Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

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

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Not welcomed by school after Appeal.

37 replies

kate549 · 24/10/2014 10:11

We recently moved to Hertfordshire won school appeal for my son in year 3 . I appealed for 2 schools due to medical reasons . when asked for preference I choose nearest school as my daughter in reception goes there.
but really I am very disappointed by schools behaviour even though we got place 3 weeks before the term holidays they asked my son to start school in new term and called him for setting in session on last day at school.
They dint even show us around and on first day we were asked by deputy head to stand near entrance and some one will come to take my son . we waited nearly half n hour , one of the teacher passing by offered help when asked and she took my son in. I am really disappointed by the schools behaviour. not boosting but my son is academically very excellent . In previous school every year he use to get outstanding achievement award.
I am regretting choosing this school she I make a formal complain to head. PLEASE ADVICE.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

IsItMeOr · 24/10/2014 10:15

I'm struggling to follow a bit - and can't see why your son's academic prowess is relevant.

If I've read OP right, you are asking whether to make a formal complaint to the head because they forgot to arrange for somebody to meet your son on his first day in the new school as agreed?

If that's it, and the only thing you're concerned about, then I would say absolutely let it go. Schools are busy places, it sounds like it was an innocent oversight, and not worth kicking off about.

roundandround51 · 24/10/2014 10:16

Just see how it goes, they were probably busy and these things happen. I doubt your son will be singled out long term

Kewcumber · 24/10/2014 10:19

my son is academically very excellent

I'm not sure why this is relevant, do you think he should be treated better because he's academically more able

It sounds like either someone forgot or that they got tied up in something which they couldn;t get away from.

Not great but hardy grounds for a formal complaint I wouldn;t have thought.

Kewcumber · 24/10/2014 10:22

I doubt the school will be worried that your son got in after appeal either. They turned him down presumably because they don;t have a space. They aren;t allowed to offer people a place if they don;t have spaces. If they are instructed to take him after an appeal then they're allowed to go over their maximum numbers I beleive. So I doubt there is anything personal in their actions.

Original poster

kate549 · 24/10/2014 10:27

No I want to complain about the 3 weeks which were wasted without any specific reason. they should have given a reason that why they wanted him to join after the holidays. They school head was away for 2 weeks. as a courtesy the school should at least give a reason why they wanted him to start in new term. ( miss 3 weeks of school).

OP posts:

RustyDalek · 24/10/2014 10:32

When you say you appealed for a place in Year 3, was your son then in Year 3 and is now in Year 4, or was he then in year 2 and has now started Year 3?

3littlefrogs · 24/10/2014 10:32

Personally I would not want to fall out with the head at this stage.
Give it time, I am sure everything will settle down.

Floggingmolly · 24/10/2014 10:35

Wtf?

GoldfishSpy · 24/10/2014 10:40

If your son has additional needs as a result of his medical condition then the school may have been making sure they were equipped / trained to deal with these needs, for example ensuring the FIrst Aiders were trained, or employing a TA if he needs additional support.

vindscreenviper · 24/10/2014 10:40

You are right op the school should give you a reason, perhaps they needed to recruit a new member of staff to support your son due to his medical needs?
Why not send am email to the Head and ask for an explanation? If the Head was absent due to illness that may have delayed the recruitment process.
Just out of interest why are you wanting to complain now, it's 3-4 months since this happened, are there other things causing you to regret your choice?

Original poster

kate549 · 24/10/2014 10:48

RustyDalek he was in year 2 and now in year 3 and more over not giving school place was local authorities error.

3liitlefrogs i will definitely go with you i guess I am more stressed I will wait till he settles.

IsItMeOr &Kewcumber . I pointed out his excellence just because I am worried that he missed a term and may be singled out in class not for any special treatment. when now a days they are so strict about school attendance etc and just asking him to start in new term requires explanation.

OP posts:

Kewcumber · 24/10/2014 10:52

When did he actually start - I'm a bit confused.

The time to push for an explanation (IMVHO) of why they wanted to delay his start was when they said it which I'm guessing was back in July? It seems a little late in nealry November to be complaining about it, but if you feel stringly enough an email to the head asking why he couldn't have come in for the last few weeks of last term would flush out if there was a staffing/medical reason. I'm not sure what you're going to do if the head replies "In our experience children settle better if they join at the beginning of term"

Original poster

kate549 · 24/10/2014 10:53

vindscreenviper
it has happened now not 3 to 4 months back. he literally missed his school for this term and there is no way they are short staffed (appeal process) and my sons medical needs does not require any support from staff. the admission allotment was an error by local authority.

