Getting a Place in another LAs High School ??

[RockinHippy]

After appeals/Allocations ???

Anyone have any experience of this sort of thing ???

Background - complicated lottery system in our LA - we lost our medical grounds school appeal, still don't fully understand why, currently have LGO complaint going on - but LA are digging their heels in & it's a long winded process that at the end, could still leave DD without a high school to go to

Allocated school way too far away - by bus - also worst local school in a lot of ways, not at all suitable for DD whose EDS & POTs related symptoms include chronic fatigue, travel sickness & anxiety & more - it's also now an academy & starts the day earlier, notorious for bullying etc, was a failing school until academy chain buy out

Home school currently our only real option if we get nowhere with the complaint - but not good for either DD or I, both have health problems, she's very bright & recent bout of HE saw her health improve, but she became very withdrawn socially - fresh start at new primary has brought her back & she is happy & thriving - but petrified of going back to what she experienced with old primary - bullying, injuries etc

Friend whose daughter goes there & also suffers with anxiety, (though for different reasons) suggested we check out a school in another town, insisted journey was easy & it is a fantastic school - journey is easier than I would have ever guessed - it's a short train ride.

DD doesn't get sick on trains - short walk on the flat at the other end & it's an outstanding school, with outstanding pastoral care & specialisms that suit DD to a tee - also has swimming pool access, which could help DDs fitness, also no attendance issues, which we've learnt the hard way means less pressure for DD to be in school when she is too ill - current school is great, old school cared more for attendance records

It's not ideal by a long way, the school we are fighting for is the shortest easiest journey by far, straight bus route & very short flat walk - another school similar distance is a winding bus route, or same bus route & walk up a big hill & not good with bullying - LA don't so far accept that DDs health problems mean she needs the school we are fighting for, sort of in limbo as they accept we need close school, but aren't offering one - both rated good schools for pastoral care etc etc

Turns out the School in other town is an easier, shorter journey, but still a longer day than school we are fighting for & DD will feel it, meaning she will likely need time off school to recuperate as a result, but it is the best next option as all other schools are a similar journey, some more, all by buses & none outstanding pastoral care.

Problem is, school is a different LA, places all allocated & it's full, but not over PAN (local schools all slightly over pan, bar allocated one that no-one wants) - I know they take DCs from our area, as were know a handful who go there, but they had the school down on their preference list & got lucky.

We of course will be applying after allocation & appeals, in theory DDs medical problems mean that the outstanding pastoral care could swing it for her - but not sure if that would work as it's a different LA

Anyone know how this would work ?? - for instance, do we have to apply via our own LA??

TIA

[prh47bridge]

Yes, you apply via your own LA. They will pass the application on to the school's LA. If this school is full up to PAN they will turn down your application. You then have the right to appeal for a place at this school. The fact that other appeals have already been heard doesn't matter. They must still hear your appeal. So it is then a question of whether the appeal panel think your case is strong enough.

[RockinHippy]

Thanks prh4 you have been a godsend with your advice on all of this

Mmm, I was hoping to bypass our LA, so that worries me :(

I'm very nervous of rocking the boat with the current LGO complaint situation, especially as our LA are digging their heels in & our fight is that due to CFS & POTs related travel sickness, DD needs a close as possible school that will support her massive & well founded anxiety over bullying - this school is further away still, which is all they seem to look at - as the crow flies distance, rather than ease of journey.

It also means reapplying to our LA & listing this school as preference, meaning we are listing an out of catchment school again - which we know from the farce of a situation we find ourselves in, means the LA can offer us any school they like - which will no doubt be the one we have already turned down, as it's the only one with spaces locally

Would you know if there is a limit as to how many times you can apply fir school places ?? I'm thinking if it didn't affect our current LGO complaint situation & we did reapply listing this school as second choice & lost, we could then reapply with just the 2 in catchment schools

Cripes - it's a minefield isn't it

[titchy]

Your lea only acts as a messenger for the other lea though. It's the other lea that decides whether they are able to offer you a place.

