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Primary education

DD didn't get in because they sent letters to wrong address??!

150 replies

LibertineLover · 19/04/2013 12:26

OK so this is a good friend of mines daughter. We live in a tiny village with one playgroup/pre-school and a primary that goes up to age 11.

My friend has moved 4 times in as many years, and has been here for a year now. She was asking and asking about when the letters for primary would come and I said I couldn't remember,so to ask at playgroup, when she did, they said she should have had the letter last year!!

Turns out they had been sending them to her address 4 moves ago?! so 2 x children that live miles out of catchment area have been given last remaining places. She can't drive, we are reeeeeaaaally rural, and the bloke from council said the schools all around this area were full, so her Dd would have to go in a taxi on her own every day, with no one she knows?!

School says they can only take 14, and they have that many.
does anyone have any ideas? The little girl will be devastated to not go to that school with all her friends from the village.

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AmandaPayneAteTooMuchChocolate · 19/04/2013 12:32

What do you mean, your friend didn't make a school application at all because she hadn't had a letter to tell her to? Did she not realise that all the mums at playgroup were talking about making their applications?

What an awful situation.

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Hersetta · 19/04/2013 12:34

Are you saying she didn't make a school application for her daughter at all?

I think the LEA use the address you have registered at your doctors surgery but I could be wrong in which case it was up to her to update her address.

If no application has been made she she need to make a late application and accepy distant school and stay on waiting list for village school.

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TravelinColour · 19/04/2013 12:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mybelovedmonster · 19/04/2013 12:37

I never got a letter either (god knows what happened to it)...

Why on earth didn't she make an application anyway? Shock

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LibertineLover · 19/04/2013 12:37

No, she was waiting for letter, which (I think) is generated by your playgroup? to give her her preference options, and she waited and waited, she doesn't talk to any of the Mums at playgroup, she's very much in and out, I'm at a bit of a loss TBH that she never overheard anything or asked anyone but there it is.
she is registered with local docs, and health visitor.

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LibertineLover · 19/04/2013 12:39

I know it's a mess isn't it? I just feel so sorry for the little girl, she's already had to adjust to the new playgroup and had finally settled and looking forward to 'big' school, she hasn't told her yet :(

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mybelovedmonster · 19/04/2013 12:39

Oh dear, what a mess.

Letter isn't generated by playgroup (otherwise what would happen to kids who don't go to a playgroup)

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LibertineLover · 19/04/2013 12:40

Who generates the letter then mybeloved?

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mybelovedmonster · 19/04/2013 12:40

Don't panic yet - the ones out of catchment might not accept their places. Has she been on the phone to ask about it?

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Pozzled · 19/04/2013 12:40

I don't think there's anything she can do, except get on the waiting list for the local school. Some authorities don't even send letters, I believe- it's up to the parents to make the application.

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redskyatnight · 19/04/2013 12:41

What letter are you talking about? The LEA don't send out letters pre-se. Pre-schools/nurseries can be used to circulate information - I presume you mean info was sent out via them and it went to their old address.

Lots of people don't get letters though, I'm afraid your friend has been a bit naive in not finding out for herself - wasn't everyone at pre-school talking about it?

In terms of what she can do, she can go on the waiting list for your local school and also on any others that have places. I suspect if she's not applied at all she will need to do a late application first.

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NickNacks · 19/04/2013 12:41

Of course they aren't generated by your playgroup- what about guilders who don't attend one.
Unfortunately it is entirely the parents responsibility to apply on time. If she joins the waiting list though, presumably she would go to the top.

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mybelovedmonster · 19/04/2013 12:41

God, I can't remember - local government?

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Cantbelieveitsnotbutter · 19/04/2013 12:42

We're we meant to have a letter?!
I found the application dates by accident on the council website.
Sorry that doesn't help your friend I know.

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NickNacks · 19/04/2013 12:42

Guilders= children

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mankyscotslass · 19/04/2013 12:42

Here we don't get letters inviting us to apply for primary places at all - there are posters up at play groups and nurseries, libraries and health centres. Parents are expected to realise their child will be rising five, contact the Council and apply themselves.

I don't think there is much your friend can do apart from go on the waiting list. (unless she looks over the admission policy and finds the LEA have mad a mistake)

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LibertineLover · 19/04/2013 12:42

The man from LEA said someone may drop out but it's doubtful. He is supposed to be ringing back, as he couldn't find any school within 10 miles that had spaces.

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Lonecatwithkitten · 19/04/2013 12:42

In our local authority it is the parents responsibility to request the form or download in from the website. There is no general mailing to parents of children of a correct age could this be the case?

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NickNacks · 19/04/2013 12:43

I've never had a letter either. (3dc) You just apply using the online application or ask lea for a paper version.

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LibertineLover · 19/04/2013 12:44

Ours go up from 4 here, and we all got letters with all the schools in our area, and we wrote our top 3 preferences down, then we got another letter to say we had been successful.

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Guitargirl · 19/04/2013 12:46

Am afraid this is not the fault of anyone but the child's parents. Why did they not make an application for their child to start school? We didn't receive any letter to tell us to do this.

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NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 19/04/2013 12:48

It's a stupidly disorganised system in my opinion and there must be many people who fall preyt to assuming the authorities or school will get in touch....and then they don't.

In my home village, the school puts up posters around and about saying "is your child turning 4 in X month?" and then go on to say how to apply for school....but....the area has a BIG traveller population and many women can't read...how the feck are they meant to know?

It's not only that....it's the lack of one way of informing parents about schools and choices and how to apply. Poor people.

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WeAreEternal · 19/04/2013 12:48

The letters are sent by the council/ local education authority.

They are sent to the address which you are registered at the doctors with.

I don't understand how she can have got to April without realising she should have registered for a school place by now.
Even if she doesn't have any friends with children the same age and doesn't speak to anyone at nursery/playgroup she must have hear something somewhere.

It's been on tv/the Internet/news Facebook about school places.
It would only take two seconds to go onto the directgov website and check it out.

I feel bad for her little girl, but really she had nobody to blame but herself.
I know that sounds harsh but nobody can be that naive that they sit waiting for a letter all this time and do nothing else to enquire about it.

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MrsMelons · 19/04/2013 12:48

I have never heard of anyone receiving letters reminding you to apply for school places. I am not sure there is anything she can do other than wait for spaces as it is her mistake.

At DSs pre-school they would remind parents but it was not obligatory for them to do so.

Awful situation for her but I am some what surprised she did not think about it knowing her DD was coming up to school age - the applications had to be in by January I think - I am a bit surprised the pre-school did not mention it at all.

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LibertineLover · 19/04/2013 12:54

TBH As my boy went up last year, I never thought about it, we got the letters, filled them in, sent them back, I had no idea some places don't do this, or that you had to do it for yourself.

she hasn't mentioned it for ages so I never thought to ask, as if you live here, your child goes there (normally!) yes, I guess it is her fault, but a note in her DDs school book at pre-school might have helped her.

she never watches the news either!I asked her what she thought about the Boston bombs two days after, she knew nothing about it!

OK thanks for your thoughts, seems it's a done deal. Thanks though.

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