Lost our appeal for primary school place, is there anything else we can do?

[Franniban]

Having been lead to believe that we had a good chance of our appeal being upheld, we are devastated to find that it has not been upheld.

I am trying to be positive about the school that ds1 has been offered, and have just dropped him off to the welcome afternoons that they hold. I feel really gutted, as it's just not got the same feel about the place. I know that I need to give it a chance, but feel so upset about it.

DH thinks I'm over reacting, to make matters worse.

There are 400 odd kids at this school, where as there were 120 at the school we wanted.

Is anyone going throught this at the moment, or know if there is anything else that we can do, apart from embrassing the school that we have been given and just get on with it.

Thanks

Are you on a waiting list for your preferred school? Is there is a possibility that a place may become available at a later date? People do move or change schools for other reasons. Of course this assumes that you would be happy to move him around, because places may come available at any time and he may, by that time, be settled where he is.

No suggestions but i do understand where you're coming from. I didn't want my DDs to be in the only school in the area that had space either and I don't think you're overreacting.
It is gutting but maybe in the long run he'll be happy there? Small schools bring their own problems as do big.

i think its very esy to become guilt ridden and blame yourself and think that you are setting your child up for poorer education which isnt of course correct there was x amount of places they were filled you werent one of them move on he will love his new school and in time you will hear something that just might make u think ohh i was lucky-all you can do is try it its all experience.

Thank you. Just had row with Dh walking back up to the school.

Windy, that is exactly how I feel. Guilty. I feel like live let him down. But I know you are right and I;ve just got to get on with it.

Nappy, did your dd go to that school, how is she getting on?

As a personal choice I prefer big schools. More room to branch out and make friends. More boys to play football with. More fun all round.

One of the smaller single form entry school round this way has one year group with only 9 boys in it .

However not to get what you've set your heart on is really hard. Hopefully your dh is trying to cheer you up by being positive. But it's not helping. Could you try explaining that you just need to feel glum about it for a while; that you don't expect him to be glum too - but to leave you to it!

As for further measures - is his present school so bad you will need to think of home ed? If so there are lots of people on here who can help you.

Hope he has an ok day.

franni also i think first days at school are hard to think about and this is just making it worse.......if i were you id just see how it goes if its not for you nd him then look into other options but you may well find the best decision was one you were forced into.

Franni,
no, they didn't go. I home edded them instead and will do until we move to a better area with more choice for them.

Gosh, I did think about that, and would have considered that if he had been offered any of the other 2 schools in the area. I would have been suicidal.

It must be hard work to do that tho? I guess you just do what you have to do.

I'm feeling better about things today. I'm sure things will work out for the best.

Thanks for your comments all