School won't tell me waiting list position

[SummerIsComing2019]

CoE primary, it is our first option and we did not get in.
I have called the school at least 20 times since May, I have emailed them as well and still have not heard back. I just want to know where on the waiting list we are and they are blatantly blanking me.

I have left numerous messages with whoever picks up the phone and asked kindly to be contacted. No one has ever called, not only that, but the person in admissions never picks up the phone. This has been going for months.

What should I do? I have no idea how to tackle this.

I'm not sure what your issue is beyond not being told your place. You have a place in another school. You've not got the one you want and are on a waiting list.

You've called the school you want 20 times since May and have been emailing too wanting updates! Off the top of my head that's multiple times a week excluding school holidays.
Maybe this is exactly why people don't give waiting list places out or call to discuss waiting lists because even if they did say "you're currently third but could go up or down" then the people who call 20 times plus emails aren't going to be satisfied with that answer anyway and would be back on the phone again in a few days wanting to know if their place has changed.

The only thing they could or should have done differently is made it very clear from the outset that they don't discuss waiting list positions.

I agree that it would be better for your child to have them settle where they are. It is awful when a disappointed parent keeps making the child feel their school is inadequate and they'll be leaving purely because they didn't get in the popular (usually faith) school all the other precious kids got into.

If your kid is smart and nice, they'll thrive anywhere. Honestly,drop it and let your child's school experience be positive

Oh and take it from me,the school now know who you are and who your kid is and they'll be doing everything in the God giving power to ensure your kid doesn't make it in. They're already aware of the fact you're "that parent".

We are waiting for an in year transfer. It is frustrating not getting the places but also understandable. We were number 1 for both classes until we dropped to number 2. 😣 If the school you are trying to get into is that highly regarded it's likely that parents won't give up a space.

@ChilledBee I absolutely agree.

they'll be doing everything in the God giving power to ensure your kid doesn't make it in

And how are they going to do that then?

AFAIK they legally have to apply the admissions criteria to the waiting list. OP would have a very good case for appeal if they deliberately skipped over her child’s name in the event of a place becoming available.

Oh and take it from me,the school now know who you are and who your kid is and they'll be doing everything in the God giving power to ensure your kid doesn't make it in. They're already aware of the fact you're "that parent".

Of course they'll have OP marked as someone who is pushy, demanding and probably an utterly entitled PITA, however the admission procedures come first.
They can't simply bypass procedure to prevent the OP's child from having a place.

Clangis you're not serious, or are you?

I have no issue with not getting a place, what I have an issue with is the manner in which the school has dealt with this.
They could have simply explained this when I called them back in May, instead of having me chase for an answer. Like what's not reasonable in this?
I was just wondering if this is the norm, not too sure why people got so worked up over it.

What? By putting you on a waiting list like every other person who didn't get a place (who I'm going to guess hasn't rang multiple times a week since May).

Faith schools have more control over who they admit. It's fairly easy to ensure the people you want meet the prioritised criteria. Advise them to join the church. Query about any SEN and use the potential diagnosis as leverage. That sort of thing.

Of course they'll have OP marked as someone who is pushy, demanding and probably an utterly entitled PITA, however the admission procedures come first. They can't simply bypass procedure to prevent the OP's child from having a place.

A CoE school can have their own criteria and control that is outside of the LA so yes, they can bypass (or rather change) their procedure and prevent the child from having a place.

I agree OP that unfortunately your child won’t be offered a place at the school now.

They're on very dodgy ground for a sudden change in policy though if they do that.

I wouldn't blame them for not wanting the hassle of someone like the OP though

Of course I’m serious.

No, it's not the norm in my experience for a school to ignore calls and be rude when you get through. And I wouldn't regard a school like that as a "top 1%" school. Certainly not top 1% for communication with parents, and that can become a big issue as your child progresses through a school.

In your shoes I would absolutely focus on fostering a positive relationship with the school your child is at.

Yes, they can have their own admissions criteria, but they still have to stick to those criteria. And they can't just change them at the drop of a hat. Any change has to be consulted on (publicly) months and months in advance.

AChickenCalledDaal
This thread got me thinking. There have been times when I've called parents back about things only to get no answer. I don't keep trying and trying and trying.

On one occasion they'd even gone to the Head of Year complaining about how I "couldn't be bothered" to be in touch and it was urgent. I had actually called the number on the system multiple times and they only contacted the HoY to point out how rude and awful I was. Nobody ever found out what was so urgent. A few weeks later I called about something different and it turned out their phone was showing our line as an unknown number so it would seem they didn't realise my missed calls were school.

I wouldn't be judging a school's parental relationships based on how it responds to someone harrassing them over a waiting list.

I’m sceptical about the idea of a school changing its admission procedures just to avoid giving one specific child a place. Especially at short notice.

Regardless of whether that child’s parents have come across as “pushy, demanding and probably an utterly entitled PITA”.

Emily there's policy and procedure for changing admission procedures. When our distances were reviewed in our council, there was so many complaints from people even though we were almost all academies.
People even tried to object to some schools altering distances because they bought their house 5 years ago and changing distances would devalue their house and ruin their child's future.

The OP sounds like a nightmare for a school to deal with, but that's no grounds for a child not getting a place that's rightfully theirs.

Agree Lola

This was not my experience when we applied and subsequently now I work in a school. Everyone I know who has asked has been told their position. The attitude of the school you mention would ring alarm bells for me and I would be reviewing if we really did want a place there.

So your harassing the school? It certainly sounds like it, i suggest you stop.

A few daft responses here. The school absolutely cannot change its admissions criteria without a) a lot of notice, and b) consulting with stakeholders.And even if they could, having a persistent parent couldn't possibly be an excluding factor. PPs are essentially correct about the nature of a place on the school's waiting list, but OP understands this. I can't see why the school are reluctant to throw her a bone here. OP's chances of getting her child into this school are considerably smaller if she's no. 35 on the waiting list than if she's at 3.Where's the harm in giving some clue?

They can't change the admission criteria but they can make sure the right kids meet the top criteria.

Experience suggests (though perhaps unfairly) that people with the OP's approach are rarely happy with whatever information they are given.
They get given one bit of information and are back wanting more, wanting an update, if they get moved back they'd be demanding a call back about why they've gone backwards (so they can decide if they agree another child is a higher priority).

Add in that this is clearly a sought after school so it's highly likely the school will have maybe half a dozen to a dozen parents who didn't get in who hold the OP's approach and before you know it huge amounts of school time is being spent dealing with parents who don't even have children there.

I may be being unfair, but based on my experience of these attitudes that is the norm.

Chilledbee eerrrrr how?