Urgent Help - Year 9 school places for six children required asap

[2010louises]

I'm posting on behalf of a friend who would prefer to remain anonymous, could any one help or offer her advice please ?
"Do any parents whose children are in Year 9 know of any local schools whose classes have room for 1 child (or up to 6 kids) ? My son is being forced to change schools at short notice , he is one of six kids in his year who are in the same situation, all the parents are now scrambling for a school that has spaces available. I have contacted my Local Authority (Bromley) and been told despite classes being full , not to worry as by law the local authority have to find him / them a place, so in the meantime we have to join the waiting lists "

Is this a case of an independent school closing at the end of term? I've always felt very sorry for the children involved in those cases.

The good thing about being in London is that there are lots and lots of schools within commuting range of a teenager aged 13 or 14, so something should be available, I'd have thought, especially in a time of falling rolls.

Very good luck to them. The other (relatively) good thing is that there are worse years for this to happen than year 9. They should have time to settle before getting down to the hard grind of preparing for GCSEs.

Fair Access Protocol means that if there are no suitable spaces (as deemed by the LA not the parent) then after a certain time a school will be directed to take the child.

Boys or girls?

Sorry just saw one is a boy what about the rest?

Bromley? 😂 good luck. Despite it being the law, I know of several children (SEN) who haven't been awarded places in a secondary and still have no place. They're a disgrace.

You need the Fair Access Protocol.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6124ab6ae90e0705410757e8/FAP_Guidance.pdf

Sorry but at this point, with no further info from the OP you’ve made a huge assumption on why this is happening there. You may be right but at the moment it’s just a leap of your imagination until you have facts.

Does the Prime minister usually get involved in cases of permanent exclusion from school? Because that is often a reason for a group in one year all trying to find new schools in one go. Or if a particular gang/County Lines setup has escalated. Or they've been involved in a case of sexual assault.

The LA is responsible for arranging education after the 5th day. Bromley have PRUs. FAP/SIP can instruct/ask schools to take them. Sometimes they're able to work with adjoining boroughs and ask for them to be considered as part of splitting them up.

SEN is a completely different ball game. Thousands of children all over the country with SEN have no school place.

Fair access to education only applies to "normal" kids don't you know. Disability laws don't apply to local council SEN departments.

OP The fair access protocol will get them a place somewhere. If it was an independent, have you looked at Trinity? Easily accessible by bus from Bromley.

Hi, I'm not that familiar using Mumsnet messaging so hoping this message is going to the group who have so very kindly responded already xxx
This happens to be all boys , and yes they are being forced to leave mid term as their families simply cannot raise the extra 20% to pay the next term fee's due 1st Jan 2025
;-(

Hi, yes thankfully my friends son (and his 5 other friends who are also being forced to leave due to the VAT added to education fees ) are all in Y9 so not yet started their GCSE's ... however although I dont know the families personally, I do know for a fact that there are at least 3 or 4 boys who are due to be taking their GCSE's examinations next year and they are all being forced to leave and find a new school, god help them as my understanding is state education follows a totally different exam board curriculum , thank you all x

Boys , thank you

What the LEA have said is correct - they do have to find them a place. Although expect them to move at a glacial pace.

I would be surprised if every secondary that takes boys in Bromley is at PAN for year 9.

However, it's no good asking Mumsnetters if their DC's schools' year 9 classes have spaces. Only the schools can confirm that, or the LA, depending if the school is its own admissions authority or not.

The booklet "Starting Secondary School in Bromley 2024-5" will be on their website and will have PAN, school addresses and a map.

Email the relevant MP as well as it's useful they have an overview.

All 6 boys are having to leave independent education at the end of this term as their parents just dont have the means to pay the additional 20% VAT being added , they all really good kids , they not been expelled !!

All 6 boys are having to leave their school to move into state education at the end of this term as their parents just dont have the financial means to pay the additional 20% VAT being added , they all really good kids , they not been expelled !!

There are definitely places in Bromley, Croydon, Bexley and Southwark. Pretty sure that Lambeth and Greenwich have spaces, too.

What does PAN mean , sorry if I'm being dumb !!

Published Admissions Number ie the number of places in a year group.

All six pupils are boys , thank you

Ok.
So they have school places for this term.
So FAP wouldn't kick on until some point in spring 2025 when they will have been out of school for a period of time.

Presumably correct notice has been given so they are leaving at Christmas? If not fees would be payable to Easter anyway.

They need to apply for any school within reasonable travel time that has a place and then take it up within required timeframe (eg 4 weeks dependent on the LA rules.)

Also apply for any preferred schools.
Once rejected you can appeal.

Oh my goodness nothing like this at all !! All 6 boys are really good kids , they not been expelled , their parents simply dont have the financial means to pay the extra 20% VAT on education so these boys are having to leave at the end of this term and move to state education for the new Spring term in January x

So do some of the non-selective state schools in Sevenoaks. We have a few students travel from Bromley/London boroughs.

Obviously Kent has the grammar system so they may not be eligible for the grammar schools. But plenty travel down from London.

The parents need to ring or email around the schools to see where has space , it’s easiest way to do it quickly. Probably broaden their searches as well to schools further away. Then submit an application with the schools that have space on them