oversubscribed church school, doesn't go to church but child got in? how could that happen?

[leaningright]

OK, I am a little bitter and baffled...

Lovely little church school, one form entry, knew it was a long shot as huge sibling intake this year (in Feb was told around 19), but we applied as we at least satisfied the church going criteria etc but it seems rules can be bent!!!

I know for a fact the child and parents do not go to church or are committed christians but they got in.

Father has a prominent position job wise, could that be it? does that happen? is it allowed?? I mean if the father knew the headmaster or the governers can that sway admissions in a CofE school? I guess it can...

Takes the piss out of the system really, politics and religion typical...

Foureleven - If a child was admitted on the basis that the parents made a donation to the church the school has broken the law. However, I suspect this is the usual rumour mongering that goes on in this kind of situation.

And, as BetsyBoop says, EVERY school MUST have admissions criteria otherwise they are breaking the law. The LA will insist on it and will publish those criteria in their admissions booklet. It may be that the school uses the admission criteria set by the LA for non-faith schools but that is not the same as having no criteria at all.

All faith schools must have a published admissions procedure otherwise how could you mount an appeal? At my appeal there were LA officials there who made sure that everything was done by the book. It was just unfortunate for us that the school could prove that is was!

If you are in any way suspicious though then start the appeal process.

Foureleven,
Would you say which school and which LA and I will look up the admission criteria?

In our area the admissions criteria for all schools are published on the internet - I think you should doub;e check them as well.

Short notice emergency army postings in the last few weeks have become criteria for priority for all schools not just boarding schools.

Id rather not say which school, im a bit precious about my identity on here, ultra paranoid.
But I had literature from them that said there was no official admissions policy. Its a faith school that is funded by investors.

I dont know masses about these things so just took it is read and didnt think to question. I didnt want my daughter going so thought nothing of it

Lizcat - I am not aware of any such change. Families of service personnel are covered by the Fair Access Protocol which every LA must have. This ensures that a place will be found for them. It does not give them priority for admission to a particular school. However, if there are no places available in the area, the LA will place them at the school best able to accommodate them. They will, in those circumstances, be admitted ahead of anyone in the waiting list. They will also be admitted even if the school is already full. In the normal admissions round they will be treated the same as everybody else.

Foureleven - You say this school is funded by investors. Is it an independent school? If you want to go to this school, do you apply to the LA (by naming it as one of your preferences) or direct to the school?

Oho

Well if its not funded from the public purse at all

then they may well have no admissions criteria

and they can do whatever the hell they like

and yes they may well have got in through being better connected than you

sorry

The LA, its a wierd situation isnt it. Its funded mainly by investors but its LA...

You dont pay fees to go there.. So not private. Its funded by the church I beleive.

It could be an independant school that admits only state school pupils under an arrangement with the local authority and is funded acording to the local funding arrangements for all state schools.

We have one near us, but if that school is classed as a community school and runs the admission criteria of the local authority.

cripes

well that is way out of anything I know about

(I reckon it's been fiddled )

I am going to be really cynical and say that faith schools are in charge of their own admissions and maybe its a case of nepotism or even money changing hands. You can try appealing and see what happens...

Any faith school which receives money from the state is legally barred from admitting children on the basis of nepotism or donations/bribes. They have to conform to their published admission criteria. Failing to do so could cost them dearly.

I'm with mumnwlondon

Reason being that I'm from the same part of London and i suspect that we both have heard things and/or remember this - it wasn't that long ago and frankly I would be surprised if things have changed (although the more obvious practices will have been dropped)

And I can tell you for a fact that some of the schools which were clobbered for not prioritising children in care, are still not prioritising children in care.

Thanks for all your responses, I have checked the admissions criteria over and over and non church goers are last on the list.

This child also definately not in any of the first few, in care, special issues, has sibling etc etc...

I have since found out another child has gotton in that hasn't even been christened, although that was not on the criteria!

I won't appeal, it wasn't meant to be and to he honest I don't want my child going to a school that is so selective anyway!

However I did speak to the LEA about where I was on the waiting list and they did say that although I am X on the list as it means nothing as at the end of the day its up to the school to decide who gets the waiting places!!

It seems our attendance at church our committment to Jesus, our small monetory contribution every month isn't enough. We put our trust in the system and our religion and to challenge this would only cause embarresment.

I too am cynical.

You are not too cynical, not by a mile.

I don't blame you for accepting it.

But if you wanted to you could appeal, complain to the LEA etc etc. It sounds like there has been jiggery pokery.

If baptism isn't on the criteria then that's irrelevant. But if it says regular churchgoing, and they haven't been, then it looks pretty fishy.

But hold on you don't want to complain because it will cause embarassment? Well it's up to you but frankly if people who are playing the system in some way have got in ahead of genuine people then that is really shitty and you are well within your rights to find out what has happened.

There is no point in lying down and taking it if the system is corrupt - someone needs to take a stand and challenge it - otherwise it's not just your child but others who will be denied a place in this manner.

I am somewhat amazed that the LA are saying it is up to the school as to who gets any waiting list places.

OK as a faith school the school is the admission authority and is therefore responsible for putting all those on the waiting list in the correct order. But the LA is responsible for the actual allocation of any places that become vacant. When one becomes vacant they liaise with the school to confirm those on the waiting list and then allocate the place to the pupil at the top of the list.

What the LA have said more or less implies that they know the school is cheating but they are not bothering to do anything about it. Very worrying.

What I should mention for everybody is that if any appeal panel comes to a conclusion that an admission criteria is illegal then they are legally required to refer this to the schools adjudicator, so I would not feel at all embarrassed at pointing out issues. The only people who should be embarrassed are those that are making the mistakes.

What happens if the admission criteria are deemed legal

But the school are merrily ignoring them?

How do the LA find out? What can they do?

yes it is worrying, the LA is basically saying it is up to the school as to who gets any waiting list places and simply their job to do the actual allocation!

ImSoNotTelling, As far as I'm concerned it does not seem the LA have checks in place that criteria was followed so unless complaints are made the LA turn a blind eye!

Parents like myself assume the school is oversubscribed so half expect not to get in, but baffled how others do!!

The vicar is also a school governer, hence embarrassing.

To add more insult, I have since found not christened child got in even though it was their 2nd choice school.

You don't know that the child has no statement.

Like I said I can guarantee that child has no statement, not in care, is not a sibling etc, when i broached the subject parent said they go to church. Contradicts what she told me during application process which she clearly forgot!

Anyway, small fish, big sea...

If you are convinced that the school has broken the rules in admitting this child you should appeal on the basis that the school failed to follow its own admission criteria and that, if it had, your child would have been admitted. The appeal panel is independent and will want to be satisfied that the admission process has been administered correctly. You obviously won't be told why this child was admitted as that would be a breach of the Data Protection Act as well as an invasion of privacy. However, if the panel conclude that the child was admitted incorrectly and that your child would have been admitted if they'd followed the process properly they will order the school to admit your child. That will penalise the school as, unless someone leaves, they will have to employ an extra teacher in Y1 and Y2. This will cost them a lot more than the funding they receive for your child.

However, I have to agree with other posters. You CANNOT guarantee that the child was not admitted correctly. The only people who can are the parents and whoever processed the paperwork. The parent may have claimed they go to church simply in order to avoid giving any indication of the special reason that justified admission (statement, medical needs, etc.). Some people value their privacy.