Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Twins got places in different secondary schools

64 replies

Jojokay · 04/03/2019 11:31

Hi, wonder if anyone has any advice/experience of this? We've been offered places at two different schools for our twins. One is a preferred school and the other one is our third choice. While both of the schools have a sibling admissions policy, they don't have a multiple births one. So they understand its easier if your kids go to the same secondary school, but only if they're not the same age?

Wondering if anyone had any experience of successfully appealing on these grounds? or would it be a case of hoping for the best with the waiting list?

Would be grateful for any advice!

OP posts:
O4FS · 04/03/2019 11:33

I don’t understand that at all! Why on Earth would the LEA do that?

Have you spoken to admissions? Could it be their mistake?

Original poster
Jojokay · 04/03/2019 11:42

Me neither. Also the LEA asks you on all the forms to tick if they're multiple births, but having spoken to both schools this morning, they don't have a multiple birth policy and they've also not heard of this happening before. We can't be the only ones. They've both said we should appeal and go on waiting list.

Trying to get through to the LEA although not sure how helpful they'll be at this point.

OP posts:
myrtleWilson · 04/03/2019 12:21

what a nightmare OP - hopefully one of the admissions experts will be along shortly. Would TAMBA offer any suggestions?

prh47bridge · 04/03/2019 12:25

Definitely worth appealing. If the preferred school has distance as the tie breaker, the only way they wouldn't both have got places is if the one that got a place was the last child offered. There is a reasonable chance you will find that a mistake has been made.

Hamsternauts · 04/03/2019 12:53

Would the child who got into the preferred school have got in on distance? If so the other twin must be very next on the waiting list i should think.

Hamsternauts · 04/03/2019 12:53

Although obviously you'd have to hope no one moves closer and jumps ahead so may be worth appealing

Reaa · 04/03/2019 13:11

I would think that once twin 1 accepted place in preferred school, twin 2 would automatically get sibling priority on the waiting list.

O4FS · 04/03/2019 13:14

so Potentially you could be the last in on catchment and twin 2 first on the waiting list?

Because nothing else would make any sense in this situation.

Frazzled2207 · 04/03/2019 13:18

Also Agee it must be that one twin got the last spot and second twin must be top of list. Please do appeal!!

Original poster
Jojokay · 04/03/2019 13:32

Thanks all, we'll definitely get the appeal in - fingers crossed. Will also see if Tamba have any more insights. Thanks for the suggestion.

OP posts:
O4FS · 04/03/2019 13:37

Let us know what the LEA say won’t you? I’m curious as to how this happened and why no provision is made for twins in the sibling policy.

turboturtle · 04/03/2019 13:49

I know someone with twins who was in the same position a couple of years ago. One got in and the other got their 2nd or 3rd choice (can't remember which)
They contacted the school and explained the situation, and had an agreement in principle right there and then. They obviously needed to follow up with the LEA but it all worked out for them in the end.
With schools in the same LEA having different school holiday breaks, this would have been impossible for the the parents to facilitate.

AornisHades · 04/03/2019 14:31

Are twins not in the 'excepted children' category? At a primary I think twins are allowed to take a school one over PAN to avoid this.
Or do they not see it as important for KS3?

Lougle · 04/03/2019 14:41

@AornisHades twins/multiples are only excepted pupils for the purposes of Infant Class Size regulations, so that classes can go over 30 without having to recruit another teacher, until the class naturally returns to normal size/year group returns to PAN. It doesn't apply to other Key Stages, so schools are free to include or exclude a multiple births clause.

AornisHades · 04/03/2019 14:48

Thanks for clarifying Lougle

Original poster
Jojokay · 04/03/2019 14:52

So we've spoken to Croydon LEA who say there is no multiple birth provision at secondary school, despite the box you have to tick indicating that they're multiples. Also they've completely washed their hands of the process now and say appeals and waiting list are up to the schools.

While there is provision for primary school twins to be together, doesn't seem to be anything for secondary as they use this time to make the children more independent so wouldn't view placing them together as a priority.

Also despite having an offer for one child, the sibling policy definitely only applies where there is an older child at the school already. That's the bit that's really annoying me. They can see how it makes sense to have an 11 year old attend the same school as an older sibling, but not with their 11 year old twin?

We'll try the appeal in any case, but I'm feeling less optimistic now.

OP posts:
Lougle · 04/03/2019 14:55

Appeals don't follow the admissions criteria when you're talking about prejudice. You can talk about the need to have twins together. But also look at why it is important for this child to be at this school alone.

O4FS · 04/03/2019 14:56

Where will second twin be on the waiting list?

How much older does the older sibling need to be for the sibling policy to stand?

prh47bridge · 04/03/2019 14:57

Agree with Lougle. Also, if it turns out that they have made a mistake, that is a very strong case for appeal.

Hellohah · 04/03/2019 14:57

Which twin was born first, the one who got in, or the one who didn't?

If it's the one who got in, then the second twin will have an older sibling at the school - does the policy specify that the older child has to be so much older, because even if it's only 5 minutes - it's still older.

PuppyMonkey · 04/03/2019 14:59

God, I used to write for a local newspaper and this would probably be a front page story. Shock

Could you practice your sad face and consider contacting your local rag to highlight this ridiculous situation? It might get seen by someone high up at the LEA who can help???

Girlwhowearsglasses · 04/03/2019 15:04

Appeal OP
I would definitely contact TAMBA. They will have lots of resources for school appeals.

Do you know what number the twin who didn’t get a place is on the waiting list?

Lougle · 04/03/2019 15:05

@Hellohah it won't be about age of sibling, it will be the fact that the other twin isn't Registered at the school until 1st September, so sibling criteria doesn't apply.

Frazzled2207 · 04/03/2019 15:35

Ridiculous policy but if no luck with appeal you must be near the very top of the waiting list.
Agree that a local newspaper would love this, if you could stomach doing a sad face.

ShagMeRiggins · 04/03/2019 15:41

I would want to know why one was admitted to the preferred school but the other wasn’t, as I’m assuming they had the same set of data (location, needs, etc).

Was the one who got in the last person accepted at the school and there were no more places then? Confused