Advice on waiting lists for primary school

[Womblemom]

My son is 17th and 27th on the waiting lists for our two nearest community schools. Our nearest school is a c of e faith school who accept distance applications. He got into our 6th choice school for Reception in Sept which is a car drive away. We live in London so a car drive is a hassle which adds a huge amount of time to the school day sitting in traffic. There is no public transport near the school so going back to work will be very tough as will need to drive there and back before parking and getting train to work not to mention how I'm going to balance child are for my two younger kids.

My youngest is going to nursery at the c of e school next year so we will have a sibling priority from sept however there is another family in the same situation and places don't come up often.

We didn't appeal at the time as we didn't see the point, it was made quite clear that the council didn't care about transport issues or work difficulties and on what grounds would we appeal, that our house wasn't nearer the school??

After going to the parents intro day at the school my eldest got offered it is really really obvious that we are the only family from out of the area. I will spend my life fighting the traffic to run him up to clubs, parties and play dates rather than walking round the corner to other local kids and activities. I won't have the opportunity to meet local mums in the streets near my house.

The other two local families that I knew who were dumped into the school miles away have since got into local schools.

I feel like my child has been short changed and although this is out of my control I feel like I have let him down as he won't have the relationship with local kids that he should.

I have started going to the church so my youngest (who is a baby) can apply for a church place at my local school I n four years time. I won't have enough church attendance to apply for a church place for my middle child (due to start 2015).

What can I do to get my four year old into a local school?? Any advice help would be extremely welcome or if you have faced a similar problem being assigned a school miles away. I feel so sorry for him, he cannot understand that he won't be joining reception at the c of e school where he's been at nursery this year even though it is 7 mins walk away.

[Womblemom]

Sorry I meant my middle child starts nursery in the local school in sept.

[prh47bridge]

I would check that you really will get sibling priority from September. A child going to nursery does not normally give an older child sibling priority even if the nursery is on the same premises as the school.

If the allocated school is over 2 miles away by the shortest walking route he is entitled to free transport.

The only way you can move your child up the waiting lists is to get into a higher priority category, so your church attendance may eventually help as would moving closer to the school. In the absence of any special educational needs the only way round the waiting list is to appeal but if it is an infant class size appeal that would be very difficult to win. If it is not infant class size you should definitely give it a try. You have nothing to lose.

[GoldiandtheBears]

We didn't get a place at our local CofE school either, we are moving away mainly as we didn't like the allocated school.

Since offers day I would say that it is pretty obvious that the church going families were simply known by the vicar, who is a Governor. I honestly think as long as you were a familiar face any form was signed off with any sort of time span, so I would definitely try again for your middle child.

We moved up 14 spots on a waiting list recently so don't give up hope until Oct I would say.

Horrible situation for you.

[nlondondad]

Obviously as I dont know where you live, I cant apply local knowledge, and of course I could only apply local knowledge if you lived near me...

Feel free to PM if you like.

I can only say that movement on waiting lists does take place, and right up until the first day of term in September if we take the list you are 17th on, there are 16 people in front of you who are very likely, just as you are, to be on more than one waiting list. So for you to get in in the end does not require 17 people offered places at the school to decline of relinquish them as some of the 16 in front of you will get offers at other schools they will choose to accept.

It is a really sifficult and streeful situation for you, I know.

Sometimes places come up as late as the first week of the September term, so even then keep in touch with the school in case they find themselves with a 'no show"