to
Be fair but at times so clearly isn't. People pull fast ones all the time and places have been withdrawn unfairly it happens. Unless you are clued up enough or have inside information then there's not alot you can do. if I lost out honestly then fair enough but only the LEA know what went on. Surely you can at least sympathize with how stressful it is and how hard it can be to leave your child's future in
The hands of complete strangers. Everyone just wants the best for their children. And whether it's fair or not when you are left with one of the worst schools in the county then it's hard not to feel screwed over no matter how fair it was done.

[seeker]

So maybe not a good idea to make baseless allegations, then?

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

I started appeal process but due to dd being in and out of hospital and the fact that we were allocated a school we were happy with before appeal date came through we dropped it. Given the fact I had no evidence aside from what I'd been told and couldn't back it up and others lost their appeals it seemed pointless to continue. I also wouldn't have felt right winning and leaving a class over legal numbers which in itself could be detrimental to both my child and the others in the class.

[seeker]

Wheresmecaffeinedrip- what happened when you challenged the LEA on this one? Presumably you went down the Judicial Review path because the LEA was so obviously not following guidelines?

[gazzalw]

Poltergoose I did not mean to cause offence. I am merely considering the school in my own locality and what I've been told about it.

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

I can't prove anythin but it was clear that they were desperate to get people into the failing school. To the point that some were even told on the phone after they turned down the school, that the results weren't through for the next round but they can offer them a place right now at the school they just turned down.

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

seeker the parents also expressed extreme surprise at getting in as they had heard that alot hadn't and was also worried that they had made a mistake as the school was a long shot, they never expected to get in.

Amongst those turned away were people who lived nearer and two or three who had Sen.

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

If u are gonna quote me at least include what I go on to say which is that obviously I don't know the child or that i haven't spent time with them and can't judge.

[seeker]

"No idea why kid got in he seemed ok as in didn't appear to have trouble speaking or coordinating himself seemed perfectly happy and healthy"

So OBVIOUSLY no special educational need then.

[seeker]

The op doesn't actually say anything about results- she only talks about FSM and traveller children.

[TreadOnTheCracks]

I wonder if the schools results are bad because traveller children often have low attendance at school, so won't do too well in SATs, hence bad statistics. The school itself could be great. The ofsted report rarely tells the whole story. Visit the school and ask some questions.

Our catchment school was in special measures when I was making my choices. I went in and asked the head to explain, she did, it's a great school.

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

Stress not areas

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

There is no way that u can get to this area that would be nearer than where we r. Also others living in same area were turned down. No idea why kid got in he seemed ok as in didn't appear to have trouble speaking or coordinating himself seemed perfectly happy and healthy but obviously I'm
Not an expert or haven't spent time with the child so can't judge. It just felt very unfair given the areas me and several families went through to find alternative schools. Everyone previous year got in and everyone since got in.

[gazzalw]

Several of these posts make me wonder whether any of you live near us as Happynewmind's post could have been written by us!

Have to say that we were lucky in that DS was school age before the great baby boom which is currently choking primary school provision in a lot of places. We too had OP's dilemma but held out for a good school much further away which he got into. DD got in to the same school through the sibling policy but wouldn't have done (on distance) had she not had an older sibling already at our preferred choice school.

We still consider we made the right decision and the close-by school continues to be at the bottom of Borough league tables. Furthermore we know several families who have taken their children out of the failing school and sent them to the outstanding Ofsted primary nearby....

It's a difficult one....but DS got into grammar school from his primary school (although they did not actively support him doing the selective school exams) and although I know that our parental involvement has helped our DS to achieve his secondary school outcome, I do think that had he attended the local (failing) school with 35% of children statemented, he probably wouldn't have got in...

If you really don't like it or feel positive about it when you visit, try for others and just hope and pray. You can always stay on waiting lists and if you're in London there's a lot of population movement which can free up school places at short-notice....