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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Anyone without a school place or a low preference!

65 replies

MacademiaNut · 25/04/2014 08:33

Tell me how are you coping???

What options are you considering?

Tell me it's just not me that wants to punch other mums who have their first choice and berate everyone who has an elder sibling...

I am sick of feeling like a social pariah for actually wanting and not getting the best local school.

Should I write to the local paper, start tweeting, fob in anyone I think was potentially being fraudulent ...

Or keep quiet and keep my fingers crossed.

I feel ill I can't be like this until Sept...

OP posts:

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Original poster

MacademiaNut · 26/04/2014 19:19

That is a very informed post thank you icecream!

Certainly when I rang our local private schools and visited about 6 months ago they said a place for this Sept was very very unlikely. I felt like I had to bring my youngest with me to justify why I was looking around in the first place. We can't afford private though. Not without getting into debt even if there were spaces.

Yes I think I will provide my feedback to the relevant people (MP etc).

OP posts:

TheDoctrineOfSnatch · 26/04/2014 21:31

"I don't blame the woman who,s been renting flat by school she had money to do that and rent her house out for 6 months and she will move back."

This is fraudulent and you can report if you want.

3asAbird · 28/04/2014 12:25

she told the local admissions team she was doing that and in theory they said nothing wrong there as long as was there at time of admission and renting for length time unsure if shes 6months or 12 months tennancy.

But money always seems to get better schools sadly.

hotcrosshunny · 28/04/2014 12:39

You could get involved with your school and become a governor to try and improve from within (time permitting of course). We got our second choice - our most likely school was a shit one, our first choice we had not a chance (furthest distance was under 0.3 miles, we live 0.5miles) and the other options were too faraway.

Our second choice - the one we have - is taking reception kids for the second time, they're teaching in temporary classrooms until they build new ones. Prior to that it was juniors only. And they're likely to take another form making it bigger than I would like.

However while I am angry at the system, I'm going to channel it by becoming a school governor if I can, and malin a difference from within. So not just my child but other children benefit too.

If enough people kept a fire in their belly about this then I'm sure more would be done. But politicians look at the overall stats ie about 80% of parents got their first preference.

icecreamsoup · 28/04/2014 12:48

"I'm going to channel it by becoming a school governor if I can"

Well done. And another thing people can do, short of becoming a local councillor, is to get involved in their local education scrutiny committees. They're often on the lookout for community members.

hotcrosshunny · 28/04/2014 12:52

I've not heard of those before gets DH on the case

I work 4 days a week in quite a stressful job but luckily they let us have time off for such things - a few colleagues do it.

Floggingmolly · 28/04/2014 12:53

Did you have a word with the priest, Zingy? Some of them will sign anything you put in front of them, which defeats the whole flaming purpose.
I wouldn't be abe to let that go, I really wouldn't.

Floggingmolly · 28/04/2014 12:57

There's nothing wrong with doing that as long as you don't move back to the house you already own, 3asAbird. It's the intention to move back that makes it fraudulent and she can (and probably will, if it's an oversubscribed school) have her child's place removed.

nesstaylor27 · 28/04/2014 13:05

im so glad its not just me that wants to cry and scream first day back for dd and only 2 didnt get into reception class we got none of our preferences and neither did the other lo. now to be brave for my dd who doesnt cope with change, this is a interesting post

whatcolour · 28/04/2014 13:58

Floggingmolly is correct. This had been stated many many times on here. It's fraud

Original poster

MacademiaNut · 28/04/2014 16:25

Alas I didn't realise more people had added comments...

I do have some ideas on how the system could be fairer and I am going to write to my LA detailing these. We are a borough with high sibling priority and lots of church schools (and that's just for starters...).

I just don't agree with the putupandshutup approach. LA's are up against it with funding and space for new schools, but why should children barely out of nappies pay the price.

Our LA is like the Wizard of Oz, there is nothing but lies and mistruths in the local press about how great they are at meeting parental need. The truth is they are happy to push as many parents out of the state system as they can (this is partly why I think they did not announce a huge number of bulge classes, it is to give parents the impression that they will not be in with a chance of a state place, so they pay their private deposits and disappear).

I worked out from last year, that out of first time applicants (without sibling or a faith place), that 60% did not get first choice. This is not a small problem for a few that is the majority. I just can't agree that this is the best that can be done. OR, if it is the best that can be done there needs to be transparency about WHY.

I would support parents to SPEAK OUT about why they are unhappy to their LA (or anyone else that will listen). Women didn't used to get the vote you know.

Good luck everyone with the waiting lists and your lotto tickets for private

OP posts:

TheDoctrineOfSnatch · 28/04/2014 17:10

"I worked out from last year, that out of first time applicants (without sibling or a faith place), that 60% did not get first choice. "

I suspect the main measure is across all applicants (so not excluding siblings and faith) and across all preferences ie 3-6.

The reason why it is the best that can be done is a very high birth rate but a very short term political system.

icecreamsoup · 28/04/2014 17:45

Macademia, see here for a thread on the 'why' ... www.mumsnet.com/Talk/education/2064412-Increased-choice-of-school-places-its-a-myth-But-you-probably-knew-that-anyway

whatcolour · 28/04/2014 19:03

I campaigned in our area for a new school which will now open in 2015. I am often shocked at how few people are on the lobbying train and seem to resign themselves to the status quo - allowing it to continue

Kaekae · 29/04/2014 16:31

This happened to us a few years ago, we didn't get any of the three schools we had applied for, I remember it being a really stressful and upsetting time for us. We got allocated a school driving distance away and one I was dreading. My son started the school but it was horrible. Anyway, we finally got into a school we liked and closer to where we lived after going on a waiting list for a year. However, this year we had to go through it all again as my son had to move to a junior school which wasn't a feeder to his infant school, even though they share the same site and thankfully we did get a place. I don't think there are enough schools in my area to cater for the amount of children applying and I really wish they would do away with infant and junior schools making them a primary school, unless they make them an automatic feeder.

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