Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

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

Flip

1 2

Original poster

NO PLACE haringey/islington (wanted coleridge/ashmount) PANIC

38 replies

schoolpanic · 06/05/2010 09:21

we applied to four good schoools in haringey -hoping to get into the nearest, coleridge - didn't get offered any of them. we also applied to ashmount, which is a good school near haringey/islington border. everyone told us this was undersubscribed and we'd get in for sure - even the head when we visited.

we haven't got a place.

we've been offered a place by haringey at seven sisters (no idea where it is or what it's like yet)

we've got no grounds to appeal on distance. i checked the stats for coleridge last night, cut off is 0.376 and we are 0.421 (by my calculations). no surprise we didn't get into colridge but very unwelcome surprise that we didn't get ashmount.

i have no idea what to do other than go on wait lists for ashmount and coleridge, hope for the best and home school until something comes up.

if that sounds calm - i'm not! anyone got any advice?! might an appeal work (on what grounds?)

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

admission · 06/05/2010 21:47

No panel will make decisions based on them sulking - the reason that they have a clerk to the panel is to make sure that as far as possible they make the decisons in a purely legal manner and not with any personal feelings. At times that is very hard when you have a case that you know should be one that 99 times out of 100 would be admitted but the regulations do not let you (infant class size ones especially!)

There is nothing stopping you going to appeal and saying that your child is on the young end of the age criteria (if that is the case) so you intend to home educate them for the foreseeable future in the hope that a place becomes available at the school in question.

prh47bridge · 06/05/2010 21:48

I'm not suggesting the LA would think you are trying to blackmail them. I couldn't care less what the LA think! I am concerned about the appeal panel. They are independent.

Appeal panels aren't over emotional. However, they are human and they do come across parents who try to blackmail them. It is not uncommon for parents to think that turning down the offered place means the panel has to admit their child to their preferred school. That, of course, is wrong, but it does mean that many panel members tend to be suspicious of the motives of any parent who has rejected the offered place. That's why I recommend that anyone who is thinking of appealing should accept the offered place.

However, if you aren't appealing that isn't a consideration.

Original poster

schoolpanic · 07/05/2010 10:40

but i'm rejecting it cos it's too far away. i have thought and thought about how we'd get there and it's just not doable. we'd have to drive and it could take half an hour at least at that time in the morning. endymion road can take ages to get down by itself before you're even onto green lanes.

my motives and i can tattoo them on my forehead for any panel to read are quite straightforward and that is to send my child to a good school within a reasonable walking distance.

but i know i've got no grounds to appeal so i'll be spared the suspicious panel. i do wonder what the worst motive a parent can have is - to try to get into a really good school? yeah, pure evil.

i know people fight dirty and that is part of my despair. we'll be up against them. someone on twitter advised dh that if we appealed his 'wife should seek medical help for stress or depression caused by the situation'. they were at pains to point out that the 'wife' didn't have to receive help, just seek it. how cynical is that?! so yes, i'm sure panels have every reason to be cautious. the whole thing is just ugly.

to be absolutely clear i have no intention of doing any such thing! despite the fact me and dh just had massive row. i hate this whole situation.

OP posts:

prh47bridge · 07/05/2010 11:36

No-one is saying that parents are wrong to try to get into a really good school. However, they are wrong to fight dirty. The advice on Twitter is, as you say, cynical. It also displays a complete lack of understanding of the process. The mother suffering stress or depression caused by the situation doesn't give the panel any reason to admit. They may be sympathetic but it won't change the outcome.

Have you had the detailed reasons why you missed out on Ashmount? And have you asked the LA for the route they used in calculating your distance from Ashmount? I know you've said you don't plan to appeal but if there is any evidence they have made a mistake I would go for it.

BirdyArms · 07/05/2010 21:22

I would try to have a chat to the admin people at the schools, they usually have a good feel for the waiting lists and how long/ if you're likely to get a place at their schools. If you find someone friendly they can be incredibly helpful.

And if it seems likely that she will get a place at some point my advice is to try not to worry about your daughter starting mid-year. We are in highbury and all the local schools have a lot of turnover. Ds is in reception and had had around 8 children start in his class during the year, kids so young have very fluid friendships and the school is used to settling late starters.

nlondondad · 09/05/2010 17:52

School panic.

I have an email address on my profile.

Look at my profile, and email me; I am in a position to advise on your individual case but best done over the phone. Apparently Mumsnet does not regard posting phone numbers as a good idea, (I was told off when I did it once)
So if you email me I will reply with my phone number.

You can always post a summary of our conversation here, if you think it may be of more general use.

nlondondad · 09/05/2010 19:00

Oh and have you been in touch with the Ashmount School Office?

Their email is [email protected]

Original poster

schoolpanic · 10/05/2010 16:04

Hi nlondondad - i have emailed you but i'm at work and our email is down so if you have replied to me please be assured i'm not ignoring you!

i was feeling quite calm and optimistic about waiting lists this morning but more reading has made the panic return...!

OP posts:

creditcrunched · 11/05/2010 22:47

Schoolpanic - did you consider StJ's that Roastchicken mentioned? It is not far from Ashmount and I know a couple of families with DC there and very happy.

I considered it for my DC, above Ashmount which would be our nearest primary school, but at the time they did not have places for both my dc so we went elsewhere. I would have happily sent them there though and I know of non-catholic families who are pleased with it.

Gangle · 07/01/2011 21:52

Does anyone know of the name of the website that lets you calculate your distance to school?

prh47bridge · 08/01/2011 00:02

Do you need shortest walking route or straight line distance? In either case, any website will not be as accurate as the systems used by councils.

Panelmember · 08/01/2011 00:09

Listen to Admission and Prh47bridge. Don't listen to Twitter.

cornonthecob · 08/01/2011 07:29

gangle there should be a distance/map calculator on your particular school Lea website, if not phone them up with name of school and your postcode and they can give you the exact distance.

Flip

1 2