OP posts:

Penfold007 · 24/10/2014 10:55

Kate you appealed and they offered your son a place for the new term so you got what you wanted for your child. It is entirely possible they didn't have a space for the previous term. You appealed, they offered and you accepted.

As you feel you have a academically able child presumably you home schooled for those three weeks. Moving always carries the risk that there may be a gap in schooling. Just let it go and make this school a positive part of his educational journey.

Kewcumber · 24/10/2014 10:58

So you mean they've asked him to start after half term break? He isn't missing the whole term but the last few weeks before half term?

I think people are confused because you talk about "term" but this term started first week in Sept and next term will start first week in Jan.

But I think you're saying that he got a place 3 weeks ago, and school have asked him to start after half term?

By all means ask why he couldn't have started 3 weeks ago but its a bit moot now as the three weeks are over aren't they? You perhaps could have said at the time "I'd rather he starts now" very firmly.

Floggingmolly · 24/10/2014 10:59

Why did you give up his place at his last school before you got a start date for this one??

RustyDalek · 24/10/2014 11:03

So do you mean that today was his settling in session and he will be starting there properly after the half-term holiday? (ie a week Monday)

In our authority it's normal for children moving school to start at the new school at beginning of term or after half term, depending on when they apply, but I'm not sure what the procedure is if the child is not at school at all.

Kewcumber · 24/10/2014 11:03

His attendance won't be affected as he won't have been on the school register so attendance figures not relevant.

We have a high turnover at our school of childrne who move. I can't say that most of them have any significant problem with it academically though the bigger issue can be friendships groups. I would be inclined to go with 3littlefrogs and just see how things pan out and don;t Pthere's going to be a problem. To be honest I still don't quite understand why his academic ability is of particular concern. It will take the school a little while to assess him and get him working at the right level but as Penfold says there is a degree of disruption that comes with moving and this is to be expected.

Original poster

kate549 · 24/10/2014 11:13

we moved the house due to partners work commitment and i applied for school place back in July and got a reply from local authority in mid September. as my daughter got a place i assumed my son will also get in due to his medical reason and also i found out that there was a place as some body left. and the appeal letter cleared said contact school directly for start as soon as possible

yes Kewcumber I guess I should wait till things settle down rather my son settles down. I cried when my son was crying for his old school and friends if it was in my hands I would never have moved. My son is august 28 born and will be one of youngest in class this worries me a lot .

OP posts:

Floggingmolly · 24/10/2014 11:15

Why does it worry you a lot, when he's in Year 3 and apparently academically excellent??

prh47bridge · 24/10/2014 11:18

It is entirely possible they didn't have a space for the previous term

In the case of an appeal that is irrelevant. Once you have won an appeal the school has to admit the child regardless of whether or not they have a space available.

Kate - I'm sorry to hear things have got off to a bad start. I expect what happened on the day you took him in was just poor organisation rather than anything malicious. They shouldn't have delayed your son's start but that was probably just for their own administrative convenience. I expect that everything will be fine once your son starts school properly.

fredfredsausagehead1 · 24/10/2014 11:31

Legally it is difficult to go over PAN in key stage 1 so they were probably letting him into the school for key stage 2.

Did you arrAnge an introductory meeting with the head? If not I would suggest this.

Also I know you felt sad that you child has changed school but this is not the schools fault and you need to take most of the responsibility for the emotional upset.

Try and keep communication with the school positive and open. And drill into your child the positive aspects of the new school.

nonicknameseemsavailable · 24/10/2014 12:56

if he is Yr3 and 'academically brilliant' then being the youngest is completely irrelevant.

being brilliant is actually completely irrelevant too.

so the school got off to a bad start, they were obviously not geared up to meet him this morning. the relevant person might have been off ill, caught up in a meeting about another child that was urgent or any number of things.

Not sure why he had to wait 3 weeks but really 3 weeks is very little in the overall scheme of things and if he is so clever then it really won't affect him academically at all. It won't affect friendships either because he was going to be new anyway.

I don't really understand why it is all such a problem.

tiggytape · 24/10/2014 12:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Unexpected · 24/10/2014 13:14

So am I correct in thinking that your son only started this morning at the school? Please, please do not think about complaining already. Yes, it doesn't sound like a great welcome but it's one morning and it could just be one person who forgot to let everyone know that your son was starting, hence no-one got organised to welcome him. It's the last day before half-term, everyone is a bit tired and rushing to get things done. If there is actually a space in the class, the teacher won't even be aware that you got in on appeal (in fact, I'm a bit confused and don't know why you had to appeal if there was space in the class).

It also sounds as if your worry about your son's age, the amount of time he has missed in school, the move of house, him missing his friends etc is influencing your feelings about the school. I'm sure things will look brighter after half-term.

Flip

1 2