Pls help - think I've stuffed up DD's education.

[stripeyknickersspottysocks]

DD only n Yr 4 at the moment so I probably am stressing a bit early but bear with me.

We live in a village about 6 miles away from nearest city. In the city there are 2 comps our end of the city, one is meant to be very good, the other quite crap.

Unfortunately a year ago we took DD out the village primary school as it failed OFsted and was awful. So we moved her to the next nearest primary school which is actually in the next county even though its 3 miles away.

This primary school is very good and we're much happier with DD's progress. Most of the kids at this school go to a different comp in a different town (in same county as primary). It also has a good reputation but I'm aware that DD will be low down on the admissions criteria as we live outside the catchment even though she goes to a " feeder" primary. She will be at Number 7 in the admissions criteria list so I'm slightly worried she won't get in there.

But I was quite happy thinking that she would at least have a good chance of getting into the good comp in the nearby city as plenty of kids from the village where we live go there.

Then someone pointed out to me today that this comp doesn't go on where you live but rather which primary school you attend. Just looked at their website and this is right - they give priority to 8 priamry schools, one of which is DD's old one, the village primary school. Then it goes on distance to school. As we are 6 miles away she won't get in.

I think I'm going to have to move her back to her old primary school to make sure she gets in at the good city comp. How late can I leave it as far as secondary admissions are concerned, do you fill out the forms in Yr 5?

You certainly fill out the forms in Year 6 in this area. How would your daughter feel about moving back, was she happy at the old school?

You would normally apply for a secondary school early in Y6. The exact deadline depends on your LA.

Speak to County Hall.
When we filled in our preference form I put down schools in three different counties! I was worried about messing it up so I spoke several times to the Secondary Schools Admissions person at County Hall and he was very helpful (even though I put our County down as last choice)

She washappy at her old school and I know she'd be overthe moon to go back. But she is doing better at her new school.

I need to ring the LEA tomorrow I think and maybe ring the schools concerned and ask about the chances of her getting in.

At least I realised now and not the week before filling the form out or something daft. Looks like we have plenty of time to move her back if need be. Could always just move her back for Yr 6 I guess.

Are you sure about this? Don't do anything until you've checked because I thought that the primary school attended was not a legitimate admissions criterion. I could be wrong, but that's what I have always thought.

Have a look at the crap comprehensive with clear unbiassed eyes too - it may not be as bad as you think.

Well I've been in touch with both secondary schools. The secondary in the next county says they will accept DD due to the primary school she attends.

The nearer secondary which is the one we think we prefer says that DD won't have a chance of getting in unless we move her back to her old primary. If we do that she is virtually guaranteed a space. They are over subscribed and kids who aren't at a "preferential primary" won't get in unless they live very close. We're 6 miles away.

So I think we'll have to go and have a look round both of them and see which we prefer. I'm just worried that we're going to have to move her back to a crap primary just to ensure she gets the best secondary education.

She'll be happy though as she loved her old school.

''I think I'm going to have to move her back to her old primary school to make sure she gets in at the good city comp''...

I completely understand your reasons for moving DC in first place, but is it the best thing to move DC back to the old school?

It could be dispruptive to DC's education and frienship groups. This manoever might be considered fairly cynical by the old school and parents alike. Will the school have your DC back? And once there, will parents be quite so forthcoming with friendship and playdates etc knowing your reasons for the original move ''their school was no good'' type thing, which has become 'your school's still bad but it's a good feeder for my childs education?'

If you can get a place and brave all that out then go for it, good luck, it might be well be worth it!

She hasn't really made friends at her new primary school and keeps in touch with friends from her old one. So I can't really see play dates, etc being a problem. She's having a birthday party this week and every atendee is from her old school.

I've never said to any parent at the old school that it isn't any good (though I have privately thought that). I was very careful to say it wasn't suiting DD, as I didn't want to upset anyone. It wasn't but in 18 months she's gone from been a year behind to now being in the top ability sets.

Admission regulations change on a regular basis & LAs & schools are supposed to seek input from parents in their area to ensure admissions are conducted in a fair way. If she is only in Year 4 now and is doing well I would not be inclined to move her. You have plenty of time to explain your position and get advice / representation.

You say the desired comp gives preference to children attending eight named primary schools. Have you had a look at the details of these schools (on Ofsted for example), perhaps it may be worth looking at whether the school is taking a representative intake e.g. number of pupils in receipt of Free School Meals (low income familes) by having links with the named schools. Just a thought.

