Fuck

[Soubriquet]

My dd hasn’t been allocated any of her chosen schools and instead been allocated to one about 30 mins drive away.

I have appealed because we are in temp accommodation and won’t be here for much longer. Problem is we don’t know when we are moving or where.

I did what they asked and applied for school transport anyway whilst waiting to be told we can’t get that either because it’s further than 6 miles….but it’s literally the school they allocated. Again I’ve appealed it because I am honestly stuck. Without the transport, my dd can’t get to school. Im hoping between now and April, other parents would have tried to appeal to other schools and therefore opening a spot for my dd (she’s on the waiting list) but I am truly and honestly stuck.

I’ve contacted them asking for advice regarding the whole moving situation so fingers crossed they can help. There’s not much else you can really do apart from reading my stressed rant. Ugh. Primary school application was so much easier

Ah yes, thank you for clarifying. Have very much got head on September admissions!

Is the nearest secondary school to you 5 miles away?

Yes. The nearest one is 5 miles and therefore on the list of schools we applied for. We didn’t get any on our list and was allocated one we never applied for which is 10 miles, nearly 11 miles away

sounds like a miserable situation. Can you contact your MP? It sounds like you need your housing resolved first, so you can then resolve the schooling.

The council are helping where they can regarding housing. We weren’t supposed to still be here. It was supposed to be a 6-8 week housing but we are still here 6 months later. So stress is high already because we don’t know about the housing situation. This is just a cherry on the top.

We are struggling to get any form of private rental. Every agency wants money we can’t afford plus every property that is ideal quickly goes off the market.

We are on the council waiting list but that is taking a while too

I can't advise OP, but has there been some kind of monumental balls up with secondary admissions this year?

There are 2 schools in the town where I live, less than a 5 minute walk apart.

I know several parents who put school A but were allocated school B and several who put school B and were allocated school A?!

So I think you are in Lincolnshire from what you've said.

This is the Lincolnshire school transport policy:

https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/directory-record/61709/school-and-college-transport-policy

This says they will provide transport to your nearest school or your school in the "designated transport area".

They then reference the Education Act 1996, and direct you to 508. You actually need 508B.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/56/section/508B

That is the part that obliges the local authority to offer transport to an "eligible child".

Schedule 35 then defines an eligible child.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/56/schedule/35B

The relevant paragraphs here are Paragraphs 6 and 7 which note that the child is eligible for transport if "(c)no suitable arrangements have been made by the [F2local authority] for enabling him to become a registered pupil at a qualifying school nearer to his home."

So their policy of only offering to the nearest school is actually in contravention of the very education act they reference so I would suggest you complain/appeal, pull out the relevant parts of the act and tell them to get their act together and offer transport. It may be paying for a bus pass on a public bus but they are still obligated to sort it.

I am lincolnshire yes. And I have appealed but thank you anyway

I guess I meant maybe you will want to reference the parts of the education act 1996 that they are in breach of in your appeal - I would be tempted to send an additional document in summarising it, if you haven't already, because otherwise they're likely to refer back to their own transport policy. Their own transport policy says you aren't eligible (which is why you were presumably rejected in the first place) but also doesn't follow the requirements of the Education Act.

Ah thank you. I didn’t pick up on that. I will make sure to add it to my email.

They are a 30 minute drive away so not sure cycling that far twice a day is acceptable.

Are you honestly suggesting an 11 year old girl cycles 10 miles each way to school, in uniform, carrying a school bag (poss plus lunchbag and pe kit) in the darkest months of the year starting a new school?

And that 10miles isn't even the cycle route length, if there is one.

Definitely no cycle road and there are very busy roads too. It’s the only way into Boston from this direction so extremely busy including emergency vehicles using it regularly as that is where our main hospital is too. I wouldn’t want an adult doing that bike road let alone an 11 year old

OP, a family member of ours moved to Lincolnshire and had to apply to secondary as a late admission, and did not get their first choice secondary as a result (which at 5 miles away, was the nearest school to home address). They were allocated the second closest school which is approx 7 miles away. They were entitled to transport to that school, since they had applied to but been rejected from their nearest school. There was already a school bus going to the 7 miles school from theirs and surrounded villages since (due to a historical reason) most of the kids in the area were already going to the 7 miles school instead of the nearest. However, as they came late into the county and secondary school admission process, the bus was full and there was no space for him! Council provided a private taxi every morning and evening for family member and two other kids without a bus space.

Tbf it’s more than possible that the op is five miles from a school if Boston is 10 miles away. I assume you live towards Spalding @Soubriquet ? Where I went to school! Not that that is helpful. Public transport not great round there tbh.

Yeah I live more towards Spalding. At the moment we live in Gosberton but we are hoping to move a bit closer to Bourne where my dh works. So Boston is even worse

So.. they can get to school. It's just not your first choice. You plan to move house but the LA can't predict that for you. I think you need to breathe and work out the bus route.

All these city dwellers so confident of rural public transport. A quick google shows the nearest train station is in Boston - 10 miles away where the school is. And the first bus of the day looks like it arrives too late for registration.

@Soubriquet I grew up in Gosberton! Yes Spalding is easier and buses were scarce then and probably worse now. Does everyone still sit the 11+ there? Did you list Donington Cowley (or whatever it is called) - that's your nearest school. Or are you looking at the grammar school? Boston from Gosberton by bus on a daily would be a real PITA tbh. But really you need to accept the place, accept the transport, and try to sort out your housing issue - then look where you are and what schools locally have space.

I know! I live in London but I'm constantly baffled by others who seem to have no idea about much of the rest of our country.
In the case of my family member, which I posted about above, there is no train station within 10 miles of where they live and there is one public bus in the morning which skirts the village, but it doesn't go to the town where my family member's allocated school is (7 miles away).
As I said, Lincolnshire county council paid for a taxi for him to school and back. This issue is not for the OP to try and find a way to get her child to the allocated school. She applied to closest school, didn't get in, allocated school is more than 3 miles away and Lincolnshire need to sort the transport out.

Phone call today. She’s number 26 on her first school and number 14 on her second. Will be applying for other closer schools today soon and hoping between now and April she gets in to one of them

Some updated news here.

One, we have been granted the transport to the school they offered.

Two, I’ve had a phone call to make sure I still want to appeal which I do. They have also said she had a good chance in getting into donington which is not a school I applied for initially but it’s better than Boston so I would be happy for her to attend there.

Three, I have my appeal meeting for the school we wanted next Friday. Nervous about that but not too badly. If she doesn’t get into the school we wanted, I won’t be too upset as long as she gets into donington.

We still don’t have a moving date or location as of yet though so that’s still in the air.

Best of luck with it all @Soubriquet. My lovely mum taught at Donington so there’s a recommendation.