rejected from all 4 choices - help!

[cnaik]

Southwark council has emailed us the brilliant news that my little boy has not got into any of our schools of choice.
Have been allocated a school that is miles away where he (a very shy boy) would know no-one and it is bottom of league tables.
Feel devastated
Want to employ expert to advise and appeal - can anyone make a recommendation and/or give advice/reassurance?
thank you so much

cnaik: Sorry you are in this position.

If the children in your street go to your top school, then, unless there is a faith criteria, you should stand a good chance of getting in on the waiting list either straight away, or at the beginning of Yr1. Just make sure you ARE on the waiting list.

afaik, you can now go on the waitng lists for any schools you think would be suitable - and yes, you can apply in neighbouring boroughs. So, apply to go on the waiting list for any other nearby schools.

Thirtypence - sadly, in London, this situation is common: partly because housing is dense, so 400m radius around a school can easily encompas a class-worth of children, but ALSO because parents often move to within catchment to get a first child into school, then move somewhere they consider more desirable, but younger siblings continu to get priority. There are several schools in Lambeth where only a handful of 'proximity' children get in - the majority of places going to children who have siblings within the school, but live out of catchment. This problem is especially actute where parents rent for the admissions year, because each rental property on the doorstep of the school provides a generation of new admissions every single year, who then develop siblings.

But definitley appeal on the grounds that it is your nearest school.

DS's school is small - 1 class entry - and has a very tight catchment, and 8 places became available before the end of Yr1.

As LegalAlien says, not everyone accepts the places offered, and of those that do, not everyone turns up on the first day of term. You would be surprised at how many people move away and don't bother to tell the school they won't be accepting the place.

I have two friends in Lambeth who had no place but a special measures school 2 bus rides away - 1 got a place in a nearby 'outstanding' (therefore highly oversubscribed) school before the beginning of term, the other got a place in her 'on the doorstep' outstanding (ditto) school before the end of the school year - but spent a term or two waiting it out in her private nursery, I think.

by the way cnaik, you've inspired me to give up my state school place straight away, rather than accepting it now (as further insurance) and then turning it down in September (which I think some people are planning to do). Hopefully this will put someone out of their misery sooner rather than later!

If you end up ringing around private schools, I suggest that you start with those that have an age 3 entry point: in DS's class some of those who entered at age 3 have just given notice to leave (as they are being moved to schools with age 4 entry points, in order to be with siblings), thereby freeing up capacity in the reception class (if that makes sense)

You have a right to appeal and should have been informed of that right and how to exercise it in the rejection letters.

What were the criteria you think you failed on. The rejection letters must also state the reasons for rejection: distance, priority admission area, etc.

What did the letters say

Letter didnt say anything just - you have been allocated [name of pants school that is miles away would never send ds to]
Have reqested info as to why failed to get into others and requested appeal forms
seems to us locals that LEA envisaged that would be too few places but did nothing about it hoping to fill the further away sink schools.
Really depressing

Actually that was a slight exaggeration - letter said "for each preffered school there were more applications than places and under the schools published admission criteria other applicants had a higher priority than your child
Not telling us anything that not obvious really

weird - the appeal criteria were enclosed in my offer letter from Southwark (it's a yellow piece of paper?). well, actually, they gave a telephone number for appeals for community schools, and then various different telephone numbers for other school types. If you want to CAT me with the details of the schools I can email you the telephone numbers.

Dear all, have read all of your posts eagerly.

Our DS wasn't offered any of our 4 choices and all but one was withing walking distance and our closest. We have been treated with unbelievable levels of contempt by our local council and I'm sure, along with many other parents in the same situation, felt as if the world had ended. Well we've gone down the list for one school, and we're no. 2 on our 2nd choice. Since fnding out that an 8 year old turned up for school with a kitchen knife at this second choice (with a very good reputation)we've applied for the best independant school we can find.

We're not a rich family (am sure we'll be the poorest in the school) and my husband will be out of work in September, but now we're here we absolutely believe we've made the right decision for our DS...to hell with the council.

legalalien - you are not only a sweetie for putting someone out of misery but also a local! (are you ED?)
I'm new to this site so don"t know what a CAT is (sorry) but do have the relevant phone numbers and are drafting our grounds of appeal. What I was trying to say a couple of posts ago in answer to zanzibarmum's question was that we were not given any detail as to how places were filled (x no of siblings, x no special needs and where the geographical boundry for getting a place fell) which I understand they do in Lewisham - but have requested this info.
mumdmc - can you stay on list for your first choice, any burseries available (you've prob thought of that I know)

Hi cnaik

yes we can stay on the list for our first choice until October next year.

Re: independent - the only thing in our favour is that the Early Years funding lasts until your kids are 5 - I think it ends the term before their birthday - DS is 5 June next year so that goes in our favour.

For a lot of working parents who are already funding childcare, the financial leap from nursery to school (when you include EY funding) isn't the shock you expect it to be for the first year, it's cheaper that full-time nursery - ours is pretty poor so the benefits are great, and the difference in teacher/pupil ratios against state schools speak for themselves.

However no parents in our situation were expecting to have to pay for our child's education

The million dollar question now is what happens if you get offered a state place once your child starts school...oh and why, after 20 years living in this borough should I feel obliged to pay the education part of our council tax bill?

cnaik - I'll help you if you like. My son was given no school and I have a whole load of legalistic appeal information (assuming you have been refused on class size predjudice) and advice for you if you would like. w o m a n a t t h e - b o o z e r d o t c o m (removing all spaces and substituting relevant @'s and dots of course!)

Hello anniemac - am PR end - within sight of stJ. people further down my street in last year. Of course you are right - inundated with kiddywinks round here so situ going to get worse and no obvious attempt made to meet need - LEA just hope that people happy to pack kids off to school that cant walk to/dont know anyone/cant feel involved with to fill spaces in failing schools

Want to give my kids a state school education as I had, want them to continue to feel grounded in this community but not hanging them out to dry or giving up work so can ferry them to and from hellhole.

Is there something wrong with creating more space at a popular school?

I would be willing to get involved with a marginal or even failing school that was close to us and could make a difference at but school offered in NewX - where i do not live (nothing against new x - i just dont know it or anyone there.)

Anyway have just bored friend on topic over bottle of wine so time to stop obsessing.
weinstein thanks for tip - will check out tomorrow
This has been a huge help/release for me. Thought it was most boring topic on planet - until it happens to you then all consuming ...

Is in borough - just - queens road end/new x borders; not an area I am terribly familiar with!
Feel a fool re stj like it should have been obvious but did research and knew who got in on non faith places last year inc people further up my road and H school seemed like too far away to get place. Heard good things about B too. Will ask to go on waiting list otherwise selling bodyparts in order to attend dcps
Sorry to non south londonders for the impenetrable code!

annie - go to southwark league tables and look at the bottom one - that's school we have been offered!!
new to this game - what is CAT and how do you do it?!

School offered to me is JD (near queens road) - isnt that newx borders? shows how well i know that bit of town!
Thanks for your interest and advice - will def be in touch.