Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Secondary education

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

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Original poster

Secondary School allocation day

174 replies

seeker · 02/03/2008 23:06

Is anyone waiting to hear tomorrow?

Just wanted to say it's a horrendous but you're nearly there! And it'll work out all right in the end even if you don't get the school you were hoping for. Good Luck!

OP posts:

UnquietDad · 05/03/2008 15:05

You're right there, ormirian. Happens here too.

ScruffyTeddy · 05/03/2008 17:48

Oh no, terrible news today. Both my choices have been ignored and ds has been given a place at the roughest school in our area.

The one I put down as my first choice is exactly the same distance away from us in the opposite direction. There isn't a huge difference in the Ofsted reports (until it comes to the childrens behaviour) but my first choice school is improving, the other one, is quite frankly a dump and hell will freeze over before I send him there.

Ds isnt a rough child, he couldn't even be described as "boisterous". He goes to a really good primary school yet even there he's been picked on because of his learning difficulties and the way he is generally. He will be eaten alive at this school

I know I can appeal but on what grounds?

swedishmum · 05/03/2008 19:14

That's awful, Scruffy Teddy - I'm appealing. Spent the day seeing ds's HT and CT and speaking to LEA choice advisors and dyslexia people. Are his learning difficulties something you could use in your favour? I used the hell freezing over phrase as well. What county are you in?

QueenMeabhOfConnaught · 05/03/2008 19:46

Rotten news, ScruffyTeddy - I think there is stuff on the BBC site about appeals.

ScruffyTeddy · 05/03/2008 20:57

I just dont know where to start. As crap as my posts on here may be, I can normally write a decent letter. (heck, my job taught me something!).

What do I do? Where do I start. Ds is in the bath now upset because he thinks he's going to be beaten up...and he probably will if he goes to that school .

They think he is Dyspraxic but noone has ever "diagnosed" it. He is extremely sensitive and scared of his own shadow. He wouldn't know a single child at this school as all the other mums in our street have sent their kids elswhere (and got accepted...how do they do that?) His small group of friends from primary are mostly going to my second choice school as they live closer to it..have yet to find out how many got into my first choice school.

Every mum who lives here has avoided our local primary and secondary like the plague because of how rough they are.

QueenMeabhOfConnaught · 05/03/2008 21:01

Try this, ScruffyTeddy.

link

ScruffyTeddy · 05/03/2008 21:16

Thank you very much, ive had a quick flick through and its full of really useful info.

I've already drafted a small letter and can add to it now I know where im coming from and what I should include.

Feeling a little more positive, so is ds. He just asked how my "debate" is going bless him

QueenMeabhOfConnaught · 06/03/2008 08:42

Good luck, ScruffyTeddy!!

UnquietDad · 06/03/2008 09:47

Has anyone got the full national list referred to in this article ?

(National breakdown of stats as to how many got first choice.)

Had a brief google but I can't find it.

Troutpout · 06/03/2008 09:54

think it's here

Troutpout · 06/03/2008 09:54

durrr..no that's last year

UnquietDad · 06/03/2008 09:58

that's useful anyway, trout, thanks.

UnquietDad · 06/03/2008 10:02

My LA is on 94%, which looks good. But I imagine it's skewed because people take a "realistic" approach here in general and often just don't bother applying for the Top 5 secondaries if they are a) out of catchment and b) so far across the city they couldn't get there.

Troutpout · 06/03/2008 10:06

Mine said 90% for last year

Ds didn't get his first choice this year though

Lucycat · 06/03/2008 14:50

Troutpout - did SorenLorenson get her results through too?

So where did your ds get into? Just the initial will do....

Troutpout · 06/03/2008 17:21

Yes Lucy
they are both going to M
we wanted F

Whizzz · 06/03/2008 17:31

according to the data only 4% of pupils did not get into their 1st school of choice in our area - my nephew was one of them
I think they will appeal. The school he has got isn't bad, but it's not as good as the 1st choice - just looking online for help in appealing

MrsGuyOfGisbourne · 06/03/2008 17:37

Did anybody see Toby Young's smug drivel in today's Mail? ( Could not see it online to lnk). Gushing about the wonderful state primary he has found for his boy 'Ludo' and sneering at parents who have paid for what he is getting free. he then makes an enormous leap to assume they are all f=doing it for snobbish reasons rather than educationla ones.
He has a rude shock awaiting him in a few years when Ludo is ready for secondary. London has many wonmderful state primaries - perhaps the majority. Its the secondaries that are dire.

MABS · 06/03/2008 19:55

delighted Pesto

UnquietDad · 07/03/2008 12:56

Anyone got a link to Toby?

annemarie29 · 07/03/2008 13:47

very happy that my son got 1st choice school. he has to travel by train (1 stop) to get there but he desperately didn't want to go to our nearest school. he was scared of being beaten up there which considering how rough the school is was fairly likely. i think too many people don't ask the kids where they want to go for secondary school. it was very important to us that he had a say and was happy with our choices.it's not neccesarily the best grades that count but that the child is happy.

roisin · 08/03/2008 06:37

I disagree about asking the children actually annemarie. We have always been very clear with our children that we are the adults, and we will make the best decision for them. We are interested in their views and will consult them, but it is not their decision. My ds1 is very comfortable and secure with this.

10 yr-olds (when the forms are filled in) left to their own devices will mostly make decisions on secondary schools based on:

What school had the most exciting science demos on open evening
What school dished out the best/most free food on open evening
What the uniform is like
Where their mates say they are going

These really are not the most important factors of finding the best school for the child.

I do agree though that it is important to find a school where the child will be happy.

annemarie29 · 08/03/2008 10:36

not what i meant at all roisin. i didn't mean he made the decision just that i thought he should be allowed to voice his opinion. and he wasn't swayed by any of the factors you brought up..if he had been then he would have told me he preferred the rougher local school. they had the better demos, layed on food and most of his friends parents put them down for that school. but he told me he was happy that i preferred the school he's got because it was a better school and he thought he'd do better there.
luckily for me i have quite a sensible 10 yr old!! i realise this may not be the case with all kids his age but i'm sure he's not the only sensible one out there.

citylover · 09/03/2008 23:04

I agree with you Anne Marie that you absolutely must include the child in the decision making process. My DS is quite feisty and simply wouldn't go somewhere that he didn't like.

I put him in for a grammar school and he knew that he wouldn't be happy there. Fair enough he is the one who has to go there day in day out.

He has actually been lucky enough to get a place at our good local comp which is fine by me! He's very bright and so should do well.

I was forced to go to a secondary school that I did not want to go to. On paper it was the best school (private and highly academic) but the reality was that I hated it, I was like a fish out of water (was a scholarship free place person) and would have been alot happier and better off in the state grammar school.

I am def the adult in our relationship but also know that sending a child to a school because it reflects well on the parents rather than suiting the child is counter productive.

Although my children can sometimes be a handful I also don't want docile children who won't question anything. I see that as a by product of a bright and enquiring mind.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 7