Applying for a change of primary school - do I have to tell the current school yet?

[V1oletta]

Has anyone ever applied to change their child's primary school but not informed the current school until they've secured a place?

With a very heavy heart, we've decided that it would probably be best if our son (mid Year 4, very bright but under-performing, at the beginning of an ASD referral) changed school. He's been increasingly unhappy for some time (a long and sorry tale involving a difficult-to-break cycle of him annoying other children, downright bullying by several children and at least one adult, absent and slow-to-act teachers, narrow avoidance of school refusal). We've really, really tried to make it work but he desperately wants to leave and we feel he deserves the opportunity of a fresh start (with support).

Having been round several local primaries, we've identified one that would be a good fit for his interests, has sufficient playground and SEN support and, very importantly, that is geographically feasible (as we have a younger child at the other school). Let's call it School B. There's a place in his year and we've talked with the Head about their ability to help him to thrive at school if he does move. We're still not 100% decided, but we decided to at least complete the forms to try and secure the place from next term.

We don't want to tell the current school (School A) just yet. There's a chance that he won't get allocated a place at School B, in which case we might keep him at School B for a while longer. (Or just maybe things will improve enough for us to give it another term.) If that happens, we'll want to keep working with School A; we don't want them to give up on him just yet!

I've just sat down to complete a school application form and discovered that there's a section on the form that is meant to be completed by School A at this stage. Is this normal? Has anyone ever succeeded in avoiding telling their School A until a place has been secured?

Thank you!

In my area school B would automatically contact current school to get information about your child before offering any place. They need to get a professional view of the child and his /her needs and abilities.

Not private, but normal county primary. It's standard practice in our area. All the heads ring each other before anything happens.

If you are correct all the heads involved are breaking the law. As Tiggytape says, if the school has a place available and someone applies they must offer the place. If more children apply than there are places available they must use the admission criteria. They cannot refuse a place or select which children to admit on the basis of information from the child's current school.

I secured a place for DD2 at a local primary and the first the head knew of it was my email saying 'I've got another school place and am withdrawing DD2.' Within the next day or two she'd been able to find out which school DD2 was going to, etc.

In our area, even a casual telephone enquiry would generate a call to current school.

TBH, I think it's very likely that the head at school B has already spoken to the current school. Ours would (or would get the secretary to call) before meeting any prospective new parents.

Ultimately, if there's a place, he has to offer it to the applicant, but he can find ways to put off the parents if he feels they, or the child, wouldn't fit with the school. He obviously hasn't done this for you though, so the existing school must have been nice!

I'm really shocked at the suggestion that heads in the state system will gossip about children in their care to other heads. Does this not breach every data protection law in the country? Don't they have anything better to do?

OP, could you contact your local LEA? I was in similar position. Wanted to get on waiting list for another school but didn't want to let current head know. Had a chat with admissions person at the LEA, who agreed that I didn't have to fill in the bit on the form that requires a HT's signature, until I receive an offer. You may as well ask.

"I'm really shocked at the suggestion that heads in the state system will gossip about children in their care to other heads. Does this not breach every data protection law in the country?"

I don't think it does, actually. Something to do with Child Protection.

I withdrew DD2 from her school because of the way they were handling legitimate illness and the attitude of the head teacher. I was careful not to say anything too negative to the Head of her new school. The Head confirmed that the old head had told him exactly what she thought of me

Fortunately, she probably looks a tad batty now, because her 'concerns' were unfounded and DD2 is a different child now she's out of there.

Lougle, that's awful. But I'm glad your DC is now thriving.

'I'm really shocked at the suggestion that heads in the state system will gossip about children in their care to other heads'

It is something they are instructed to do rather than idle gossip.I think it's a child protection thing

The decision to offer a place at a school is with the Local Authority. I would send an email to the LA admission office asking for the place that you know is available in year 4. No forms, no messing around, please can I have the place. The law is clear if there is a place available then the school has to admit and there is nothing that the LA or the original school can do about it. If the LA ask for the forms to be filled in I would just say that you do not wish to fill the form in as you do not wish the current school to know until the place is offered to you. As you have made a formal request for the school place that you expect them to confirm the place ASAP
As far as schools talking to each other, yes of course they do. I can't speak for what happens elsewhere but around here if a parent approaches a school mid year then they are asked to talk through the situation with their current school. Out of courtesy the potential school head will tell the current school head that an approach has been made but no more than that. If the parent comes back to the wished for school then if there is a place available then they will be offered a place by the LA.

Just for clarity, ringing the current school to say an approach has been made is fine unless the parent has specifically requested confidentiality. Getting information from the current school and using it to decide whether or not to admit the child is not ok. And the LA demanding that you get the current school to sign the application form (or doing anything else that effectively gives the current school a veto) is also not ok.