Sibling rule at girls & boys grammars

[EmilyBingo]

My DS started at s grammar school, by default in September on the sibling rule we have just accepted a place for my daughter at the girls grammar. She took the 11+ but we didn't tutor her as long and she came in just under the required level for entry on academic grounds only. But we are in a pickle, for various reasons we are not happy with the boys grammar and have looked to pull DS out before it's too late. But we've just read the small print which says he needs to be attending the school when our DD starts in September or her place could be withdrawn. Is there anything we can do?

Sorry we don't have grammars where we live so not very familiar with their policies, an assuming from sibling rule this means DD will have a place at the girl's grammar because her brother is at the boy's grammar regardless of whether she passes the 11+?
Therefore, if he leaves before she starts then she will no longer be eligible under the sibling rule and won't get in by passing the 11+. It would be my assumption then that she wouldn't be offered a place if he leaves prior to her starting.

Will she cope academically with a grammar?

Nothing you xan do, you can't have it both ways!

@EmilyBingo, are you talking about actual fully selective grammar schools, or somewhere like the Watford Grammars, which are actually partially selective comprehensive schools with a cross-sibling rule?

Double-check what the admission criteria say but, from what you say here, it seems pretty clear that your daughter will only get a place at the girls’ grammar if your son stays at the boys’ grammar. Presumably, if you remove him from the school, your daughter would go onto the waiting list with others who have missed the cut-off score and might eventually get a place if the score drops as they offer places from the waiting list.

It sounds harsh, but as others have said, you can’t have it both ways. If you want a sibling place you have to have a sibling at the school at the point of admission.

Unusually, I'm going to disagree with PanelChair.

The Admissions Code is clear that there are only three situations where an offer can be withdrawn:

• the offer was made in error
• the parents have failed to accept the offer within a reasonable time
• the application was fraudulent or deliberately misleading

Nothing there about withdrawing a place because a sibling has ceased attending the school. To withdraw a place on those grounds the admission authority would have to reasonably believe that you knew when you applied that you intended to pull your son out of the grammar school.

A previous version of the Admissions Code was clearer on this point and specifically said that a sibling unexpectedly leaving the school was not a valid reason for withdrawing the offer. But, even on the current Code, this condition in the small print is unenforceable.

Of course, that won't necessarily stop the school from trying. If they do, you may have to appeal to get the place reinstated and there is no guarantee the appeal panel will get it right. I would expect the courts to get it right if it went to judicial review but you really don't want to go there unless there is no other option.

As ever, prh47bridge, you make a compelling point!

I think you are right that many appeal panels (if it reached that stage) would struggle with the notion that a child without a sibling at the school should be given a sibling place, but the current code doesn’t allow any wriggle room.

At one time the Appeals and Admission Codes seemed to be revised, slimmed down, reformulated with every change of Education Secretary. The current one doesn't seem to do anything education-wise; I tend to forget who he is, even though he is my daughter's MP.

Thank you everyone. It's such a shame that I think my DS will have to suffer at school to help DD start at a good school. This secondary school thing is such a stress.

If you want to take your son out of school and appeal if they try to take your daughter's place away I for one will be happy to help in any way I can. But I fully understand if you don't want to take the risk.

Someone should refer this school's admission arrangements to the Schools Adjudicator.