Allocation error - Beaconsfield High School.

[kusanagi]

Just for those of you out there disheartened by today's school allocations: Here is my story.

CAF submitted well over a week before the deadline. 11+ taken during the half term, along with everyone else. DD passed with what i would say was flying colours! All happy so far. So we wait for allocations:
Our choices were as follows:
1. BHS
2. St Bernards
3. BGS
4. Charters.

Allocations notice received this morning read:
1. BHS NOT OFFERED
2. St Bernards NOT OFFERED (didn't expect it to)
3. BGS PLACE OFFERED
4. Charters. NOT OFFERED.

So i assumed that BHS must have been over subscribed, so was happy to go along with an appeal. Until that is we saw the thread with the Allocation Profile, which read the following for BHS

All timely applicants offered and some late applicants under rule c (catchment) to 7.281 miles.

You can understand my stress at this point. After some fantastic advice from S.A we called the Bucks CC admissions centre, who were fantastic, they took all the info and advised that in their mind an error had been made by our local LA. Contacted RBWM who plainly told us to appeal! once we named names at Bucks CC they directed us to email the admissions centre with our details.

The long and short of it, we are still waiting to hear from RBWM, but everyone else has been very positive. Next move, contacting our local councillor.

I wonder if we are the only ones to be caught up by this.

I will post the outcome as and when we hear.

[scary mum]

How stressful for you. Good luck.

[kusanagi]

thank you scary mum. I feel much better after a few PM's with S.A she has been fantastic.

[Booklady]

Hi Kusanagi

The allocation says :

All timely applicants offered and some late applicants under rule c (catchment) to 7.281 miles.

So no out of catchment children should have received offers yet - and then it goes to out of catchment siblings before just out of catchment children.

Or am I reading it wrong (could be taken in two ways I have just realised!!) Did they really offer to all who applied, and then the late applicants in catchment up to 7.281miles? That seems unfair on the late applicants - who may have just moved into the area?

Are you sure your friend is not in catchment also? Seems wrong if she is not as others would come ahead of her surely?

Hope you get it sorted anyway. Good luck!

[Sally-Anne]

All timely applicants offered and some late applicants under rule c (catchment) to 7.281 miles.

Just to explain that in more detail for anyone who is confused by it:

All timely applicants offered

This means that every girl who applied by October 31st has been allocated a place at the school (except for kusanagi's DD - hopefully there are no more cases out there.)

and some late applicants under rule c (catchment) to 7.281 miles.

This part means that one or more girls who applied after 31st October have also been allocated places, up to a radius of 7.281 miles from the school (and within catchment). There are therefore one or more late applicants who have not been allocated places because they live further away.

Sorry - cross-post with you, booklady.

[TraffordMum]

Best wishes for a happy and quick outcome. Allocation Day is stressful enough without mistakes being made.

[Booklady]

Ah - that makes sense now! Thanks SA - and good luck to OP!! I am sure it will be sorted - there's a lot of movement between now and the end - it's just painful waiting (as we know from last year!!)

[ks]

I've also been told of another child has been offered BGS when they were well within the allocation distance for JHGS, again in Windsor and Maudenhead. It would seem that perhaps the final offers from Bucks Had not been processed.

Might be good news for those waiting for BGS places though.

[Sally-Anne]

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

I had a horrible feeling that there might be more cases out there, but I was still hoping against hope that it was a single blip.

If anyone needs to know the form here, it is essentially:

- Call Bucks CC Admissions, ask them to check your distance against the allocation profile. If they agree that there is a problem, take the name (s) of who you have spoken to and ask if you can email them to get confirmation.

- Call RBWM Admissions and point out the problem, tell them who you have spoken to at BCC, then forward the email from BCC to them with your written complaint.

- Speak to your County Councillor to ask them to support your complaint against RBWM.

What a mess, though.

[kusanagi]

We have been in touch with RBWM and they are busy liaising with Bucks CC at the moment, we have apparently caused quite a stir over at BCC this afternoon Can't believe RBWM can be responsible for making such a huge error. If we hear nothing then we'll be on the phone to our local councillor. BCC on the other hand have been so helpful
Thank you to everyone for your support, especially S A