Can they just refuse her??? Midterm place offered by LA but school is saying no room sorry!

[Takeitfrommumma]

So my 13 year old daughter has been having a terrible time in her current school. I won't go into it but the poor girl is traumatised!

I applied for a transfer to another nearby school, I got an email 2 weeks ago from the LA saying she had got a place and I accepted it! I've applied for a bus pass, which has been approved and brought her new uniform!

I called the school today as I've not heard anything from them and they told me that they have no room in her year and so she can't come there!

Can they just refuse to take her? My daughter is devastated and the admissions department isn't open now until Monday! Can anyone help? It seems incredibly unfair!

In my LA you hear the results from an appeal withing 5 working days but it's usually quicker than that and then the schild can start ASAP but usually the following Monday.

Good heavens, how awful!

This is shocking. Have you contacted the local press or your MP? If it's a no then maybe consider it...someone needs to be held accountable. Your poor daughter.

If this is an LA-controlled school, there was no reduction in PAN because the school has no power to reduce PAN. If it is not LA-controlled, the fact the LA was not aware strongly suggests the school failed to consult on the reduction in PAN, as required by the Admissions Code paragraph 1.3. I hope the appeal panel knows what it is doing and awards a place but, if they don't, you have strong grounds for referring the matter to the LGO or ESFA - which is appropriate depends on the type of school involved.

The woman from the LA just kept apologising to me.
The school were asked loads of questions regarding the reduction of their PAN for that year group. They were very good at avoiding directly answering the questions.

One of the panel in particular was appalled at the situation. He kept saying this is unacceptable! I don't think they had ever had an appeal where the family had already been offered the school place.

It's been such a huge messed up situation. I haven't thought about taking it to our MP or the press but will definitely consider it if not successful.

I also wonder what affect all this time off school will have on my daughter's education!?! Are they even taking that into consideration!

They have told me I can call tomorrow morning for the outcome.

Oh good luck. I'd say the LA comments look very promising for the right outcome.

Please do let us know!

This is ridiculous. Even if they all got it wrong in terms of communication, the sensible thing to do is give the child a place and then make things clear afterwards for future applicants.

Fingers crossed

It sounds like the LA messed up and in the process have screwed over both your daughter and the school in question. This situation is incredibly unfair on both of them. I have sympathy for your dd and for the teachers who will now have to deal with an extra pupil with no more time or resources than they had before and they’ll have to try and catch her up after she’s been out of school for so long.

I don't think it is clear that the LA has messed up. The fact that they were unaware that the school had chosen to reduce its PAN suggests the school may not have consulted properly as required by the Admissions Code.

Rooting for a positive outcome tomorrow.

Have the school or LA ensured work has been set for your DD?

I'm not sure it really matters who has messed up here. The offer was made and the OP has a reasonable expectation of the place. The who/what/why is a question that is irrelevant to her. She got a letter/email offering a place and it wasn't rescinded in a timely fashion. The fact that (it seems) the school was unaware of the offer until the OP contacted them, and that the LA was unaware of the PAN change, is all stuff that is beyond her responsibility. The child was offered the place and she accepted.

Furthermore, the bus pass was approved by a LA department, who will have checked that she was eligible. That is further strength to the expectation of a place.

As so often, I agree with prh47bridge. I doubt there has been a formal reduction in PAN in accordance with the admissions code procedures because, if there had, someone at the appeal would have mentioned the consultation. I hope the appeal panel will end this nonsense by awarding the place but, if not, you should take it further.

@prh47bridge no doubt you will be right about that. I should have been clearer because when I was thinking of ‘the school’ I was thinking more of the teachers who would have to deal with an extra pupil rather than the admin or management that made the mistake.

Are there any other options for schools locally? If so, and there's any further delay, I'd suggest applying- months off school will leave her with a lot to catch up on unless you're able to fund home education properly. At 13, she may also be getting to the point of choosing her options- you ideally want her in a school before this.

If the appeal doesn't work, follow due process, and it may well be worth getting your MP involved BUT don't go to the press.

Going to the press about this will likely sour your relationship with the school before you've even started- regardless of the right or wrong of it, it may make things worse for your daughter and your relationship with the school.

@Takeitfrommumma
If the school are relying on reduced pan to say there is no space, but have not followed legal requirements, it’s a highly questionable strategy. Therefore the appeal panel, school and LA should be concerned about the legality of the new pan. It matters that a pan is in the admission arrangements because you all would have known it wasn’t the standard pan. I suspect it’s a massive dodge by the school but it’s odd because new pupils equals money.

I believe as soon as you hear the (positive) result you can make arrangements for dd to start.

They don't usually give decisions over the phone.

The mix up won't be with the LA. The LA before making the offer will have discussed with the school who will have agreed to the admission.

Just out of interest...was the offer retracted after they met your DC ? not uncommon I'm afraid.

This is terrible, your poor DD.

I wouldn't go to the press but I would talk to your local MP. They can sometimes be reallly helpful in unblocking these sorts of situations.

keeping fingers crossed for a positive outcome. indeed anything else would be perverse and unreasonable.The school can't just revise its PAN downwards without consultation and approval.

Rooting for you, hope you get good news today

Hope you are celebrating 🤞🏻

It outcome wasn't uploaded today they said it will be available tomorrow morning by 11am and to call them back then.
Grrrr another sleepless night worrying about it!

😞
Their lack of urgency is shameful

Fingers crossed op

@NoDairyNoProblem
Im amazed they didn’t decide immediately. They can’t have been hearing 20 appeals at this stage. If they did hear a lot, they do need a bit of time. Next day would be reasonable though.