Secondary school problems

[Fishface77]

My friend has asked me to post for her so I may not have all the answers but here goes.

Here daughter has been allocated their number 1 secondary school place. It’s a faith school which they were previously happy with.
She has since found that since the application process, numerous teachers and two head teachers have left and the parents of children remaining there are not happy.

She is asking what to do.
I suggested calling the council and other schools she may prefer but apart from this she is at a loss.

Her Dd is also distressed as a girl who has intermittently bullied her all through school also has a place there. She wanted to get away from this girl.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

I believe you can ask to go
On the waiting lists of other schools and you would slot into the relevant spots- eg if no one lives nearer you would be number one. However I would think much of the waiting list movement may have happened by now so there would be no guarantee of a place depending how far down list you were.

Two heads leaving in less than 7 months really suggests that the replacement left for personal reasons, or was only a temporary appointment whilst a new permanent head was sought.

Is she sure of the number of teachers who have left? This does all sound a but gossipy. One thing she could do is try to find out actual numbers etc (school newsletters are sometimes public)

But if she's sure she wants to change school, then yes she will, haveto apply for the ones she now wants and stick it out on the waiting list. Unless there is an undersubscribed school with a journey that's not too horrid.

In case she can't arrange a different school, she shouid ask a teacher who has been dealing with the bullying or anyone with pastoral responsibilities who knows her DD, to get in touch with the currently allocated school and explain (teacher to teacher) who it is in everyone's interests for those two to be separated. That's quite a common request, and better from the school than from parents.

A shake down in a school may mean a new regime and stability will be in place by September.

There is usually an induction meeting for Yr 7’s. Definitely tell the school about needing to be seperate from the bully, and be clear why. A short factual statement, including ‘her primary school were aware and took action / intervened on several occasions (or whatever is true) but my Dd is still targeted by x’

If there is not an induction meeting sometime before the end of this summer term, send a letter / e mail.

You can’t really make a good decision about the school unless you know what has been going in and the reasons. She must have been confident with the school when she applied, havjng visited and presumably knowing lots of people in the faith community that go there? She needs to do more research, study the small print in the performance tables, log on to the Ofsted parent voting thing and see how parents have rated the school across different factors. (Bear in mind, those with a grudge are often the first to post on those things!)

Please be aware that some local authorities don't accept re-application to schools which were named as lower preferences on the original CAF until the beginning of year 7 (although an application for a place at a school not originally named may be accepted). If your friend seriously wants to change schools, they need to check what their home LA's rules are.

I would agree with others about asking the primary school to request that the two girls are not placed in the same tutor group etc.

Actually it may be worth speaking t existing teacher. My dd y6 teacher said they get letters from the senior school asking for any considerations in allocating classes. For example if they would benefit from being placed in a class with someone else they knew. It may be worth checking if that happens with your current school.