Need urgent advice - 2 DC without a school

[Matilda031]

I have two DC in years 8 & 10 and due to the MoD cut backs their boarding school allowance is being withdrawn and they have to leave their State BS at the end of this term. We are based in Westminster and after enquiries I've discovered the following :

I have to use the LEA to apply for In Year places, the LEA have informed me all schools within and surrounding our borough are full, the only schools who 'possibly' have places are under performing schools (some are schools in special measures) and all schools are miles away - some even on the edge of London.

It's looking highly possible that my DS who has started his GCSE's may not even be offered a place.

I have 5 weeks to find them both schools. If I appeal in order to get them a place at a local school (still would still be below national average) I am worried I don't have strong enough grounds (my grounds will be their current above average ability, their emotional state due to being forced to leave school, they are not use to travelling by themselves in London and will very scared if they have to commute long distances, both are doing well at sport : My DD is at County level for Athletics and my DD is doing triple science and is playing rugby at a high level (rugby is his world) and the schools on the available places list don't even offer triple science or Rugby on their curriculum.

1. Do I have any grounds for an appeal?
   
2. How long do appeals take?
   
3. If an appeal fails should I keep the kids at the home on a waiting list for a school in our borough or at least near our borough or give up and send them to a special measures school miles away?
   

This is making me ill - I constantly cry, I'm so upset and full of guilt as we are letting our children down, we have not told the children yet as we wanted to limit their upset & worry.

[goinggetstough]

Any luck with your MOD appeal for your DS?

[goinggetstough]

I agree with Scaryteacher why if you are living in a family quarter in London why they would withdraw CEA if you have been posted by the system to another job nearby unless you have refused a posting further away.
Hope you get it sorted soon, I feel for you.

[mmsmum]

Hi OP, I'm glad it loos like DC's have a place near home.

But if you wanted to keep them in their BS have you thought about putting the Wales on the market and asking the school if you can be 'late' with next terms fees, i.e. make it up when the house is sold. I really don't know what the market is like in Wales but if priced right (I mean low) then I would think it would sell between now and schools going back after the summer.

I'm in Scotland, I know a child who wanted to apply to medical school so the council put on a bus to ship him around different schools so he could take the sciences he needed, maybe your LA (or is it LEA?) would do that for you?

[scaryteacher]

So why has CEA been withdrawn? I know the London rules have changed, but if you are living with your dh as Married Accompanied, and presumably his posting isn't over 3 years (unusual if it is), then you should as I understand it, still qualify.

[HSMM]

Your DS could always do his triple sciences via correspondence course, if this is very important to him.

So glad to hear you have some good news now.

Good luck.

[Panelmember]

Glad it's all being sorted out for you, but just to reiterate what Mrs Flittersnoop, admission and prh47bridge have said. LEAs have to find school places for children who need them and the abdication of responsbility in your instance is quite simply shocking. Well done for being so persistent!

[nailak]

cant you homeschool them or get tutors in to homeschool them?

[Matilda031]

Hi Longtalljosie : It was the first thing we checked - I'm afraid the school doesn't offer a sliding scale bursary based on income etc, it does however offer fully funded places to dependants of the clergy or to children who currently live in care.

Our Headmaster has totally sympathy for us and has himself been tackling the MoD, He now has two other families in the school who have the same problem as us (because of the changes to the rules they also no longer meet the criteria for the borading school allowance) and as the year progresses the Head is expecting more casulaties so he can't be seen to be helping one child and not another.

[Longtalljosie]

They are both continually praised at their current school and are both year mentors, to quote from my son's current head of year "your children are outstanding and everything a teacher could wish for from a pupil - we should be very proud of them"

Sorry to repeat my earlier question, but particularly for your son who's about to do his GCSEs - have you asked the school if there's anything they can do for you?

Don't forget they have to do a certain amount of "good stuff" in order to retain their charitable status. Even if it's a bit cringey for you (which I can understand) I think you have to steel yourself because the benefits to your son would be so great if they would agree to give him a bursary equivalent to the BSA.

[gingeroots]

Thats great to have an update .
Good for you !

[Matilda031]

The school who have 'potential' places is a state school and I've been informed they will each have to attend a 30 minute interview with their propsective Head of Years (which I can also attend). This is happening next Tuesday and then the following Monday they both have to sit tests. I am presuming this is just to assess which band they are in as suggested, but its very helpful to know that if on the back of this they are not offered places I have grounds for appeal. I'm not worried about their interviews - they are both continually praised at their current school and are both year mentors, to quote from my son's current head of year "your children are outstanding and everything a teacher could wish for from a pupil - we should be very proud of them"

The school in question do not offer triple science or rugby and on their web site they don't mention another one of my DS's GCSE choices so its far from ideal but I can look at options for a private top up tutor - but I'm sure you can appreciate when facing some of the other options of either A. a school miles away or B. no offer of a school at all then I will take what I can. In preperation of my DS not finding a place in a school which offers rugby and without him being aware as yet of the situation we encouraged him to join a leading London rugby club 3 weeks ago and he now plays for the under 15's. I know to some you might think finding a school which offers rugby should be at the bottom of the list - but it's my sons world and to have to put him through so much with a change of school during his GCSE's, having to leave his friends (and his girlfriend) and then to also take away rugby from him would be heartbreaking - and in his words rugby allows him to vent out some of his frustrations on the pitch.

I'm still waiting to hear from the MoD if my sons appeal to remain at his current school until he completes his GCSE's is sucessful and yesterday I also requested an appeal form for a preferred local girls school for my DD which is two roads away from us and which specialises in sports/athletics (ideal for my DD who competes in cross country and 200/800m).

