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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Refusing a school allocated to us

37 replies

bubble2910 · 04/02/2010 18:12

Hi
We have just applied for my DD to go to Primary school. We put 3 choices down but didnt get any. Instead Bristol county council have given us a really bad school - scoring 4/inadequate in their report and it has barbed wire around the grounds.
To say i am devasted would be an understatement!! I have sent the form back asking to go on the waiting list for my original school but as they have all been oversubscribed by over 100 applications, I am not holding out much hope. We can appeal but I havent heard of many people who have won their appeal.
There is no way i want my DD going to the school the council have allocated her.
Does anyone know what would happen if I refused to accept the placement??
thanks

OP posts:

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ghandisflipflop · 04/02/2010 18:18

Well, you could keep her at home, until a place becomes available. i.e home educate, then grab the space?

Not sure if you totally refuse the place, whether you would be moved any higher up the queue for the school of your choice though.

getOVERyourself · 04/02/2010 18:20

How old is your DD? If she's at the young end of the age range you could keep her at home/nursery for another year and try again, or hope that a place comes up at your preferred school after term 3 (I think that's the next entry point, isn't it?)

smee · 04/02/2010 18:31

Have you looked at the other schools you were rejected from - they might not be so over subscribed? A friend of mine did that and after a few weeks wait, got a place at a school that wasn't her first choice, but seemed okay. She kept her child on the waiting list for the school she really wanted him to go to. He did eventually get offered a place in Yr1, but in the end she kept him where he was as it turned out that he loved the school he was in and she did too.

Original poster

bubble2910 · 04/02/2010 19:56

Hi - she will be 5 in Dec so I guess she is classed as on older one. I know she has to be in school by the time she turns 5. I know that I cant do anything until the council has got the revisted waiting lists and whether people have declined their placement but it just fills me with dread of Erin going to a rough school. Our 1st choice had 75 places with 193 applying, our 2nd had 90 spaces and 191 apply and our 3rd choice (which I didnt even bother putting down again) had 90 spaces but 264 applied!! the only reason the school we have been given had spaces is because no one in their right mind would send their child there. Hmm why were the schools oversubscribed except this one (my 2 friends have been given this school too so there's 3 spaces and no waiting list). I had thought about teaching her at home but I don't think she'd learn much lol. Thanks for listening. I just needed to get things off my chest and give my brain a rest :0

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StewieGriffinsMom · 04/02/2010 20:02

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StewieGriffinsMom · 04/02/2010 20:03

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Original poster

bubble2910 · 04/02/2010 20:09

LOL - thank you. There is no way she will be going to that school so I will check that out. I hadnt thought of it as a serious option but as there are guides, I will have a look. Thanks for your help

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Hulababy · 04/02/2010 20:12

If you are at home, and the school is that bad, I would seriously consider the HE option, at least temporarily until a place at one of the prefered schools comes up. Can you have your name on all of their waiting lists?

StewieGriffinsMom · 04/02/2010 20:17

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Message withdrawn

Original poster

bubble2910 · 04/02/2010 20:29

I have put our name on the first 2 waiting list as i thought it pointless with the 264 applcations. Just have to wait and see with the new waiting list updates in march.

thanks Stewie'smum for the links - takes my mind off that rubbish school x

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thirtysomething · 04/02/2010 20:32

any chance she could go to a private school whilst you are waiting for a space at a decent state school? people do move areas a lot when children are primary age and also some of those who've been allocated places may actually be planning to send their children privately anyway, so some places are bound to be freed. you need to know how high up the waiting list you are. Are you sure you have no grounds to appeal?

Original poster

bubble2910 · 04/02/2010 20:37

Hi - my friend was telling me about a place thats £1200 a term. Thing is our son is at nursery at thats £335 a month so reckon we would be paying bout £650 a month. My partner works full time and I am part time but that still would be too much. I think we have grounds but have to wait for the revised waiting list. guess i am just impatient and want it sorted today lol!

OP posts:

Coca · 04/02/2010 20:41

Have you looked round the school?

