Mackers 69

Can anyone help???????????
looking for some advice on sibling priority lists. Have found myself in a difficult situation with my son's school. My older son attends a great school here in Dubai & naturally when we registered him , we registered my younger son on a so called, "Sibling Priority List" at the same time. Unfortunately at the time we registered my younger son , the school did not have any places available in FS1, but we were assured at the time, that as his name was on the Sibling Priority List, that a place would hopefully become available in the future for his Reception year.
Just before Christmas we received an email inviting him for an assessment for Reception, to start in the school year 2011/12. So we paid our 1000Dhs, went & done the assessment, safe in the knowledge that hopefully this meant that he would be offered a place for the new school year.
Imagine our surprise & disappointment, when this week we received an email from the school saying that our son had passed his assessment, but that unfortunately, "Due to the large number of qualified applicants in our applicants pool who have sibling priority", we are unable to offer him a place at this point! & as a sensible precaution we should look for another school to register him at.
I know that the whole school thing over here is a bit of a hot & miss, but we never in a million years thought we would have this kind of a problem with child no 2.
Has anyone else ever had a similar thing happen to them & if so, i would greatly appreciate any advice on how to get ourselves out of this mess.

Thanks:confused

benzonar

I'm blaming Ethos 100% for this thread

Meow

saw the title and thought it was something about putting your children in order of preference. Seemed a bit unfair.

Mackers 69

Yeah cheers mate!

Madam Medusa

have you been and talked to the admissions people at the school...it may be a mistake...i had this situation with my kids' previous school and they hadn't clocked that my youngest had a sister already in the school, he was offered a place immediately after this...

MM, xx

Millhouse

In fairness, I'm not sure there is anything you can do about it - you appear to be looking for a means to jump the queue. Speak to the registrar and explain how you have been on the list for a while.

Does the company you work for hold any debentures?

Otherwise I think the advice is what they have told you... look for another school.

Madam Medusa

but siblings are the number one priority, it's not a case of jumping the queue at all...it's a total pain in the arse if you have kids at more than one school...pick up and drop off would be a mare...

MM, xx

Millhouse

Totally agree... but:

"Due to the large number of qualified applicants in our applicants pool who have sibling priority"

Seems to suggest there is more than a classroom full of siblings waiting on the VIP list in which case you are jumping. Don't get me wrong, I would try the same as you never know - and everyone else will be at it too. However, the practical advice is to prepare for the worse and look at alternatives before it's too late.

Madam Medusa

hmmmm, i find it very hard to believe that a whole year is taken up by kids with siblings...if there is no place, i guess i'd be looking at changing schools for them both, lol...

MM, xx

Mackers 69

Got a meeting with the director of admissions next week, so fingers crossed it has just been a mistake. If not , it just get's right under my skin the way they are happy to take your money for the assessment stage,when they have no intention of offering your child a place.
They should be wearing bloody masks!

Mackers 69

honestly not trying to jump any queue, have seen some of the other mothers in action in the admissions office, almost demanding a place. I just put my little man's name down on the list last year & just hoped for the best & hoped that it would be handled fairly. As i already mentioned, i think the thing that really pisses me off, is taking your money to do the assessment when they know full well that they do not have a place available. But as i am realising they will do anything to get your money off you over here!
Back to the drawing board i guess & trying to find the elusive school place!

Hello.Kitty

it sounds like they've forgotten your youngest is on the siblings list. No guarantee, of course, but a face-to-face conversation and a bit of a hint that if there's no place, you want you registration and assessment money back and will take your eldest out.

There's also nothing wrong with trying to shoehorn your way in. It's a fight that I am so relieved I don't have to worry about!

Mackers 69

Thanks, i know i really didnt want to have to become that person, who has to resort to dirty tactics to get there child into a half decent school, but it looks like it is going to have to go down that road.

Ethos83

Whoa, why?


I have the same attitude as my parents did regarding finding school places. The more zeros on your cheque the better the odds of jumping the queue and getting an offer.

Hello.Kitty

I think it's sadly just one of those things here that if you don't someone else will.