We've been out of the country for the last 5 years as my husband took a job working in a British Embassy. I have 4 kids, who this year are in years 9, 7, 3 and Reception. I applied for the R and 7 kids whenever you're supposed to and they have places at the schools we wanted them to go to, which they have started at fine.
The Y3 and 9 kids we couldn't apply for until June or July as these are 'in year admissions'. The Y3 one got a place at a different school, which was a pain, and after a few days of rather fraught phone calls, the situation has been resolved and he is at our local school with his brother. So far so good.
The problem is the Y9 child who has not been offered a place at all. We were told he hadn't got into the first choice school in the summer. We asked to go on the waiting list and submitted grounds for appeal within the correct time frame. He was not offered an alternative place.
The council say that the schools are all academies and are therefore responsible for their own admissions. I understand that. However, over the holidays none of the ones we tried to contact were answering the phone, or replying to emails, or even opening the door on the occasions on which we tried to visit. We thought as schools started last week there would be some churn, or at least people in the schools, and we would get offered a place. This has not happened.
So my 13 yo is at home with me the whole time. He's a great kid, but man is he bored and it's really not helping him reintegrate from our time away. Fortunately I'm not in work, but ideally I would be at least looking which I can't really do until he's settled.
Education Welfare are very sweet and sympathetic, but absolutely unable to do anything. We've called about 6 different schools, which either don't answer or say they have nothing. He is on the waiting list and we have submitted grounds for appeal, but the council don't even have to schedule that for 30 days after it goes in.
I was under the impression the council have to provide a place. I just don't understand what more we can do, and how my child, who is not in education at all, is not a priority on some waiting list or other.
What can we do from here?