Siblings at different schools?

[tracywifey]

Argh - got school allocations and DD has not got into primary school DS is at (and will still be there in yr 2 in sep). Unfortunately we are out of catchment and siblings comes below catchment (we are way down the list). Both schools refuse to allow me flex hours so how am I supposed to be in 2 places at once (both schools start at 9 and finish at 3:05pm).

So I am expected to quit my job and find and pay for before and after school care every day for DD (at least £50 per week maybe more).

Do I send DD to private school but leave DS as is? Is that fair on DS? Moving DS to same school as DD is not an option (places) plus DD's junior school is in "special measures" due to inadequate findings by ofsted. So upsetting him for 1 year to then have to move him again is not an option. Or both private but £££££s we haven't got!!

Will appeal but others in same boat last year have appealed and got turned down.

Anyone else got any advice?

Does one school have breakfast club and aftersch club?

I take it you are on the waiting list for both

there is a lot of movng around

This sounds tricky.
Two things spring to mind. Is there a third school you could send them both to? Unlikely I know, but we looked around village schools when we had no place in town, and many of them had places and took no longer to get to than the one in town.

Second idea is to share drop offs with another parent, if you have a neighbour for instance who goes the same way to school - could they take your ds, perhaps, and you collect theirs or something like that - you'd need a parent at dd's school as well to organise this properly but it might work.

third idea is to home ed her for a year and wait to see if any places become available for year 1, at ds' school. We did this, and once people had children settled at other schools the waiting list for the one we wanted went down quickly, so we got to the top. One family moved away and we were offered the place in yr1.

I have three children in three different schools. It is difficult but between the different arrangements at each school ( ie DD can get early drop off to the playground and has clubs on three evenings that allow late collection) we manage.
Its one of those things.
Although I can't complain as two of mine are in private schools so I chose this - which is not your situation.

Thanks all. Considered 3rd school I could send both to but all schools in area completely full apart from 1 school which is under special measures and has been for several years (has been closed and "rebranded" over this time and still no improvement).

Could find before and after school care but will cost a few thousand pounds a year for every day plus I will have to give up my job which doesn't bode well for mortgage

I also have a nearly 2 year old who has global development delay which makes school runs trickier than normal and complicates drop offs / pick ups when I work as I already have to do 2 before / after work so there's not enough time for a 3rd between 8 and 8:30.

Considered home schooling but not sure this is possible with DD2 around as she is very disruptive to say the least!

I think I'll have to give up work and then try to share with another mum - and keep DDs name on the waiting list at DSs school. I'm not religious but it may be time to start praying (heard there's good catholic schools around ).