Is there a PALS for LEAs? Where can I go to ask for help dealing with Admissions Staff in Greenwich?

[shroedingersdodo]

Quoting previous thread:

"I'm in SE London and DS1 needs a place in Reception in September.

He was given a place in a school that is very far, (takes an hour in public transport each way and I don't have a car), and has a bad ofsted. And, incidentally, won't start until January for the summer born!

I asked the LEA to include him on the waiting lists of other schools nearby (that weren't included in the original application because I was considering homeschooling him but circumstances have changed and I won't be able to homeschool him anymore).

LEA (Greenwich) keeps telling me they are still processing late preferences and won't tell me if he's got a place in any of the other schools!

They didn't provide me any timescale of when they will have all the late applications processed (I suppose they are able to calculate that?).

Soon all the schools will be closed for summer and I won't be able to talk to anyone. I have to have a plan in case he doesn't get a place anywhere!

It's getting late and soon I won't be able to speak even to the private schools nearby (and I know they are probably full for Reception and I can't afford them anyway, but I'm panicking)."

Just found out 2 staff at the Admissions office are away. They take up to 12 working days to answer an email (and then don't provide de information I need) - it used to be 10 days.

I need to talk to someone higher up otherwise September will come and I will have no information. Who can I contact?

Look on the council website and see who your councillors are. Email them and explain the problem. And/or use the LEA's own complaints procedure.

Lewisham and southwark answer questions over the phone - I've never had to wait 10-12 days for an email response. I think you just need to phone up and very calmly explain that you just need to know when you will get an answer. You can't talk directly to the schools anyway so it doesn't matter that it's nearly the end of term. Only the local authority can allocate places.

Did you not get given any of your choices when you originally applied?

Thanks!

I will start emailing / sending letters to everyone now (complaints, councillors, etc). I was hoping it would not be necessary.

It's impossible to speak to anyone but the "customer service" over the phone. They just get the details and book you for a call back that can take 10 days...

Clux, I applied for 3 schools - didn't get any of them.

Where are you on the waiting list for those 3 schools?

The school cannot force summer born children to start in January. They are required by the Admissions Code to admit children in the September following their fourth birthday. The parents can defer the start date until later in the year if they wish but that is their choice, not the school's.

You can appeal for the schools where you have asked to go on the waiting list. You can argue that an hour's journey each way is unreasonable, so the LA has acted unreasonably in refusing to admit your child to a nearer school. They could use their Fair Access Protocol to do so and your child would then be excepted, so infant class size regulations would not apply. Your chances of success depend on whether or not the journey really is a full hour, the walking distance and what the appeal panel think is reasonable. If nothing else, appealing may wake the LA up and persuade them they really ought to do something about your case.

Clux two weeks ago he was in 7th, 11th and 16th. These are heavily oversubscribed schools, so I'm not hopeful he will get a place in any of them...

prh47bridge tfl journey planner says it takes 49 minutes to get from my house to the school (and tfl is usually optimistic)

Can I still appeal???? Even though I missed the deadline in May?

My DD got in to our first choice school after being 7th on the waiting list so there is still hope. There is a lot of movement over the summer. We had to wait until two weeks into term to get a place there so it can be a scary wait!

Are you in London, clux? From what I've heard from the schools, most parents have already handed all the documents.

You can most certainly still appeal by the way.

The appeal panel may think 49 minutes is reasonable but it is worth a try. And yes, you can still appeal. The deadline is purely for administrative convenience. They must still hear your appeal even though you have missed the deadline.

However to be realistic any appeal now is not likely to be heard till SEptember. I still you should appeal anyway because as others have said it just might wake somebody up to do something.

Sorry, I didn't mean this year!

titchy, prh47 and admission thanks, I will appeal then. I've let it drag for too long...

Thank you very much for all the info. I'm feeling very stupid and lost in all this process but I'll try to sort myself out. In fact, I'm feeling incredibly stupid. It looks like I didn't do a single thing right.

I'm off to try and do something right.