Help! The Schools Adjudicator wants a meeting

[GreenEggsAndNaiceHam]

oh gosh.

I complained about a London schools admission criteria for 2014.

The whole thing has got very complex; the school haven't followed correct procedures, now someone else has complained.

The schools adjudicator are requesting a meeting at tge school with the people who have complained, the LEA, the Diocese ( a va school), the school and the adjudicator. I am really frightened. My child now has a place at this school. They are going to hate me. My DP is going to be so cross, I should be keeping a low profile for dc sake.

Also, I don't know if I can attend, I work!

I don't know what to do. If I go I can take someone with
me, but I don't even know if I can go, or who could cone. Everyone I know works or has childcare commitments. If I don't go what's the point of the meeting ?

Yours anxiously

the school is not going to hate you for this, after the first week of term when you are smiling and supportive and nice, they will forget it.

Also, individual teachers really couldn't give a monkeys about admissions criteria, they care about the kids in front of them regardless of the parents.

It sounds as if, because a few people have complained, they want to meet to hear what you have to say and to see if all has been done fairly. If not, they will correct it/change it for next time.

As long as you are civil, polite and behave reasonably, it is fine to disagree with the school/diocese etc. How you do it is everything. Do take someone with you who knows all about your situation, and do try and be there even if it means taking time of work.

Agree with steppemum.

Your child's place at the school is safe. You won your appeal so that is done and dusted. Now you are trying to make sure the school understands its responsibilities under the Admissions Code. You are complaining about the way the new admission arrangements were brought in and you can also complain about the fact they refuse to accept changes in the SIF or new applications before September which I think is a breach of the Code.

Please find a way to go otherwise this school will potentially carry on the way it has in the past. Smile, be nice and raise your concerns without attacking the school. You could even raise your concerns in a supportive way - you are worried they may be faced with a lot of unnecessary appeals because they have made a mistake. You aren't actually attacking the new admission criteria, just concerned that they've messed up in the way they've introduced them.

The meeting has been made for a day when It would be very difficult for me to attend. Something has been planned at work around my part time hours, so I can't really pull out. I don't have any annual leave left anyway. I will sleep on it, see if I have any brain waves on how I can get there.

I suppose that's why I am upset an anxious; a meeting has been arranged due to issues I have brought to everyone's attention, only my views won't get heard. I feel like I am going to be talked about behind my back.

I hadn't thought of all those points prh ,my complaint was around lack of consultation so I think maybe that's all the SA can investigate? They will look at the legality of the criteria as a matter of course, so I am told.

It's true, I am not attacking the school, I just don't want any parent to have to go through what we went through and for no good reason.

The schools adjudicator has quite wide powers and can in effect re-write the admission arrangements for the school if they feel this is appropriate, so it is likely that they will ask about more than just the lack of consultation.
If you cannot make that date then I would contact the schools adjudicator and say exactly that, you have something at work that you cannot possibly get out of, so is it possible to change the date of the meeting or can you meet / telephone the adjudicator at another time.

I am going to try and make the end of the meeting.

The schools adjudicator wanted the meeting before the end of term, and this was the only time the school and the Diocese could make. The other person complaining is sending a representative.

Well, the meeting was on for an hour and a half and I missed the first half hour.

The other complaint was made by a member of the public who had sent someone from ACCORD as a representative. I don't think that the SA liked that one bit. He didn't really understand the context of the school, and although I think he was right in the points he was making I think the SA didn' t like that he was a professional. Who knows though, I may have that wrong.

The Schools Adjudicator chaired, there was someone from the Diocese, Governors, the Head, school Admin, a couple of people from the LEA.

Before I even got there it had been decided that the consultation had not been carried out correctly, but it had been carried out. The SA listened to all of us, but in the main tried to make the proposed admissions criteria easier to understand, fair, legal and to actually fit the Admiision Authorities aims. I won a few minor victories, although of course these were nothing to do with me. Have you been in a meeting where you raise a point, someone says it's not true, then a few minutes later are claiming it as their own brilliant idea or touch of foresight? Happens to me at work too...;)

I didn't ask the LA and schools adjudicator about accepting Spplementary forms or change of addresses after January 15th and before September 1st. There was too much else going on. And I know the LEA DOES accept these as does the Diocese as I have spoken to parents who have had both changes accepted.

I did bring up fraud at community schools because the LEA were there. They said it had been investigated and there was none. So it seems that renting out your main home a few streets from the school and moving into a flat next to the school is not seen as fraud, as long as the child lives at the nearer property.

I feel I have done my bit, understand different ways the Admissions Code can be interpreted and have made a few small changes that will enable parents to at least understand the criteria. Hopefully next year any changes will be made with more understanding.