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Original poster

Something weird is going on here

58 replies

pennysays · 22/09/2021 13:20

DC is #1 on the waiting list for our nearest school, let's call it Amazing Academy. We have been told we are #1 every month or so for the last 4 months.

We started at our second choice primary - Lovely Local - three weeks ago. Since then a child from DC's Lovely Local class has left. His mum says he has been offered and accepted a place at Amazing Academy.

Our admissions officer at the LA says no one has been offered a place at Amazing Academy and that there is no one "of that name" on her records.

WHAT IS HAPPENING?! Is other Mum lying? Is admissions officer lying? I feel like I'm losing the plot.

What should I do?

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Brollywasntneededafterall · 22/09/2021 13:22

Mm not sure...
I had ds on The List for a move. 4 dc moved there despite apparently no places.. Admissions denied it yet I know the dc who moved!! And see them in their new uniforms!!
No faith in anything secondary school related atm.

Saladovercrispsanyday · 22/09/2021 13:24

The LA should not have told you that for FFS

PineappleWilson · 22/09/2021 13:25

I'm not sure the admissions officer should be telling you who is listed as attending a given school anyway, so you might just be being fobbed off, but I guess that you were place 1 on the waiting list until "Lovely local" child's mum decides to move them, and their home location / status of adoption / as a sibling / with a ECHP which specifically mentions that school / other factor that you're not going to be told about, means they jumped up the queue to place 1 just as someone else left, or because their factor was so important that they had to accommodate "Lovely local" child on top of the existing class size. Either way, you don't get to be told why this kid got into the school and your DC has to wait for either 1 or 2 students to leave before now getting a place at "amazing academy". Gutting but nothing you can do unless you believe the child got it under false pretences - giving granny's address as their home address or similar.

Saladovercrispsanyday · 22/09/2021 13:25

In fact no way.

LA would not be able to tell you who was on the waiting list
And sure as heck would not be able to tell you who offered a place

Get real

GingerAndTheBiscuits · 22/09/2021 13:25

Admissions aren’t going to share the personal data of another child with you. If they were higher up the list of oversubscription criteria then they’ll get a place ahead of you regardless of place on the waiting list

TheRealMrsMorningstar · 22/09/2021 13:26

The LA can't give you details of children/families that is serious error if that has happened.

Lougle · 22/09/2021 13:28

You can appeal on the basis that you believe a child has been admitted when you were no. 1 on the waiting list. Your appeal would all be pretty based on hearsay, but the LA would have to satisfy the appeal panel that no child had been admitted out of turn.

Lindy2 · 22/09/2021 13:35

You can be number 1 on a list but still get bumped by another child being higher up the entry criteria.

If they already have a sibling at the school, live closer to the school than you, have a parent working at the school or have a EHCP then those factors would take priority over a child already on the list, even if they'd been waiting ages and the other child had just applied.

It does seem a bit odd though.

Original poster
pennysays · 22/09/2021 13:36

@GingerAndTheBiscuits - thanks for the response. For clarification do kids with a different subscription criteria e.g. adoption etc not go on the list? So my DC could be on #1 on the list and there could be 8 children who meet other subscription criteria who would still get a place ahead of them?

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Original poster
pennysays · 22/09/2021 13:37

@Lindy2 thanks - yes it is odd especially as admissions officer denies that any offers have been made for that school at all. So even if they were a high subscription criteria, then she says no offers have been made.

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youvegottenminuteslynn · 22/09/2021 13:38

I would have thought someone could lose their job for confirming if someone else's child was / wasn't offered a place at the school they work in? Ridiculous breach of privacy.

Warmduscher · 22/09/2021 13:39

@Lindy2

You can be number 1 on a list but still get bumped by another child being higher up the entry criteria.

If they already have a sibling at the school, live closer to the school than you, have a parent working at the school or have a EHCP then those factors would take priority over a child already on the list, even if they'd been waiting ages and the other child had just applied.

