Places available for Yr3 not being offered until a no-show in September.....Any advice?

[Looby258]

Hello. I'm a bit new to all this but would really appreciate some wise words! Here we go...!

My daughter has been on the waiting list for a place at our catchment Primary school since the start of last year, when we moved to the area. We are currently second on the waiting list, being both in catchment and with sibling. There has been no movement in Yr2 all year (very unusual) but 2 children are leaving at the end of this summer term to go to: 1) religious school (which starts from Yr3) and 2) local school - they have been commuting 30mins each way since Feb but have new schools for next year.

Our Head (new this year) has said that, despite written confirmation from both sets of parents that they are not returning and will not require their places next year, that she will not offer these places out until they do not physically return in September. We understand that this is technically correct procedure but it seems nonsense.

We feel we are being forced to the Appeal route due to her lack of experience. Last year, when we arrived in this area, my elder daughter was offered the place of the outgoing faith child at the end of June, to start September. Our new Head says the rules have changed but this rule is referenced to Education Regulations 2006....so these rules themselves haven't changed but perhaps the emphasis has? We just don't know....

Her younger sister is also starting this same school in YR in September. We are desperate for her to get in and not have to worry the whole holidays as to whether or not she can start school with her 2 sisters. We are appealing in July but are struggling to understand why the Head/LEA is not being supportive and pre-empting this stressful and ...we feel....unnecessary process.

Any thoughts anyone...? Has anyone else been offered a place now to start in September?

We're finding it very hard to get a straight answer from any direction but have seem some brilliant advice on here. Would be very grateful to hear from you!

Looby258

Is the half-way house to ask the school to confirm in writing that you are at the top of the waiting list and that there is likely to be a vacancy or a few vacancies shortly.

I've had to deal with this going into Year R for DD1 (we got second choice but were top of waiting list on distance for our first choice - we eventually got the place - notified late August). I had to accept the first school and then write to them explaining that we'd had our first choice offer us a place.

DD2 just transferred to a primary school near to our new home. We approached the school at the time of our move but were told the Y4 classes were all full. A few months later out of the blue a place was there and after a successful visit day, DD2 made the transfer.

I think you have to respect they have a system - it's not your system, it may not make much sense or seem efficient - but it's THE system. The likelihood is your DD will be able to transfer there - so you need to seriously think through whether appealing at this juncture (with a full class as the children who are moving are still attending) is really worth the hassle/ expense to the school/ LEA and the negative feelings your actions may engender, which (based on past experience myself) do risk repercussions for your child.

In reality appealing now given the 'speed' local government works at won't result in a hearing until next school year anyway (as most people, certainly teaching staff, holiday during August so getting a quorum to hear your appeal may prove problematic.)

HTH

Just one last question.....is the school/LEA allowed to increase a KS2 class size to above 30, without the process of an Appeal?

Ours would have been an in-year application (because it is a primary school and not transition from infant to juniors). So we applied to the LEA but we were sent a rejection letter from the school (it was sent from the school because we asked for it - they had just said they would not offer out places for Yr 3 at that point and we needed it so we could instigate Appeal proceedings).

Im a bit embarrassed because I put a massive THANK YOU on here for all your constructive comments and I can't see it. I hope you're still there, peeps. I imagine some of you are Heads and/or LEA people and I just want to let you know how much I appreciate the clarity of your answers and incredibly helpful comments. It's been a very difficult time for us, trying to get answers and make some progress and each time we speak to someone at the LEA here we seem to get a different answer. 'The devil is (really) in the detail' here and I feel much more ready for our Appeal. Not overly confident, because I'm aware of our chances, but I know we'll be much more aware of what the panel need to see, not what we want to show them. THANKS again.

Hi PastSellBy

I can appreciate your points about not rocking the boat but my DD has already been bumped down from first to second position on the waiting list and is at risk of moving further over the holidays when a lot of people move around (ironically, as we did last year). I could ask the school for written confirmation of where we are but I can't see what it would do. It won't actually mean anything come September.

The LEA advised that we could, and should, Appeal for a Yr3 place and we asked them to ensure it could be heard before year end so, if we were successful it would ensure she would not have to fret the whole summer long. The places may well come up in September anyway, but we know 2 other people who were bumped at this point (I do know this is procedure but it feels like bumping!) at very last minute. She really needs to get back into mainstream education so we want to have all options covered. Her little sister starts there in September too and it would cripple her, emotionally, if she was still at home then.

I do appreciate they have a system but have found it quite flawed in reality. No system is perfect but there seems incredible lack of local discretion. It certainly hasn't worked in DDs favour, despite the LEA stuffing up her initial application. We've been waiting a whole school year now for a place to come up (usually 5 move each year from this group) but there has been nothing. We've been waiting for these 2 places to come up all year. Now they have and we've only recently found out we can't have one....yet. It's been hard year for DD. Only yesterday we were at sports day cheering her older sister on...she's miserable again today, knowing what she's missing out on. I can't face buying her school shoes again this summer only having to return them if she doesn't get a place through natural attrition of pupils. That's why we're running to Appeal really.

I'm SO glad to hear your kids schooling has all worked out. It's a long and fraught time for parents. We just feel DD has waited long enough.

Onwards and upwards!

Looby258

Check the school admissions rules but as there will be a sibling there at the school from September your elder daughter would have a sibling in the school which here (we're at a state maintained CofE school), at least, has priority over faith & distance - only children in care have higher priority.

That being the case, I really do think it isn't bumping - you will have higher priority than other people based on a sibling being in the school.

Right now the school have to judge you on distance because you don't have a sibling in the school roll at present - so that is probably why you slipped down the list when someone else moved to the community and was possibly slightly nearer, for example.

I know it's hard to be patient and this can seem frustratingly slow - we had a 3 month wait with no news whatsoever for DD1, but they have offered her a place and the last few months have been happy & settled and it now seems like she's always been at the new school frankly.

I know that for DD2 the place was actually vacant for several weeks in the run up to Christmas and the school was aware the family had moved out of Birmingham, but they didn't offer a place until the start of the new term. I just presumed that managerially they can't assume but have to have so many days of a place not being taken up or hard confirmation of transfer to another school before they could offer a place to my DD2.

All I can say is around here if you push too hard you find the door is closed. So my advice is tread carefully. If there is a sibling rule you will have strong priority. Just trust that it will happen when it should happen.

HTH