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Secondary education

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

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Original poster

AIBU to feel cheesed off that my son still does not have a school place for when they eventually open

65 replies

choosingcrumble · 12/02/2021 08:39

We've moved back to the UK and we applied for a school prior to moving. They sent the response to the wrong address so I only found out there was not a space when I chased them. I then quickly put in an application for the next nearest school on 17th December. I've still heard nothing. They are an academy. The council said they would chase them last week, still nothing. AIBU to think they at the very least they should have let me know if he has a place or not when they re-open again.
It is for a secondary school place. So sick of it. I get we are in the middle of the pandemic but surely, it isn't a big ask?

OP posts:

Moondust001 · 12/02/2021 15:19

@choosingcrumble

We've been here since December and resident here. He is Year 8

My neighbour didn't get her school of choice - and she applied for it in the March before her daughter was due to go up to secondary school and not during a pandemic. Her daughter then didn't have a school place until the following late October. So if you arrived in December you may be lucky to get a place that quickly.

Original poster

choosingcrumble · 12/02/2021 15:34

@TryingNotToPanicOverCovid
It doesn't right, but it is happening...to me.
All the schools around here seem to be Academies too so the way they handle admission is different. It's the truth, I've applied to the best school, got rejected. Applied for the second school before they broke up for Christmas and still left hanging. I believe the law states 20 school days to reply. What do I do? Kick off with the school and be labeled a difficult parent? We've been through enough the last few months, barely holding it together, I can't face another battle. Nor can I face hostility from the school if he gets a place but they're unhappy because I've been pushy with them. I am literally on the brink with everything at the moment. These people have no idea what they do. To them it is nothing, to me it is huge.

OP posts:

TryingNotToPanicOverCovid · 12/02/2021 15:37

If they have a place they should offer to you yes absolutely be pushy!!! You can't not have your child in school.

The lea should have some provision. You definitely need to push.

NeverDropYourMoonCup · 12/02/2021 15:53

[quote choosingcrumble]@Nith I've applied to every school that is within a reasonable distance that isn't middle schools - i.e the two. The others are more than 3 miles and no transport links and my other child's school is in the opposite direction.
Am I even entitled to interim home tuition? I doubt it. I read on here about lots of parents waiting months for a school place, none of them mention being given home tuition.[/quote]
I wouldn't have thought so when you've chosen to not apply to the other schools in the area.

cashooo · 12/02/2021 16:21

Transport can include taxis, so even if there aren't transport links, the LA would have to provide transport if there are no nearer options. Re the middle schools, I can see why you aren't keen on that option, but the LA might say you need to go down that route if there are spaces, rather than making a secondary take an additional child. Then at least you'd have longer to see if a secondary place came up via the wait list? Might be worth making contact with the middle schools to ask about spaces.

PhillipPhillop · 12/02/2021 16:41

Op there's no need to 'kick off' when you speak to the school! Just ask if there is a place for your ds and if there is, what happens now. If there isn't, contact the council again for schools with spaces. I understand you are stressed but take a deep breath before you call anyone

Original poster

choosingcrumble · 12/02/2021 16:48

@phillipphillop
I was told in December by the school that they had places - they just aren't doing anything about offering me one of those spaces. They told me on 17th December that they had 20 school days to come back to me and due to Covid they would take those 20 days. This has well and truly passed, still they are not coming back to me. I thought they had a legal obligation to offer you a place within a certain time if they had places.

OP posts:

PhillipPhillop · 12/02/2021 17:02

I would just phone them to see how it's progressing then. You never know, they might still be there otherwise you'll have to wait until Monday.

cashooo · 12/02/2021 17:02

They do. But I think there's no harm in politely chasing.
@prh47bridge and @admission might be able to help (I think I failed to tag them properly last time, I'm not very good with site stuff!)

prh47bridge · 12/02/2021 18:13

The 20 school days figure is an invention. There is no set timescale in the Admissions Code for responding to applications. Schools may be struggling with a lack of administrative staff in the office due to the pandemic but they still need to respond.

The LA has a duty to find a place for your son. Don't let them brush you off. Contact them on Monday, point out that your son has been without a school place for over 2 months and ask them what they intend to do about it. Be clear that you will refer the matter to the Local Government Ombudsman if they fail to come up with a place quickly.

You can appeal for any school where you have been refused admission. I wouldn't worry about the lack of previous successful appeals. The fact that your son doesn't have a place and no-one is doing anything about it gives you a good chance of success. Indeed, if you appeal it may prompt someone to sort out the situation before the hearing.

Finally, I wouldn't worry about schools being more than 3 miles away with no transport links. If the LA has failed to find a place at a nearer school they are required by law to provide free transport to get your son to and from school. So go ahead and apply to those schools.

Notcontent · 12/02/2021 18:50

That’s quite appalling. It’s not rocket science, is it - the council should check which schools have places - surely that should only take a day or two. Then they should check if any schools in neighbouring boroughs have places.

Nith · 12/02/2021 19:27

What do I do?

You've had advice on what to do upthread. Not clear why you're ignoring it?

Original poster

choosingcrumble · 12/02/2021 19:33

@Nith
I don't read your advice Nith, everyone else has been kind, yours seem to be laced with poison.

OP posts:

Nith · 12/02/2021 19:36

What???? I've told you about your child's right to appeal, I've told you about the right to school transport, I've told you about the right to home tuition. Since when was trying to help "laced with poison"?

Likeasorethumb · 12/02/2021 20:08

Double check the middle school years as my childs middle school is years 5-8, they move to high school for start of year 9. Presumably though you have also missed the deadlines for high school applications too though. A term at a middle school and then moving to a high school with the same kids wouldn't be the end of the world.

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