Our application has FINALLY been processed. I got the school offer on Friday and it was to our 3rd preference, which we visited a couple of weeks ago and both I and my daughter actually liked a lot, so I immediately organized for her to start there today, and she absolutely adores the school, the teacher and the other pupils there.
I sure was a bit surprised why we did not get a space in my son's school as I understood from the staff there that they should have a place for her. However, on Friday I talked to the headteacher who encouraged me to appeal saying I would be likely to get the space. I just thought an appeal is not what I want, I just want my daughter to be in school learning, getting settled in and not change in a few weeks time as she will transfer to high school in a year anyway so I figured out the logistics of getting two kids to two different schools at the same time - luckily a year 6 can wait 15-20 minutes for me, no problem there.
Oh well, then came today afternoon. The admissions team now admitted they made a big mistake (!!!), as they had not contacted the school AT ALL - the school had called them today to complain about this and the admissions people will be calling me tomorrow offering my daughter an immediate transfer to my son's school. The admission team messed the whole thing entirely. I am not accepting their offer, this current arrangement will be inconvenient for me as I have to drive with my 2-year old to 2 schools every day, BUT I am not changing anything anymore. Although it is just one day, my daughter absolutely doesn't want to hear about changing schools and after an agonizing 6-week application process I decided now she has the final say. I am driving around the countryside and the f-ing council can stuff their gracious offer. It is fabulous that they can actually sometimes be flexible and correct mistakes quickly, but to think they took effing SIX WEEKS to utterly mess the entire application process, telling me all the time how they have to contact the schools and that is why they have to wait until schools start and then finally, not even bothering to ring the school. All the while I was telling them that two of my three preferences have told me they have space, including our 1st preference. And then they just decide based on whatever outdated info they might have there that there is no space, and don't talk to the school at all. What an absolute waste of space they are.
Oh well, now on to applying to high school. How lovely to continue to keep in touch with them :-D
But both my kids are in school now!! I am seriously happy about that!