The 8 primary schools are a 50/50 mix - 4 from "middle class" type villages and 4 from council estates in the city.

I think I will definetly get in touch with the LEA next week.

OK, have drafted this letetr to LEA - what do you think? Have taken names out, hope its not confusing with all the XYZ.

I'm wondering if you could help with a problem I have.

My daughter is currently in Year 4 and attends School A in x which is just over the county border in x COUNTY. We live in Y
and she used to attend Y Primary School. We were very unhappy with the education that she was receiving at Y and made numerous complaints to the school and LEA. Nothing was done and we felt we had no choice but to move her.

Its been 12 months since we moved her and in that time she has gone from being assessed at being 12 months behind to now being in the top ability sets in all areas. She has thrived at her new school and I do think that we have A school to thank for the change in her attainment levels.

I always assumed that she would still be able to go to B secondary school as this is where the majority of local children seem to go. However I've just found out that B school prioritise children from certain schools, Y being one of them. I've emailed B and explained the situation and they say that if she continues to be a pupil at A then she is unlikely to get a place at B. She won't be given any preference in allocation even though she lives in Y as she does not attend Y school. As places after preferential primaries are then allocated according to distance she is very unlikely to get a place.

She would be allowed a place at Z but even though its a good school I'm not happy with this as the school bus picks the children up on the wrong side of the A??. There is no way I would be happy with allowing her to cross the A?? by herself at 11 years old, as I work I would not be able to take her to the bus stop.

So as it stands she will not be able to attend any secondary school.

My other option is to move her back to Y school in Yr6 so she can get to the local secondary. I'm just emailing you to see if there is anyway that I can avoid having to do this. I don't want to have to move her back to a school that has failed my daughter on numerous levels and taken no interest in her education. Especially not when she is doing so well at her current school. Is there anyone who could please look into this to see if there is any chance that seeing as she is a Y resident she could be treated as a Y pupil as far as the allocation system goes? I think it would be very unfair and disruptive on her to move her back.

Many thanks

I think you don't need to go into this level of detail at the moment. If it were me I would just try to sound nice & not potential problem material.

Dear Mrs Blah,

Our daughter is due to transfer to secondary school in September 20XX and I would like to clarify the current admission arrangements for schools in the Borough / County of C.

We have lived in Anytown in the County of C since 20XX and would very much like her to attend Lovely Comp, Anycity, within the county as this is the nearest school which we believe will (suit her abilities/ talents / our religious affiliations etc.).

I have heard admission arrangements for Lovely Comp currently prioritise pupils at a number of primary school (? within the Borough). Sadly we had to make the difficult decision to remove our daughter from one of these feeder primaries last year due to unresolved complaints regarding the education she received there. She now attends School A just over the border and, I?m happy to say, is really thriving.

I am now really concerned that by moving her away from the feeder primary last year we may have jeopardized her secondary education. Please can you clarify if there are any special arrangements that would apply in our case as we do live within the LEA boundary and only moved our daughter from the feeder primary as a last resort.

I would of course be happy to furnish you with any further details of our case by phone or in writing. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs Stripeyknickers

Don't write, just phone them. They may be able to suggest some 'unofficial' helpful advice that they couldn't put in writing.

I think you need to be careful of assuming that you can move back to the original feeder primary at a time to suit you. Will there be other parents playing the same game as you, who may nab all the available spaces?

What is your local LEA.I am sure if you look on their website it will explain admissions rules.i would be very surprised (unless it is a faith school) if primary school attended has any bearing on it

We also live near a county border. A few years ago the local primaries were perceived as being "not so good" and a lot of local parents moved their children into the "other" county for primary, moving them back into county for secondary (to go to the Ofsted outstanding very oversubscribed secondary). This had the knock on effect of making the primaries geninuely not so good as it tended to be the brighter children that were taken out. And also caused a lot of headaches for the council in terms of creating enough school places.

Then the secondary admissions criteria were changed to give priority to children who had gone to the local feeder primaries. And "miraculously" there was a influx back into the local primaries. And they improved. And everyone was happy.

(all that intended as back story for those who disbelieve that primary attended has any bearing on admissions).

In your situation I think you may well be correct and that moving your DD back (at least for Y6, assuming she can get a place) may be your best move for secondary. Now she's had the initial burst of confidence building/progress is it possible the school will suit her better anyway?

Normally secondary places are done on where you live and not where you've been to school.

You need to check that.