Original poster

bubble2910 · 04/02/2010 20:43

no was going to but as we cant really afford it decided not to as i didnt want to get my hopes up

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amidaiwish · 04/02/2010 20:43

try not to panic yet. in Richmond borough where we live there was a massive movement on the waiting lists after the first allocation. (people going private, people applying in two boroughs etc. and quite a few move house before the start of term freeing up places)

get on the waiting lists and sit tight. if no other option comes up then you need to have a plan B:
private/home ed/accept the school you are given.

if you don't want to home-ed and can scrape together the fees for even just a year of private school then i would get her name down for one quickly. places become available very quickly in primary schools. Our school now has 3 vacant spaces in year 1, this is from a school with nearly 300 applications for 90 places in reception.

Coca · 04/02/2010 20:44

No I meant the allocated school

amidaiwish · 04/02/2010 20:47

this won't help with your mindset now, but a few of my friends grudgingly accepted schools they really didn't want through no other choice.
as it has turned out their dcs are doing ok and it wasn't as bad as they feared. at the end of the day it is primary school and a good teacher is what will make it great or not. sometimes the worst schools get given the best teachers to try to bring them up to standard. why not go to see the school and make your own mind up, talk to the reception teachers.
after all, a place WILL come up in your preferred school very quickly, it may just be after the start of term.

Original poster

bubble2910 · 04/02/2010 20:51

oops sorry - no! I know I should and shouldnt slate it until i have seen it for myself. guess i have just listened to the rumours (none good tho)
Thanks for your message amidaiwish - gives me more hope. fingers crossed. I never used to fret this much before kids!!

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Coca · 04/02/2010 20:56

I agree, the school may not be as bad as the rumours. My dcs go to a school with a bad reputation and they love it. They are both doing really well, have lots of friends and I personally couldn't ask for better teachers. I get the impression that the reputation comes from a snobby reaction to the location of the school. Go and have a look round with an open mind, you might be pleasantly surprised

ilovemydogandmrobama · 04/02/2010 21:00

We're in Bristol too, so sympathies.

A lot of people 'converted' to Catholicism and going to mass right around the time for applications. How religious are you?

Other than that, could you speak to a few of the heads where you didn't get in, and ask about admission in January? My understanding is that admissions are the responsibility of the Council and then it goes back to the school in October. I may be wrong about this, but it was one of the heads who told me this when we were doing the rounds of schools in October.

amicissima · 04/02/2010 21:20

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cranbury · 04/02/2010 21:20

Surprised nobody has suggested moving - get you up the waiting list. Or else have you got savings/remortgage to go private for a year waiting for a place.

I would turn down the place to be honest, if you look round and think no way.

LIZS · 04/02/2010 21:29

You could look at the private pro tem, assuming there is no waiting list there too . Might get Early Years grant to offset against about half of the first term's fees. Rmember if you pay a deposit though become liable for a term's fees in lieu of notice should a place comes up elsewhere. Worth seeing the allocated school before you turn it down too, you may find it has had investment since the report .

smee · 04/02/2010 22:20

If you have friends who are all in the same boat, then why not all go and look at the school you have a place at and then decide to give it a go. She'd have friends she knows and as many have said, maybe it's okay. fwiw, a lot of parents were shocked when we told them which school our son was going to and I couldn't be happier with it, yet others wouldn't even go and look round.

cnaik · 04/02/2010 22:21

This happened to us last year; we were allocated a school in special measures that had a reputation as a bit of a dumping ground. We got a place at a private school (there are places if you want one and can afford it) however when I actually looked round the allocated school it was just the same as all the over subscribed schools save for the relative lack of white middle class children.
Because it is in SM it is scrunitised, has huge investment from the local authority etc. Because of the lack of places locally more people were forced to go to this school and the mix of children and parents and the more local intake (rather than people out of area who forgot to apply etc) has imo been to everyones benefit.
We have got involved (pta, board of governers) and my son is confident, happy, is recieving a brilliant education, enjoying learning and loving school.
Anyway there is hope; private, waiting lists, bulge classes or maybe this is the year that your allocated school shakes off its rep and comes up!
Go have a look, with an open mind. Good luck

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