How do i change school for reception 2017

[whereismytrufflecutter]

Hello, any info would be extreamly helpful.

I applied for a reception 2017 school place for my ds and we were given our second choice which is fine as first choice wasnt in our catchment area.
Since moving to the area and finding more out about the school my ds will be going to...i really really don't want him going there.

What do i do now?

I know a couple of different schools id prefer him to go to other than the one offered so do i ring up the council and ask?

Unless you have moved to a new council area or catchment the best you can do is ask to be put on the waiting list of the schools you would prefer. Your place on the waiting list will be graded on certain criteria

What about the school dont you like?

You need to call the LEA and ask about current vacancies. Depending on where you are, it may well be that all the local schools are full so you would have to go on waiting lists. Don't reject the space you have at the moment or you could find yourself without a space in September. Depending on when your child turns 5, you could defer their start until January (Spring term) or April (summer term), if you really wanted to.

Ah right. Ok ill try that. Thanks for your reply.

Ive spoken to a number of parents with children at this school who have told me there a lot of travellers who go to the school and there is often a lot of trouble, the school has just had special measures put in place from the most recent ofstead report, apparently the school doesnt deal with bullying very well and a few other things.
I know i cant really judge until my son actually goes there but i just keep hearing other parents saying things and im really regretting this silly choice i made!

If you were given your second choice your first choice school will be full!

Being in Special Measures means that things will change and they will change fast! There'll almost certainly be a new Head and leadership team. The school will be getting lots of external support. It can actually be a good thing to be there.

So your number one reason for not wanting your child to attend is the number of traveller's kids. And you think that's an ok thing to write on a public forum?

I have worked in a school with a very high percentage of travellers (35%+). Many parents were like you, and wouldn't touch it with a bargepole ... until Ofsted visited their naice little village school and put it straight into special measures. Then half the children from that school decamped to ours, as parents actually came to see it.

My old head used to delight in taking parents round 'Where are the Travellers?' they would ask 'Are they not here today?' - 'Oh no, half of the class that you have just been into were Travellers'. The more unguarded would say 'But the behaviour and the quality of work we saw in that class was brilliant'.

Don't be so prejudiced. have you visited the school during a normal school day, to see what actually happens there? SM is not great, but it does mean the school will be under lots of scrutiny and will improve fast. What did the report say about the EYFS?

No its not my number one reason why but it certainly has made me feel uneasy.
I know ill be roasted for my opinion and yes it is prejudiced but from what other parents have told me and my own experience of this certain group of people - im not happy about it. And i dont care what others think, i care about my sons education and i want that to be the best possible for him obviously.

Yes other people have said the school would be likely to drasically improve with the special measures but the whole thing is making me feel so uneasy.
Would you like your child to go to this school then if youve been hearing bad things from every parent youve spoken to? I value their opinion more than what the websites or school tell me about it.

Well just call up your LEA and explain to them you're massively racist and don't want to send your ds there then. Have you actually ever set foot in the school? What did you think? Did you not notice it was full of travellers then?

Why on earth did you put this school down as your second choice?
You didn't get your first choice as it was full. They won't make extra spaces as you don't want your child in with traveller children.

I thought everyone was entitled to their own opinion on this forum
by the replies on this thread it seems not
i would bet that the posters^^ wouldnt put their kids in a special measures, unable to address bullying school along with traveler children who move schools fairly frequently because I certainly wouldnt

Change the word travellers for 'muslim' 'black' 'jewish' etc etc and you might realise how ridiculously closed minded it is to judge an entire group of CHILDREN based on their ethnicity/religion/race

Have you actually been to see the school?

If it's in special measures things will improve dramatically, quickly.

Travellers...like all children that attend our school, some are a bit naughty, some are delightful.
I worked this current year with a delightful child who I had no idea was a traveller until she was off for a couple of weeks. When she came back, she was (and is )still delightful. Another one in my class has been more problematical, due to no boundaries at home, but is still actually a lovely child. You can't really blame the children for their parents' choices in lifestyle.

We have quite a few travellers' children, but you can't tell by looking at them who they are! They wear uniform , like the rest of the children.

Also, why does the fact they change schools often bother you? Not all of them do. What about children with a parent or parents in the forces? They change schools quite often...would you not want your child mixing with them either?

Of course you're entitled to your own opinion, somewheresomehow, and so are the people who disagree with the OP. Entitlement to an opinion doesn't mean you won't or can't be challenged on that opinion

And actually, when it comes to racism, there's very little right to express that, particularly on forums.

Many of our school's travellers are in fact settled travellers. Their families have lived in the area for years.

Thank you somewheresomehow

I didnt say i hated travellers. I just said i wasnt keen on the idea of my ds being in a school that has a lot of behaviour problems with travellers. I want the teacher to be spending time teaching the children not using most of that time to be dealing with bad behaviour. And no im not saying its just travellers that can behave badly, but when im being told this by other parents of children in that school it is worrying.
I understand it does sound awful that im being very judgmental of a certain group of people and i dont mean to actually sound so awful. I have made my mind up to keep ds place at the school and see how it goes and yes i probably will be proven wrong. I just worry a lot. It wasnt my main reason anyway it just added to my worries.
Yes a lot of people have told me things should change for the better with the special measures so im feeling much better about that. The thing is im new to all of this and i have no idea what to expect with my ds starting school and yes im a bit pfb.

Special Measures doesn't necessarily guarantee improvement. My older children are in a secondary school that's been in SM since New Year and has changed rapidly in just six months but there's a local primary that's been in SM since 2009 and has had seven HT's in that time and is apparently worse now than ever. No one really understands how it's still open

I agree with PP's that it's wrong to group people as travellers in a negative sense

You don't hate travellers, you just think they're all badly behaved and not good enough for your child to be around? Rightio.

I think that's a sensible decision. See how it goes, then make up your mind.