It does seem a bit odd though.

“have a parent working at the school”?

Is that really a criterion for admission?

Original poster
pennysays · 22/09/2021 13:39

@PineappleWilson yes i really feel like i am being fobbed off, but I can't really imagine why she would tell me "no offers have been made" for this school if they have. The admissions officer has no reason to fob me off.

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Original poster
pennysays · 22/09/2021 13:41

@Saladovercrispsanyday so what do you think is going on?

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Lindy2 · 22/09/2021 13:48

It is at some of my local Secondary schools. I've been looking at the details as we are making Secondary school choices ourselves right now.

Lindy2 · 22/09/2021 13:49

That reply was for Warmduscher

Warmduscher · 22/09/2021 13:52

@Lindy2

That reply was for Warmduscher
That’s outrageous. Though I wouldn’t mind betting it’s only for teaching staff and not midday supervisors or cleaners.
Smartiepants79 · 22/09/2021 13:56

[quote pennysays]**@GingerAndTheBiscuits* - thanks for the response. For clarification do kids with a different subscription criteria e.g. adoption etc not* go on the list? So my DC could be on #1 on the list and there could be 8 children who meet other subscription criteria who would still get a place ahead of them?[/quote]
Basically yes. They maybe only need to be living a little bit closer than you and they get the space above you on the list.
Something like a looked after child/ sen/ etc would put that child top of the list even if there were 30 other kids already on it.
Places are allocated according to admissions criteria, not how long you’ve been on the list.
Can I ask why your so desperate to move from the ‘lovely local’ school? Is you child not happy and settled??

Saladovercrispsanyday · 22/09/2021 13:58

So you rang and said

Has Peter Smith got a place at your school
No

Is he on your waiting list?
No

Do LAs even get involved in academies?

But first and foremost

They would NEVER tell you this information

TheYearOfSmallThings · 22/09/2021 14:03

I would like to think this is not possible as you have described it, because NO WAY should the LA be discussing specific children with you by name.

Original poster
pennysays · 22/09/2021 14:03

@Saladovercrispsanyday

I said "Are we still #1 on waiting list? A child from Lovely Local has told me they are moving to Amazing Academy"

They said, "No one has been offered a place at Amazing Academy"

I said, "This is really strange, I'm sure this parent isn't lying."

They said, "What is their name". I told them. They said, "This name is not in my records".

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Original poster
pennysays · 22/09/2021 14:05

@Smartiepants79 Lovely Local is lovely and we are happy there. Amazing Academy is significantly closer... I'm not sure we'd appeal but I'm certainly pretty confused about what is happening.

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OrangeTortoise · 22/09/2021 14:11

I agree that anyone can come in ahead of you at any time if they meet the admissions criteria. My friend put her child's name on the waiting list for a school which was full, and got offered a place the next day when it became available. Great for her, but gutting for the person who would have been offered the place if it had come up one day earlier!

I'm not sure about the confusing response, but as pp says they probably aren't allowed to give you that info.

Filthycop · 22/09/2021 14:12

I work in school admissions - there are a number of things that could have happened.

  1. other parent is lying
  2. other child meets a higher criterion (LAC, EHCP, Medical, Sibling etc)
  3. the school has banding/nodal points so you are top of the list for your band and they were top of the list for theirs. and the vacancy arose in their band
  4. school offered direct/incorrectly and the message did not get through to you
  5. child wasnt previously on the waiting list and has recently been added and placed higher than you

If you can prove that they offered out of turn, you may well be successful at appeal but you would have to prove it.

If you are being considered based on distance you can do an FOI to see if anyone who lives further was offered a distance place - bit if the other child was offered based on another factor

if it is a Harris Academy, good luck because they are a law unto themselves and drive admissions officers crazy

OrangeTortoise · 22/09/2021 14:12

Warmduscher - yes, this criteria is common around here, for teaching staff only.