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 3 4

Original poster

I've been so stupid

78 replies

Sonicknuckles · 18/04/2019 01:29

We are within walking distance to the school my eldest child goes to even so we are out of catchment. I didn't understand the admissions process and my youngest hasn't got a place at the school. I really thought she would get in. I've been so naive.
To make matters worse I didn't choose a 2nd or 3rd choice as I clearly want my kids to be together at school.
Youngest goes to the village preschool and she comes with me every day to drop her brother at school and pick up (I am SAHM).
We have integrated into the local community. My youngest has made friends and their siblings are in my eldests class.
It is all so horrible and heartbreaking.
We have been offered a place in a village in opposite direction that you have to drive to.
How can I be in two places doing school run at the same time when there is considerable distance between them.
The system is a joke.
If I could turn back time I would have chosen catchment school for my eldest but there wasn't much in it distance wise and we didn't know the area that well or understand the processes.
Please help

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Original poster

Sonicknuckles · 18/04/2019 19:04

Hollow victory what I'm saying is I don't agree with the system. I could understand more if we lived in a different village then fair enough but we are walking distance of the school it's just unfortunately not our catchment as we are on the border of 2 villages. I'm hurt because her brother is in the school within walking distance and his sister now can't join him. The system stinks

OP posts:

Original poster

Sonicknuckles · 18/04/2019 19:06

But yes I take your point about me not researching properly. I've messed up big time and feel like a shit mum now

OP posts:

riceuten · 18/04/2019 19:06

The system is a joke

How is the system "a joke". You didn't apply for any other school, and the LA have found the nearest school to where you live. How do you propose to organise primary admissions if you think the present system needs changing?

Original poster

Sonicknuckles · 18/04/2019 19:12

I think siblings should take priority even if out of catchment if it is still close to the school

OP posts:

Original poster

Sonicknuckles · 18/04/2019 19:12

And they haven't found the nearest school to where we live

OP posts:

TheInvestigator · 18/04/2019 19:13

I'm in Scotland so we don't have your system but even I know that you don't just put down 1 school. It won't make them give that school to you if your name isn't high enough on the admissions criteria list. If you don't put any alternatives, then you'll just be given a spot in the closest school which hasn't been filled by requested places and that usually means you get the worst school that no one actually put down on the form.

You decided to only apply for one school. It's been filled by catchment students and you didn't pick any other schools so you got the closest leftover.

Hollowvictory · 18/04/2019 19:14

If you were that bothered you'd have taken 5 minutes to read the admissions criteria and complete the forms properly

Original poster

Sonicknuckles · 18/04/2019 19:15

I know. I guess my lesson has been well and truly learnt.

OP posts:

TheInvestigator · 18/04/2019 19:15

@Sonicknuckles

It will be the closest school which hasn't been filled by the parents who requested it.

Why would they give you a spot in a closer school which you didn't ask for, when someone else has listed that school as a choice? You didn't ask for any other school, so you get the closest school which hasn't been filled. Not just the closest school. That system makes sense if they want to offer choice.

Original poster

Sonicknuckles · 18/04/2019 19:15

Do you think it's not worth appealing?

OP posts:

Original poster

Sonicknuckles · 18/04/2019 19:16

Yes I messed up

OP posts:

Hollowvictory · 18/04/2019 19:16

On what grounds?

Original poster

Sonicknuckles · 18/04/2019 19:19

The only grounds which I guess isn't going to stand up is that we are fully integrated in the village and the school. Both my children have attended the preschool and my youngest is going to be so upset that she can't join her brother and her friends. We are at the school all the time. They're not going to care are they?

OP posts:

Original poster

Sonicknuckles · 18/04/2019 19:20

Also because it's not physically possible for me to do the school run at the same time as both schools are in opposite directions with some distance between them

OP posts:

TacoLover · 18/04/2019 19:23

The system is a joke.

Well blaming everyone else isn't going to help your situation.

The system isn't a 'joke'. How is it the system's fault that you didn't bother to read admissions criteria or bother to put down a 2nd and 3rd choice?!

Hollowvictory · 18/04/2019 19:23

You may end up get the sch you want via waiting list. You can't be in 2 place at once but you'll be expected to use before or after school clubs etc.

toomuchfaster · 18/04/2019 19:24

The school run issue won't be taken into account from what I've seen on here previously. You will need to look at the admissions criteria and try and prove you should have been given a space as an out-of-catchment sibling.

prh47bridge · 18/04/2019 19:26

I think siblings should take priority even if out of catchment if it is still close to the school

Unfortunately some parents gamed the system by living close to a school to get a place for their oldest child then moving away and relying on sibling priority to get their younger children into the same school. This upset parents living close to the school who couldn't get a place. As a result some schools now put out of catchment siblings after in catchment children.

And they haven't found the nearest school to where we live

No, they've found the nearest school with places. If you had listed your nearest school you would probably have got a place there. As you didn't, all the people who did list it as one of their preferences got a place ahead of you, leaving no place for your child.

Do you think it's not worth appealing

It is always worth appealing. However, your chances of success depend on whether or not it is an infant class size case. Most primary appeals are ICS cases which means you can only win if you can show that a mistake has been made which cost your child a place. If it is not an ICS case it is easier to win and you can win by showing that your child will be disadvantaged if not admitted to this school. Note that this is about disadvantage to your child, not you, so transport issues and wanting to have your children at the same school won't count for anything. Similarly there is no point moaning about what you see as the injustices of the current system. That will not persuade the appeal panel.

NewBeds · 18/04/2019 19:27

I had this but only because we moved away and naively thought we could move child.

Unfortunately I had no option but to pay a childminder for 1 year whilst they were at different schools. So we drove to childminder, dropped child, came home, dropped car and walked to school.

Luckily a place came up after a year.

Could you move your eldest to catchment school and get sibling in too?

Original poster

Sonicknuckles · 18/04/2019 19:28

I'm not saying it's the systems fault for me not doing what I should have done. Of course that's my fault. Even if I had have done she wouldn't have got in and I just think siblings shouldn't have to go to separate schools but that's my opinion

OP posts:

HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 18/04/2019 19:28

The system isn't a joke. It is quite frankly astonishing that anyone who ahs already applied for a school place doesn't know how the system works. You keep saying the system is to blame but the only blame here lies with you I'm afraid.

NewBeds · 18/04/2019 19:28

I appealed, but it was a total waste of time. The panel couldn't care less. I felt they were rude and dismissive. I felt they could have shown some empathy even for show!!

Original poster

Sonicknuckles · 18/04/2019 19:31

It's not really about me and transport issues. I don't care about me I'm just gutted for my child

OP posts:

myrtleWilson · 18/04/2019 19:39

Is it an ICS appeal OP - am not sure if you've confirmed that?

Original poster

Sonicknuckles · 18/04/2019 19:41

What is an ICS appeal? Class is 30 in reception

OP posts:

Flip

1 2 3 4