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A cautionary tale about making your three choices carefully

Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 11:33 am
by Daogroupie
A family we know did not get their first choice school on 1st March but their second choice. The mother was happy with that as she had wanted the second choice all along but had given in to her dc who wanted to go to first choice school with friends. Then last week they were offered their first choice school. The mother turned it down not realising that as she had now been offered her first choice school Herts had taken away her place at her second choice school. Now they have no school.

So if you change your mind at any point after you have applied in October you must tell Herts. And if you get your second or third choice and are happy with it, you must remove yourself from the waiting list of your first choice school where you will have automatically have been placed. Because Herts will give you your first choice because they think it is what you want.

Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 11:46 am
by hermanmunster
eeek. Actually I feel it is unfair - I suppose the woman should have taken the DC of the list but to be automatically removed from the second place school is a touch presumptious on the part of the LEA.

People sometimes get the second place school and after a while (a certain talking it up from aprents etc) get to quite like the idea - get to know other people, buy the uniform, practice the journey etc etc and if then offered the first place might have to think long and hard about it

What is happening in this case?

Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 1:41 pm
by KS10
Thanks, DAO.

That is our situation almost exactly. We really like choice no. 2 which we were offered, our 1st choice being placed at the top because of transport links. We wouldn't dream of changing now and would be horrified if were to lose it because of an oversight. :shock:

Will be on that phone to Herts first thing on Tue. especially as DS is no.1 on waiting list for 1st choice school. Scary stuff!

Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 1:49 pm
by stevew61
Hi,

I am not so sure about this train of events, once a state school place has been offered it can not be withdrawn, unless the process was flawed?

Maybe your LEA has gone rule mad. :?

steve

Re: A cautionary tale about making your three choices carefu

Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 4:32 pm
by Flamenco
Daogroupie wrote:A family we know did not get their first choice school on 1st March but their second choice. . .
I’m afraid all this sounds a bit too simplistic to me, Daogroupie. I’m sure you reported this story the way you’re given to understand, with all sincerity.

But first things first:

Didn’t you say in the first instance that the family in question did not get their first choice school on 1st March? That’s good enough reason, legally and otherwise, for them to accept their second choice school.

In my opinion, Herts have no right whatsoever to take away the second choice school which they themselves offered the family on 1st March, without first consulting the family.

In my time, I had rejected many offers of good schools (grammar schools) for my two DC but before these schools were taken away from me permanently, I, together with my other half, had to sign a form giving consent that we were rejecting the school(s).

So it looks to me here that it’s not the family who’d messed up the situation but Herts. If anything, Herts have now got to give the family the pick of both schools; that's not to mention compensation for causing unnecessary distress and inconvenience. :lol:

Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 4:46 pm
by WP
Looks like Herts have followed the process as described here:

http://www.hertsdirect.org/scholearn/ad ... condwcydn/
IMPORTANT: If you are happy with the school place offered and no longer wish to be considered for your other preferences you MUST "opt out" of the continuing interest process or you may lose the school place allocated. See section 3 below for more details.
If you don't get your first preference you're automatically added to the CI lists of any community or voluntary controlled schools you ranked higher, though you can ask to be put on other schools' CI lists. If you get an offer from a CI list, any lower offer is automatically withdrawn.

Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 6:10 pm
by stevew61
[quote]All children will automatically be placed on the continuing interest (CI) list for any unmet higher preferences at community or voluntary controlled schools e.g., if you are offered your third ranked preference you will be placed on the continuing interest list for the community or voluntary controlled schools you ranked first and second.

Opting out of continuing interest
If you do not wish to remain on the continuing interest lists for these schools you MUST let us know immediately. This is because if a place becomes available and your child is the highest on the continuing interest list, the place will be automatically allocated and your original school allocation will be withdrawn.

IMPORTANT: If you are happy with the school that has been allocated and no longer wish to pursue a place at your original higher preferences you MUST let the local Admissions and Transport team know straight away, otherwise you risk losing the original school place (see below for continuing interest contact details).

To “opt outâ€

Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 6:25 pm
by KS10
Thanks everyone for your helpful posts. Decided I couldn't wait till next week and have just emailed Herts.

Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 7:29 pm
by Flamenco
Looks like Herts have followed the process as described here:

http://www.hertsdirect.org/scholearn/ad ... condwcydn/
That’s quite straight forward and it now seems to me that there are a few safeguards provided for by Herts in the sense that recipients of offers MUST do certain things in order to protect the offer given.

But having said that, I find the following clause needs a bit more scrutiny:
What can you do now? Information about next steps
1. Accept the school place you have been offered by 16 March 2010

Complete the allocation response form and return it to the school where your child has been offered a place by 16 March 2010.

If you turn down the place offered, tell your local Admissions and Transport team what educational provision you will be making for your child. If you do not return the response form and do not respond to the reminder letter, the place offered to you may be withdrawn.

You can accept the place provisionally whilst your child remains on continuing interest and/or you lodge an appeal. Accepting a school place will not affect your continuing interest application or appeal result.

IMPORTANT: If you are happy with the school place offered and no longer wish to be considered for your other preferences you MUST "opt out" of the continuing interest process or you may lose the school place allocated. See section 3 below for more details.


Quote: “If you turn down the place offered, tell your local Admissions and Transport team what educational provision you will be making for your child.â€

Rejoining CI list

Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 1:41 am
by Reader
Perhaps they would be able to join the CI lists again (probably nothing to say they can't as it is so unlikely to happen) while they wait for a response from the Council, who should act in the interest of the child.