No Place in Schools?!

Well, we finally made it  over to England last week, after getting hung up for a month in the US with some unneeded drama. I sent in my son's school application the day after we got here. Found out our first two choices of school's were full, so followed the admission person's advice and applied for a new academy that just opened in the next town. Found out today, that school is also full in my son's year. They checked on all the local high schools and all 5 are full in his grade. I'm dumbfounded. So now we are supposed to wait until mid November when they have a meeting with all the local head teachers to see if we can get a place? I don't understand this, at all. How can that be ok to just have kids off school indefinitely?  They just had a meeting the week before we sent in our application, so now we get to wait. Sigh

Don't know where you have located, but seems to me that the School Place Race is a really big problem in a lot of areas. People fight for months -- even years -- to get their kids in the chosen school.
Good luck.

Call the local authority directly and ask them what to do.  Also, if you already have (step) kids in the school that might help your cause. 

School allocations are seriously messed up in the UK. 

On a side note, if he does end up going to an out of catchment school, the authority must provide transport - in a lot of cases that ends up being a taxi. 

Congratulations on making it over SillySprite!  Moving is so stressful.

I'm really sorry to hear about the school situation.    I have no idea what you should do but surely they have to give him a place somewhere?    It really sucks that it might not be for a month or more.  Maybe you could check out some homeschooling materials in the meantime?

Out of curiosity what area do you live in?  As I am wondering if we are going to have a similar problem with school placement.

I have been in constant contact with the county council here, they have been really good at staying in touch with me through all of this at least. They are having my son attend a group twice a week for a few hours. It's not school, or an alternative school, but it's with a teacher and four other kids his age awaiting placement. He starts next week and will continue with that until he is placed in November. It's crazy, I understand people having to wait on their top choices of schools, but I just can't grasp all the schools in this area being full in his year group. They never mentioned any schools any further out of our area, I'm guessing because they can only send the kids so far maybe?

Out of curiosity what area do you live in?  As I am wondering if we are going to have a similar problem with school placement.

I don't think it matters so much where you live, but how full the year groups are for your children. I'm in Norfolk County, Great Yarmouth though.

Wow! 

No advice or experience with schools here in Norfolk (yet), but I just wanted to say that I hope there's a reasonable solution for your son's education...and sooner than later. Sorry you're having to go through this.

We had some better luck! He got in at the same school as his step sister now, so gets to start right after half-term. Whew! We didn't have to wait for the appeal process, they pushed for the school to take him so that is a huge relief. And he looks adorable and all grown up in his uniform! 

Oh yay!    I'm so pleased for you and your son SillySprite!  What a pain, but I'm glad it has all worked out in the end.  I hope everything goes smoothly with the start of school and that your boy likes it there.

Great news! I'm sure it's a big relief for you and your family. Hope he enjoys his new school!

Fantastic news!!!!  It's good to know that the LEA came through for once!!!

Probably helped that there was a family member already at the school. Good news!