[prh47bridge]

As Titchy says, your LA is only acting as a messenger. They must pass on your application to the other LA. And if this school offers you a place your LA must pass that offer on to you unless they are able to offer you a place at a higher choice school. They cannot just offer you the same school again without going through that process. Having said that, if this school is full you won't get an offer there anyway. But once you've been rejected for a place at that school you can appeal. The appeal will be dealt with by that school's admission authority (i.e. their LA or the school itself depending on the type of school). Your LA will not be involved in the appeal at all.

There is no legal limit as to how many times you can apply.

[RockinHippy]

Thank You, both of you :)


I'm hoping this also means I can appeal for our first chosen school again too, if I re-apply listing just these 2 - as thanks to AMAZE, I will have legal help for another appeal there - still hoping the LGO can come through with a second appeal hearing sooner though, but need a back up plan

DD finished school yesterday & its hit her like a ton of bricks that she has no school to go to at all, she is petrified, as she has enjoyed her time at the school we moved her to, so much & loves school again, its awful:(

Though I've now heard our LA are doing even worse things with teenies - 2 sets of Primary school starters - twins split & allocated different schools & LA refusing to back down - they are nuts

[prh47bridge]

Re-applying won't, I'm afraid, give you any entitlement to a second appeal for your first choice school. That can only come through the LGO or if there is a significant change in circumstances.

Regarding the twins you mention, whilst the LA doesn't have to put them in the same school an appeal will not be infant class size so there is a good chance of getting the child in that way.

[RockinHippy]

Thank you prh

I don't actually know either if the sets of the twins, just something I was told by friends working in schools, who are equally Gobsmacked at the situation we are in & concerned with what's going on with our admissions system at the moment - but I hope you are right, as I feel for parents of teenies in that situation :(


I've decided to sit it out a bit longer before reapplying for any schools, I heard back from the out of town school themselves, really nice email, but I think reality is it's a massive long shot to have DD considered for a place there at all & as brilliant a school it s, it's not really ideal for DD anyway as she will still struggle massively with the journey/extra hours added to her day - it's just a better option than the school made available for her by our own LEA at the moment :(

It's scary, I still can't believe with the medical back up we have, that we are in the situation that we are & effectively, DD doesn't have a high school to go to, which she is devastated by, she's putting a brave face on it, but the longer it goes on, the harder that gets :( For the first time in years, she has a good core group of friends, who make it clear they love & respect her for who she is, stick up for her if any of the old lot start putting her down online & who always include her in out if school meet ups & parties, she is blossoming as a result & is petrified she will lose that once they all get settled into high school & she's not there with them :(


The LGO gave the LA up until the 24/7 to respond to my response, to their response to my complaint, I'm confident I made a good argument, but I'm just not confident that they will play fair, they haven't so far that's for sure & they have strung it out to the last minute, thankfully I was warned by a friend who went through this last year, that this is what they do, but I expect I will hear something this week - lets just hope it's good news - I've legal help for a second appeal, from a lawyer who can't see why we lost in the first place, so fingers crossed we at least get that.

We've since had another OT appointment & the people there also cannot understand why DD wasn't given our closest, easiest to get to school, they understand EDSH well & work out if the same building at the Consultant Community Paediatrician, so at least there is some hope there, if the paperwork is passed over to the CCP correctly that is - fingers crossed

Other than that, I'm stumped - do I go back to our MP, who wasn't really much help in the first place - do I go to the press, who have an interest in these stories at the moment & it's certainly worked got others, but I don't think it's what's best for DD, especially not with the bullying issues she's had & some of those kids already taking pleasure in rubbing her nose in it all

Everything seems to hang in this week, just hoping we get a break & it's good news at last, crazy situation it really is :(

[RockinHippy]

Sorry, lost my thread - stress & loud storms getting to me & little sleep

Decided against reapply for now, as I'm worried about giving the LA anything they can use against us & applying for a school so far away, even though the train journey is far easier than to what the LA offer & it's a far better school pastoral care wise & in all other ways, our main argument hangs on the journey time & DDs POTs related travel sickness, so it's probably dicey ground