PLACE OR NO PLACE

[Rustie54]

I have been totally confused by the admissions process for my son in Y6.
I was told that had to go through admissions and the sen admissions will liaise with them as well. We did not get a school as at 15.02.13 as we had a meeting and extended time. On the 1.03.13 we had a place given at our choosen school, then a postcard addressed to our son, welcome to our school and then on the 28.03.13 told sen had given us a school that we had not wanted. Then they took our place away at our choosen school.
Is this legal, can they do this? Thank you

why is he going into a new school in year 6?

Has he got a statement?

Sorry did not explain this well. :He is at the end of Y6 going into Secondary School and he does have a statement,

Just to clarify. We put in admissions forms like everyone else because we were advised to when I queried what we had to do with admissions and then we had a proposed statement start of February. The admissions team said that the Sens team liaise between each other

So you got a proposed statement in February, and you had a chance to name the school. They told you not to?

The statement should name the school in part 4 of the statement. Does it name a different school? The local authority has to have a good reason not to name the school you want....

If a different school has been named you may be able to appeal against this decision but if the statement was issued in March this could be a little trickier as there are normally strict time limits to do this.... I suggest you contact IPSEA for advice. www.ipsea.org.uk

Rustie, there are two different systems at play here.

Under the Schools Admissions Code, they should not have removed the place offered at the first choice school because you had held it for so long. That means that you could appeal the place with the Independent Appeals Service and would likely win.

However, a Statement of Educational Need overrides the Admissions Process. What you need to know is why your first choice school was not given to your DS, when clearly there was a place because he was awarded it under the standard admissions process. Did the LA say the school in question was not suitable?