Spudton

After 3 years on assignment, we will move back to the UK summer 2011. Despite the fact that I own a house in southampton and have a letter from my giant multinational employer confirming I will be returning, the local education authority would not allow us to apply for a school place for our son who will be eligible for reception year (5 years old).
I found a reference in the governments 'school application code' which states that as british citizens, we have the right to apply for a place. After quoting this to the LEA , here is their response.....

"There is no problem in your making an application. The issue is your address and timing of application. The applications for September 2011 start in reception class close on 15 January 2011, At that time you children will be living in France. The distance from home to school – for any school in Southampton – will be massive and you would be unlikely to get a place at any school. The demand for places is expected to be very high and most schools will be oversubscribed. We will only take your Southampton address after you have moved into it. This is the policy we apply to al applicants."

So my question is, does anyone have any advice, failing that, a gun?

dunroving

This is a government school, right?

What would they do if you arrived in the UK the day before term started? Surely kids legally have to be in school ... maybe this just means you can't submit an application until you're in the UK, but what's the worst case scenario - that your child would have to go to another school? Where I live, all the local kids go to the local school - surely that's the way it is in the UK?

(Just trying to understand the situation)

Spudton

Interesting Point. What the government code also says is that the LEA is obliged to find a school place for all children of mandatory school age (from 5). That's all well and good, but that could mean in the worst case an hour commute around southampton.
But what this response in implying is that there are unlikely to be ANY places available.

dunroving

OK, I'm getting the picture ... sorry I'm not helping any but maybe the clarification will lead to some helpful answers.

If you believe the Daily Mail, "immigrants" turn up on the doorstep and fill already-crowded classrooms, which was where my question was coming from - that surely they have to let your kids in if you live in the area.

Of course, the Daily Mail isn't the most authoritative source of accurate information.

Spudton

I'm with you on the daily mail, but maybe they may be a useful tool in this case. 'British citizen refused schooling while nursery kids taught koran etc etc etc'

geeandtee

I don't know if my response will be much help but here goes:

We're currently living in borrowed digs, thanks to a very generous friend. Our son started Secondary School this year. We obviously missed the application period by a whole year. I contacted the LEA, they sent me the form, I filled it in and listed two schools (I couldn't think of any more that were near enough).

My son was offered a place at the nearest school. Luckily, this happens to be a good one. Anyway, my understanding is that the LEA will try and place your child in the school closest to your address. If there is a waiting list of kids who live outside the catchment area, your child will take precedent if she/he is within that catchment area.

I think that's how it works, anyway.

Spudton

Yep, that's exactly how it works. The school we want to apply for is at the end of the street where we will move back to. Some LEAs will accept applications if you can provide proof that you will return for the school year. This jobsworth won't though. Since I'm not in the UK, who can I complain to? The daily mail is becoming a more an more attractive option.

dunroving

I'd suggest that, without being bolshy about it, you either try to find out or ask him/her directly for the name of the supervisor and discuss it with the supervisor.

With things like this, it's sometimes just a case of getting to talk to the right person.

It's easy to get worked up about these things but again, you have to steer clear of the "bolshy parent" tone. In the US, I think you can get away with righteous indignation more easily but in the UK, I think it's more likely to result in an "I'll show him" response, i.e., even greater resistance to being helpful.

Spudton

This is in fact a response from the manager of admissions. .surprising I know given its childish nature (using the "massive" distance from the school to our address in france for the application). I'm sure it had them laughing in the office but I'm wondering how best to use this to my advantage.

Mummy in the foothills

That was a pretty stupid response for him to use, your address in France? You have an address in the area you will be living I wonder if going to the actual school on your arrival would be better.
I never enrolled my Ds I went by the school as they were breaking up for summer and they put his name in for the next school year reception class.

eurotramp

We had a similar problem when we moved back to the UK, they would not take our application until we were living in the UK. Try to find a secondary place for year 7 in a good school in outer London in May. Impossible.

Luckily one of the best schools around was very sympathetic and gave our daughter a space..even when she was on place 38 on the waiting list.
Luckily she was/is a very good student, I guess that helped and and the fact that John was outside the country because of the army he was in before helped.

Its ridicules.. it was not our fault that we were not in England and still they were not giving us a space. We are very grateful to our school...

ExKiwilass

Wow. that is seriously jaw-dropping.

Maybe you should send it to the Daily Mail anyway.

eurotramp

I would not advise it, or you mid find that none of the good schools will be willing to play.

Try to contact the schools directly..that what we did.

LisaP

I contacted the school directly, and they facilitated the process. The headteacher in the end had to refer it to the LEA to rubber stamp it, but by then it was a done deal.

If you can't get him into the one you want, you might want to play the game and wait until you arrive, and then go for a mid-year admission. I think schools leave one or two places free in case parents win an appeal and another child gets transferred there. See how it goes with the Head.

reeni

I called the schools directly too, spoke with the head teacher, asked if they had places etc. Amazingly helpful. They told me that they would deal with the LEA just pop in when we got there, and we'd be fine.