Sibling didn't get into same school...

[minionmadness]

My niece has a ds who is currently in YR2 an when he was awarded his school place they lived in catchment. They separated 12 months ago and niece moved out of catchment (her EP still lives in catchment). Children live with niece.

Nieces dd has just been refused a place at the school and been allocated her 2nd choice. She is 5th place on the waiting list of 26 children.

Obviously I have pointed out that she might well get her dd in so not to lose hope.

She is worried as she doesn't drive and the two schools are 2 miles apart and she lives in the middle of both so would mean a 4 mile round trip twice a day and both schools start at 8.55am.

I appreciate this is very common in some parts of the country but how do people get around this if they don't have any family support to help with school runs. She certainly can't fund before/after school care.

Can she learn to drive, drop one off at 8.30 and then carry on to the second school for 8.45 drop off?

Anybody that she can share drop-offs with?

Does the school have an unusual admissions criteria? I'm a bit confused, because I thought siblings were given places before catchment area children. For the very reasons you describe, I assume .

I would think being physically unable to take the two children to the two separate schools would be a decent ground for an appeal - but know very little about it.

Hopefully, someone more knowledgeable will be along shortly.

Yes I suppose she could if she had funds to do this but she doesn't.

Both schools have line up at 8.55 outside classrooms polices in place.

She doesn't know anyone who could take either of the children to their respective schools but that may change when school starts.

What will happen if she just can't get them both to school on time?

My friend had a similar situation. In the end she moved dd2 to the same school as dd3 as they had sane school start time and were in different directions. Her dd2 spent reception in one school and year one in another. She settled really well.

So alternate DCs are late and the school lumps it!

Sorry cross posted...

To confirm in our county siblings out of catchment come after individual children in catchment.

She is currently investigating all of the above... but she is on a tight budget.

Unfortunately she is only just over a miles away from each respective school however they are in opposite directions from where she lives. Basically she is smack in the middle of both schools.

Thanks all...

Yes I have told her that there is a chance that she may yet get a place. The school is 90 intake so it would only need 5 of those offered a place to decline for this to happen.

She is getting very stressed about not getting them both to school on time.

Can't the ex-p take responsibility for getting one of the children there on time? Either by taking them to school or paying for/contributing to breakfast club.

Could she move her DS to the school her DD has been offered a place in?

Thanks for explaining that tiggytape. I only have knowledge/experience of one LEA, where siblings are given priority over catchment area children (unless it's changed very recently that is).

In that case, seeing if there is a place for DC1 at the school allocated to DC2 might be the best option. Either that, or hope that number 6 on the waiting list is close enough to be offered a place before September. Or use breakfast & after school club for DC1, as others have suggested.

I appreciate it is less than ideal though.

If she doesn't get a place at dc1's school, I would suggest speaking to someone at the schools. They may be able to come up with a solution. They would certainly prefer to be consulted in advance than have your niece wait until there is a problem with lateness.

Fingers crossed for her that this can be sorted out.

Certainly around here the 'rule' seems to be the following:

1st - Siblings in Catchment
2nd - Non-siblings in Catchment
3rd - Siblings out of Catchment
4th - Anyone else out of catchment, but done on distance to the school

Apparently it used to be that 2 and 3 were the other way around but not anymore... We're in Devon.

That's the same list that our county apply...

Personally If the worst happens, her best option would be to move her ds to the same school. He won't like it though.

Santa the school my youngest goes to has actually changed its admission priority this year to have local children in 4 named parish BEFORE siblings. So Siblings are not even certain to get in.

OP get your niece to check how soon she can drop at each school. Some schools has a drop of system where you can leave a child 15 mins early. & then I would suggest invest in a bike to go back and forth with.

She must know people at the school her oldest is in. Can she ask if any would walk her oldest to school? This is how I got friendly with one of the mums at my youngest school, she needed help with school run and I have taken her 2 for the last 4 years.

I think that stay on waiting list at preferred school and hope eventually get place. May miss some of Reception if truly can't get to both schools. How near to 5 is DN?

I would think 5th on the list would have a very good chance of being offered a place by Sept.

My practical solution to a similar situation was to walk the younger child myself, having dropped the other off at a childminder who did the school run for me to the 2nd school.

Bloody nightmare.