So all round I'm a lot happier this morning knowing that if all else fails it's looking good that they won't have to stay at home without a school place or travel 75 mins each way to school.


Can I just add this is the first time I've posted on this site and I turned to it desperation for advise and support and which was provided in abundance. You have ALL been so helpful and you really boosted my determination yesterday morning to go hell for leather.

THANK YOU!

[gingeroots]

Good news .
Having dealt with Pimlico Acdemy myself ,I'm afraid it depends who you speak to as regards the answer you get .
Hopefully you won't need to contact them again anyway now .
Good luck .

[MrsFlittersnoop]

Hi Matilda, congratulations on getting this sorted out so quickly!

The tests are purely for streaming purposes - state comprehensives ARE academically streamed (contrary to what some people would have you believe ) and they need to know which sets to place your DC in. They will also be screening for possible Special Needs such as dyslexia.

[CarGirl]

Glad things are looking up, I am horrified that the MOD didn't commit to completing education for those who had already started the GCSEs or A Levels, even it was via partial interest free loan or something.

[prh47bridge]

Coming late to this thread and haven't read it all. Glad to see it seems to be working out. However, just to respond to the original post...

The LA MUST find places for both your children. They cannot simply turn round and say there isn't a place available for your son. Even if all the schools are already full they must still make a place available for him.

The fact that the schools that were on offer didn't offer triple science or rugby could form the basis of an appeal. That isn't to say such an appeal would be successful - that would depend in part on how strong the case to refuse admission was. Equally, if you are in central London and were offered places on the edge of London that would also be the basis for an appeal. Based on your original post, an appeal for your son would be stronger than one for your daughter as you haven't identified things that the preferred school has for her.

Appeals must be heard within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged. You should hear the result of the appeal within a few days of the hearing.

Turning to the current position, if this is a state school they can conduct tests if the school is selective. However, they may NOT interview you or your children as part of the admissions process unless it is a boarding school and they are using the interview to make sure your children are suitable for boarding. If they do interview you or your children and then refuse places that would be grounds for an appeal.

[bigTillyMint]

That's good news!

Also wondering why they would need to do tests / interviews for a state school though.

[Matilda031]

Yes it is a state school and I had thought the reports/interviews/tests were just a formality so thank you for confirming.

[scurryfunge]

Good luck -if it is a state school, then the placements will not be dependant on reports/interviews or sitting a test, so it looks like they should be offered a place anyway.

[grovel]

Great. Well done.

[Matilda031]

Firstly sorry for the lack of response last night - I had to get the kids back to school after half term and to be honest I was getting so upset talking about it all day I needed the break and today is been a massive day for me at work and doing stuff regarding the kids I've just not had the time to log in.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for everyone's support, advice and kindness.

To answer some of your posts - yes Pimlico is full and there is a waiting list can you believe (for a school which previously had the reputation of one to avoid at all costs its now hard to believe its over subscribed). Pimlico is one of the schools I called directly so I was given this information first hand and not through my LEA.

I've tried asking to speak to heads or deputy heads of schools and have asked to visit the schools but I've yet to speak to anyone more senior than a PA which is very frustrating and no school is interested in me visiting - to quote "we can't possibly set up appointments for every parent wishing to view our school and we hold open days for this sort of visit".

I've tried to get some schools to consider my son/daughter on their sports merit (Rugby/Athletics) but again the response is we are full/over subscribed and with waiting lists.

We have considered renting out the Wales property and have looked at the potentional income, but sadly rents are low and so we would be lucky to get £400 a month in rent. We would have to pay an agency commission to look after the rental and pay tax on the extra income. We can't afford holidays anymore so this really is the only place the kids and I get the chance to have some space outside of school to be a family and spread out (the army accommodation is a box flat).

Anyway some good news................. I've had a call from a school in our borough in Westminster this morning. I'd rather not mention the school as I don't want to upset anyone else who might be on their waiting list. They called in response to my DD only as the LEA hadn't mentioned my son (even though it was one of the schools on his list as well). The school has sympathy for our circumstances and possibly have a place for our DD - dependant upon school reports/interview/sitting a test. I mentioned my son was also in need of a place and they said they would get back to me today and scanned through both of their most recent school reports straight away. An hour ago they called back and said they have had a meeting this afternoon and potentially can offer both my DC places.

So........... I shall bring them home from BS this weekend, break the news to them about the situation and I've set up interviews for both of them on Tuesday morning with their respective heads of years at the new school.

This new school has said if all goes as planned both DC could join the school after Easter.

We are still going to push the MoD to extend the allowance for our DS to finish his GCSE's but if that fails it's starting to look a little hopeful that we can at least place them together at school inside our borough.

I can't tell you all how much happier I am this afternoon.

I shall keep you updated - ONCE AGAIN A BIG THANK YOU TO YOU ALL

[scurryfunge]

Is there any reason why you can't move from your current accommodation and put the children in a local school anywhere and you and your husband then commute into London?

[grovel]

Wellington College are sponsoring an academy in Wilts. It opens with new buildings in September. Does boarding and bursaries (strong military connection). Might be worth looking at.
www.thewellingtonacademy.org.uk/

[mary21]

you may find help here www.educational-grants.org

[enfieldmum]

Just a thought - if your son is a top class rugby player you could consider Mill Hill School in North London. It is a top rugby school and they give 100% bursaries/scholarships for players. Your daughter also could potentially qualify for a part bursary because of her sport. Worth asking the question.