Full schools

[Phoenix4725]

ok i need some help , we have recently moved and the local schools are full in DD y2 group we went 3 miles to neares small town and the 3 there are full .

DD is currently at the school that hopefully ds3 will get place at which has a speech unit in.Now ds will get transport as he is on a statement .But what are my chances of dd getting transport with him.bearing in mind ds and dd school is in another county but only 4 miles away as were on boarder between 2

There might be schools in the other direction but then dd would need transport anyway as there over 3 miles and i could not take as would have be at home to get ds into his transport.

So how do i get the LEA to see be cheaper to take ds and dd to same place rather than 2 taxis and 2 escorts

You certainly need to talk to the LA. I'm afraid the LA isn't allowed to admit a child to a school that is full simply because it is cheaper than the alternatives. If the admission number is 15, 30, 45 or 60, they would probably be breaching infant class size limits by admitting your DD - they are not allowed to have more than 30 children in a class. Your only option would be to appeal for a place but, if it is infant class size, your chances of success are low.

If it is not infant class size, your chances of success on appeal would be much better.

Do you know how far it is to the nearest school with a vacancy in year 2? If it is a very long way you may be able to argue for admission at your nearest school on the grounds that there are no other schools with places in a reasonable distance from your new home.

in a ideal world would like to keep dd at her current school its 4 miles from new house and in differnt and wondering since others nearer are full ,\they would rather just send the 1 car with dd and ds rather than 2 cars in 2 directions

Phoenix, you need to find the nearest school that has places for year 2. If that is your DD's current school, then I think your LEA would just pay to transport her to that LEA's school.

Phoenix - You are still focussing on transport arrangements. The LA WILL NOT take that into account when allocating school places. They are NOT allowed to allocate places based on their transport costs.

If I understand you correctly, you want to keep DD at her current school. There is no problem with that. You don't have to move her to another school just because you have moved. However, unless it is the nearest suitable school, the authority will not have to provide transport for her. So if you want free transport Lou is right - you need to find the nearest school with places in year 2. If there is nothing nearer than your DD's current school, the LA must provide transport.

Again, if I understand you correctly DS is not currently in school but you hope he will go to the same school as DD. When you apply for a place for DS you can name DD's school as your first choice even though it is in a neighbouring authority. Whether or not DS is admitted will be determined using the usual admission criteria. Without knowing the admission criteria for your DD's school it is impossible to tell what your chances are of getting your DS into the same school. But one thing is for sure - the fact that it may cost the LA more for transport if he is allocated to a different school will not be taken into account.

If your DS does get a place at your DD's school, he will only be entitled to free transport if your DD's school is the nearest suitable school. You imply that his statement means he needs a school with a speech unit. If this is the nearest school with a speech unit you should be ok. However, if there is a nearer school with a speech unit you may have a problem.

phoenix- is your DD's school in your old county? . If so, I know the rules regarding free transport....If there is not a closer school to your house with spaces in your DD's year (which you seem to be saying there isn't), and you are in receipt of free school meals/ qualifying benefits, then you are entitled to free transport IF

1. The closest school with a place in that year is over 2 miles away as the crow flies for YR, Y1, Y2.

2. The closest school with a place in that year is over 3 miles away as the crow flies for Y3,Y4,Y5,Y6.

So as far as I can tell, if the school is in your old county, could you not apply to that LA for transport costs?

If you now come under the other county's LA, and they cannot provide a closer school for you, you may need to check with them what their distance criteria are, but tbh, it sounds like you have quite a good case.

loudlass yes DD school is in west Essex im now in Hertfordshire

prh47bridge

All other local schools with a place are more than 3 1/2 miles in one direction

.Schools local to me in East hertfordshire controll their own admissions and waiting lists primary and senior level

DD school is 4 miles otherway,

Yes ds new statement states that he needs place in a speech unit and Essex named DD school with attached unit .He should be in school but due to moving first to west \Essex from N.E Esex and change of statement they do not have suitable place till Easter .

Herts agreed to ds starting there as it is the nearest suitable placeemnt as there own units are minimum of 40 mins travelling .

Oh well if they don`t agree to keeping dd there and transport there just goin to have to stump up for 2 cars and 2 escorts .

Was more case of just wondering if anyone else had similar sort of problem and results