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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

primary school waiting list

22 replies

Calamityjude · 11/10/2016 10:22

We moved in December 2015 to an area where my ds1 managed to get a place at our catchment school in year 5 and my ds2 is in reception. However, my dd who is current year 4 did not gain a place and has been stuck on the waiting list at current position 2 for 10 months. We currently home ed with her, as none of the local schools have places either. I have appealed and they turned us down, as we have no extenuating circumstances. They will not raise their PAN levels higher than 30 for any class either.

I would like to know if anyone has been in a similar situation and what, if anything, they were able to do?

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meditrina · 11/10/2016 10:30

Have they offered no school place whatsoever?

Or have you turned down one they did offer, but you didn't want?

BittyWanter · 11/10/2016 10:42

I didn't think year 4 had to stick to the 30 per class?

What have the LA offered?

There's a brilliant lady on here who knows everything about appeals/admissions....hopefully she'll be along soon....

PatriciaHolm · 11/10/2016 10:49

They have to offer you a place somewhere; have they done so and you turned it down?

If they have genuinely offered you nothing, then you need to urgently press them to do so or to invoke the FAP which allows them to place her in a full school in the absence of a place anywhere else.

If you have turned down a place though, then they have no obligation to offer you another.

You can appeal for a school once per academic year so if your last appeal was for yr3, you could try again, but there is limited chance of success. Classes can go above 30 in ks2, but that doesn't make appeals easy to win.

drspouse · 11/10/2016 10:55

The people you want are tiggytape and admissions but it would be helpful to know if they have really offered you no place at all, or just one you didn't want/have turned down.

BittyWanter · 11/10/2016 11:00

Yes! Admissions is one couldn't remember her name and I'm sure the other lady is bridgesomethingorother.

Are you in the U.K. Too?

drspouse · 11/10/2016 11:16

I'm in the UK and they (and other stuff they've posted) were really helpful over our admissions issue, which fortunately was solved at the waiting list stage in June, and our DS is doing really well in our first choice school.

BittyWanter · 11/10/2016 11:33

Have the LA offered you any place for your dd?

Original poster

Calamityjude · 11/10/2016 14:28

Yes, they have offer a place a long way from where we live and I can't my other two dc to school on time, if I have to take her there. The school offered is also in special measures, so I am not happy to send her there either.

OP posts:

Original poster

Calamityjude · 11/10/2016 14:29

I am in the UK, in the south east.

OP posts:

phillipp · 11/10/2016 14:31

If they offered a place and you turned it down, there isn't anything else they need to do.

As for the waiting list it's just a case of waiting. If you don't want to wait, you could try contacting all the other schools in the area and see if they have any places available.

2014newme · 11/10/2016 14:32

Is it still in special measures, do they've places still, could either that child or the other children go to breakfast club or Could a childminder take them to school? Or if you are happy to continue home ed keep doing that or consider a private school temporarily.

Spindelina · 11/10/2016 14:52

When you say 'a long way', how far? Is it more than 3 miles by a safe walking route? If so, they also need to provide transport for your DD.

tiggytape · 11/10/2016 15:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

clam · 11/10/2016 19:25

I'm sure the other lady is bridgesomethingorother.

That "lady" is actually a bloke!

prh47bridge · 11/10/2016 19:56

Yes, they have offer a place a long way from where we live and I can't my other two dc to school on time, if I have to take her there

I would echo the advice Tiggytape has given. The council have made you an offer so I'm afraid they don't have to come up with an alternative. If the school is more than 3 miles away by the shortest safe walking route your daughter would be entitled to free transport. You should go on as many waiting lists as you can (some LAs limit the number of waiting lists you can go on) and consider appealing for your preferred schools. An appeal is for the preferred school, not against the offered school. Your case needs to be about why this is the right school for your daughter. Transport difficulties (unless your daughter has mobility issues) and the fact that the offered school is in special measures are not factors that the appeal panel will take into account.

That "lady" is actually a bloke!

Indeed I am!

admission · 11/10/2016 20:41

Agree with everything that has been said. Unfortunately you are in a position where having rejected a school, it is up to you to find a school place for your daughter.
You need to go on every schools waiting list that is within commute distance of you. Unfortunately with a child in reception that is going to become a factor as well in that getting a place for them at another school where there might be a place in year 4 will be difficult because of the infant class size regs.
So I think that you will have to decide whether to continue to home ed or accept that you are not going to have all three children in one school, even though everything would say that is the sensible logical outcome for everybody.

shouldwestayorshouldwego · 11/10/2016 20:52

Have you only appealed for the school your other dc are in or have you appealed for other local schools? Whilst their school seems the obvious choice you may find (with some digging) that some schools are more willing to give a place on appeal than others. Depending on where you are there are some active home ed groups which might help a bit with the experience.

prh47bridge · 11/10/2016 22:30

some schools are more willing to give a place on appeal than others

It is not the school's decision. Appeals are heard by an independent panel. However, it would be easier to win an appeal at schools that are better able to cope with additional pupils.

BittyWanter · 12/10/2016 09:36

Sorry bridge . Very rude of me to assume.

I think you need to get your dd on other schools waiting lists and appeal again. I'd consider basing the appeal on the fact that they can go over 30 DC per class in year 4.

Also, the school they offered you originally may not be your first choice but if it's under special measures then things will be improving in the school.

My personal opinion is that it's better for a child to be in a school socialising and developing amongst peers rather than being in solitary education. I'm not criticising you at all, you're doing what you feel is best for your dd, it's just my opinion.

shouldwestayorshouldwego · 12/10/2016 13:25

Yes sorry not as clear as prh47bridge. It might be more accurate to say that some schools /LA representatives put up less of a fight, so a school with students crammed into every cloakroom might be harder to win an appeal at than one with a PAN of 30 but fewer in other years and large classrooms. Also if previous appeals have been upheld and the class is already over PAN then it might be harder. I would do some more digging for info on other local schools.

prh47bridge · 12/10/2016 14:25

Sorry bridge

No need to apologise. Most of the posters on this site are ladies. I really don't mind when people assume I am one too.

catslife · 12/10/2016 16:33

I would phone your LEA and obtain an update on whether there are any other schools with Y4 places or find out about going on the waiting list for other local schools.
By the way, the fact that your dd doesn't have a school place at the moment does not mean that she will have priority over local children with places at other schools. If you accept a Y4 place at another school, she can still stay on the waiting list for the catchment school.

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