Using sibling rule then DC1 changes school!!

[Twinkie1]

Ok just want to know what you guys think would happen in this scenario.

DS is in year 11 and is applying for 6th form. DD is due to start secondary school next year at the same school so we are using the fact that she has a sibling rule there to apply for DSs place.

What happens if we apply and accept a place for DD at the same school and then after his GCSE results DS decides to change schools? Can they withdraw the offer of the place for DD?

This throws up a million issues, means a huge bloody transport bill to 6th form DS wants to go to and bloody school fees for DD as no other secondary school we'd like her to attend. ??

If you are applying for a place for DD in good faith (i.e. planning for DS to continue at his present school), then there is no problem, surely?

Many schools have a 'restricted sibling rule' - e.g. 'sibling in Year 8-11, not 6th form' or 'sibling must be on school register when the younger child starts school' to clarify this type of situation - check.

Often for sibling rules to apply, the other child has to already be in the school at the time of the application, especially when it comes to sixth form.

This is what our admissions policy says

"An older sibling must be attending the school at the time of admission. Therefore a sibling link to a child in Yr 11 at the time of application and determination will be taken to exist where there is a reasonable expectation that the child will be returning to the school for a post 16 course of study."

Clear as mud, but I think that means that as you could claim a reasonable expectation that DS will stay on DD would qualify as a sibling.

However, I know that at some schools sixth form doesn't count. What does the policy say?

They've just said that DS needs to be a pupil there when we apply for a place for DD.

DH and I both want DS to continue at his present school and hope he will as he doing fantastically and financially and logistically it's easy but part of me feels as though I should allow him to follow his own path and go to the other 6th form if he gets in which is a grammar.

In Sheffield it says at point of entry; some LEAs say at point of application.

You can apply and hold more than one sixth form place.
As long as your DS is at the school on offers day it should be fine. He doesn't have to finalise his sixth form place until August (and where he goes could obviously change if he did surprisingly badly).

It is also fair because if DS was at another school but planned to be at this one for sixth form, your DD wouldn't qualify for a sibling place, even though in September they would be at the same school.

It's point of application so looks like we'll be OK whichever he chooses.

Thank you for clarification and advice.

DS is applying to current school, Grammar school (which he failed to get into 5 years ago!!) and one other which is also a logistical nightmare as well as being bloody expensive to get to with none of the advantages of the Grammar (am I spelling that incorrectly??).

I've just checked DD's school admission policy - in order for the sibling rule to apply, the applicant must have a sister who will be a pupil at the school at the date of the proposed admission. It goes on to say that any change of address or circumstances must be notified to the school.

If your school has similarly wording, then I'd say you'd have to notify the school if your other DD goes to a different sixth form and you would no longer be entitled to rely on sibling priority.

I asked the same question a couple of years ago! Our school sibling policy included any age sibling, and had similar wording, something about intending to be at the school when the next sibling started. My elder dd was looking at a couple of different 6th forms - I decided to cross the possible bridge when/if we got to it, and she ended up staying on.

Twinkie, when you say 'they' do you mean school staff? Or the published school admissions policy wording? ALWAYS check the published wording... some school staff can be at best vague and at worst misinformed!

I spoke to the admissions office at the council. I'm thinking if emailing them and getting it in writing just in case DS decides to go for the Grammar. They've emailed me today (Grammar) asking for his report and exam certificate and he's projected all As and A*s so I think he'd be in with a chance.

Part of me feels like putting my foot down and forcing him to stay at his present school for the ease of it and because it'll save us about 2k in bus fares, a fortune in uniform and at least 5 years of private school fees for DD and part of me feels as though if he's worked hard enough to get these grade he should have the chance to go to the Grammar. But equally if he achieved this without going to Grammar there's no saying he'll do any better there than his current comp. he'll be with his friends, won't have the pressure either which I think would adversely effect him if he goes from being one of the brightest at his school to being the same as everyone else and not knowing his teachers who all rave about him and from what I've seen really do care about him in a way I've never experienced before.

It's all so bloody confusing.

Once a place is offered and accepted it cannot be removed unless either a mistake has been made (in which case the offer has to be removed within a few days of being made) or the application was fraudulent. Even if the admission policy says the older sibling must be there "at the time of admission" or similar that is irrelevant. They cannot take the place away just because the older sibling doesn't actually start the sixth form.

So if the school's admission criteria gives priority to pupils with a sibling in sixth form and the sibling is expected to be in sixth form at the time offers are made that is the end of the matter. The place is yours. They cannot take it away just because the older sibling decides to go somewhere else.

Where a school has "point of entry" criteria that is to prevent sibling priority being given in cases where the sibling is in their last year of school and definitely won't be there when the younger child starts. It cannot be used to remove an offer that has been made and accepted.