Did anyone else find out their dc's school place today and were unhappy with the result?

[muppetgirl]

I found out which school ds 1 has been given today and it isn't good news. We didn't get our first or second choice so he has been given a third school I wouldn't have even considered. I have 2 neighbours also applying and one got the nearest school to us, (1st choice for me) the other didn't get her 1st choice either (again, the nearest school) but has been given a place in an excellent school. SO 3 4yr olds living not 15 yards from each other have been sent to 3 different schools. My son getting the 'not so good' school. Phoned Dh to have a rant about it and he said that we're definately keeping him at the private school.
Just seems crazy to me, there are 2 schools within walking distance yet we get sent to another much further away??? We would have to car it everyday so we may as well car it to the school he's at now.

So much for bloody choice!!

(I am/was a teacher btw)

Well if it is that close then I would personally check that the admission criteria have been applied correctly for the schools that you do want. And presumably you have a good chacne by staying on the wiating list for oen or other of the schools? I think that you can waitlist even if you didn't apply in the first place. Loads happens between now and September, though presumably you get locked into a terms notice with the private school.

I would check with local authority and definitely keep on waiting list, lots can happen between now and September as ladymuck says. Keep ringing school and checking with them too.

The second neighbour whose child also didn;t get in asked about waiting lists and was told they were 13th on the list.

The trouble here is they've built lots of new estates and promised to build schools but cancelled one school so now there is not enough places. They are even making one school have another reception class that they are going to put into temporary buildings.

13th on the list I think you'd get in
we were 18th on a list (2 form entry so 60 kids) and got in on the first day of school (reception). there is a lot of movement as people won't necessarily want the school you want

You can always home educate until a place at a school of your choice comes available. It is not illegal to do, and that way you will spend more time with the children and be happy when they go to a school you originally chose. (Not always applicable if you have to work, but worth considering if you are at home).

what criteria do they use?
Ours isgive everyone their first choice and if the school is over subscribed its strictly nearest to the school goes, so if that was your case it's mnot been applied propoerly...definitely question the criteria and rationale behind the allocations!

I'll ring on Monday. Thanks all!

Can you appeal - see my thread on similar topic - lots of good advice from folk who have been there!

muppetgirl - it might be worth emailing over the weekend so your query is there first thing Monday morning in case the phone lines are busy. Follow it up with a phone call.

i would also check because if it is that close to you you would be in the catchment and that is how all places are given first !

i hope i find out soon about my dd place in our area im very nervouse as most schools near us are rubbish so i picked out of my catchment wich means less chance of getting in !!!

I looked at the map and 4/5 schools are all in the same catchment area so technically we could be given a place in any one of them. The nearest school in 0.4 miles the next is 0.46 and the one we've been allocated is 1.0 mile exactly. Okay, it's not miles and miles away but it's still the 3rd closest school. The map they use on the website to illustrate doesn't even show our house (or estate) as it's a pre development map. (We live on a brand new mini 'town' that has had 5,500 houses built.)

I am going to phone the admissions dept today to ask how places were allocated but I think they will say that he was allocated a place within catchment and they've done their job. The criteria seem to be 1.In catchment area with siblings. 2. In catchment area. (There will also be children in care and special needs only catered at that school but there is a special needs school next door so it should really affect my choice school)

It appears that if you didn't get your 1st or 2nd choice it was purely random as to what school you got next as my neighbour -3 doors away has been allocated a school even further away (1.5 miles?) but at least hers has a very good reputation, a recent excellent ofsted. With the school we've been allocated the ofsted says there the management is satisfactory, I know of a teacher who declined a job there due to the head, a friends daughter who is on placement there who says that the behaviour isn't great.

I didn?t apply for the very good school as it has always been over subscribed in the past and there were 2 schools very close to us. Had I thought we stood a cat in hell's chance of getting ds into that school we would have applied but thought it would be a waste of a choice as it wouldn't possibly happen.

I truly don't understand how school places in our area are allocated. Dh has said that he doesn't want to fight as ds can stay at the private school. I feel we should at least express a strong dislike to our allocated school so they can see that parents really don't like the system. Dh says its my bag and he's washed his hands of it.

Are you willing to disclose the LEA.

I am surprised that the alllocation process isn't more clear tbh.