Last dates for accepting a private school place?

[hermanmunster]

Up until the introduction of the CAF a few years back the problem was even worse with people getting actual offers of places as several state schools while others got none.
This was because you could apply to several LEAs and take exams in each - and the offers were firm offers unlike the "invitations to go on the waiting list" made to some high scorers from their second and third placed schools.
Meant that there was quite often a lot of dithering and deciding and holding onto places with consequently MUCH more movement in the W/L.

[Looking for help]

In my view it is not fair to the child to accept a place at an independent school unless you can afford the fees for the number of years that the child should go to that school.
So if there is a prospect that dad will lose his job next year then unless you're happy playing games that will affect your child, you should not take the place, unless you have some other means to pay the fees.
And holding onto to a GS place AND an independent place when both may be running waiting lists is just ridiculous, and not fair.
But who said education is fair

You could argue that no one should take out a mortgage unless you were to lose your job!

Yes Tipsy - I agree, but I'd like to think that the wellbeing of our children is very important - it is not good for them to change schools every time there is a change in our financial situations, and holding onto independent school places and GS school places just in case is unfair to all those parents who are simply trying their best for their children, in my view.

[mike1880]

How is it "not fair"? The child has qualified for the places.

As a parent each of us is only responsible for trying to do our very best for our children, as a member of society we have (at a bare minimum) a moral responsibility not to do anything that would be harmful to the others, and hopefully we recognise a responsibility to go further and try to improve the overall lot of society.

It's arguably harmful to others if someone is sitting on a large scholarship or bursary offer which they don't take up, or if they hang on to a place so long that whoever is offered it finds it impractical to take it up.

It isn't immoral, in my own opinion, to refuse to gamble one's own childrens' education or one's own financial stability, simply for the convenience or peace of mind of other parents, by taking time to make ones' final decision. When someone has two offers, they will eventually have to accept one of them and the other will then become available.

Mike

[Looking for help]

I just think it's unfair, that holding onto 2 places prevents someone else from getting either.

And holding on to a place till after appeals have been heard means that the school could end up proving prejudice etc but in fact they actually did have 1 or 2 free places, although they didn't know it at the time.

Also it is equally unfair to hold onto a large scholarship that someone else might really need.

I don't think I am asking anyone to gamble their child's education here.

If you have 2 school places and you're happy with either, then its simple - make a choice and allow others in.

But of course, this is only my humble opinion, and others are entitled to disagree.

[Billie]

Thank for all the replies - it does rather confirm my fears. I can see why it's happening , so a plea to those holding more than one offer - make a decision as quick as you can and let the schools know.

I wonder - do the independent sector tell the local education authority someone has accepted a place. The state schools do and so I wonder if the LEA will start chasing those parents with more than one place?

[hermanmunster]

no the independent won't say anything to the LEA - for all they know the parents may be holding more than one Indie place too...

[zee]

I wonder - do the independent sector tell the local education authority someone has accepted a place.

No. How would it work? The indies don't necessarily even know (or care)what local authorities applicants have applied to.

The state schools do and so I wonder if the LEA will start chasing those parents with more than one place?

But the state schools within an LEA are all part of the same process, and in and around London and home counties, all the LEAs share a common application form, so they have oversight. But there would be no quick or easy mechanism for them to get complete and accurate information about applications outside that system.

Similarly, for uni: they have a common application form, but only for UK - they don't know who has also applied to overseas unis.

[Billie]

Thanks... I just wondered because an LEA has a responsibility for the education of the children living within it - it maybe should be aware of which school they are all going to .

[hermanmunster]

Hi Billie

yes it is interesting re LEA and indie schools - when I sent DS to a private primary, I just sent him - no comment to the LEA.
I didn't apply to the local primary but think someone else filled in a form (I had been to look round) ... The LEA sent me the offer of a place at the local primary and I just said no thanks - never had to say where he was going in fact no one ever checked that he was at school! I know that if you home school then you have to "de register" kids from a state school but if they never go in the first place then no one knows..!

[mike1880]

If a state school offer has been accepted the LEA is satisfied that the child's education is being taken care of. If you refuse the state school offered, the LEA wants to know what you propose to do instead (in fact that question was asked on the return slip on our offer letter, I assume the same goes for most LEAs). It's not particularly a concern to the LEA if you accept other offer(s) as well as the state school offer although if they were aware of it they might lean on you.

Note that under the Admissions Code an offer can only be withdrawn in a very narrow range of circumstances (and accepting an offer from an indpendent school isn't one of them) so the grammar school that threatens to do so is simply spouting hot air.

"I just think it's unfair, that holding onto 2 places prevents someone else from getting either."

No it doesn't - it may prevent a specific individual getting a place for a variety of reasons, but someone will get the place, it only delays the allocation.

"And holding on to a place till after appeals have been heard means that the school could end up proving prejudice etc but in fact they actually did have 1 or 2 free places..."

No, if there are places "free" they go to children on the waiting list. This can only happen when the school would be compelled by the panel to go further over PAN if it wasn't for this one child holding on to an offer. I'm not sure how realistic a scenario that is (presumably for actual acceptances to be an issue rather than PAN, it may mean the school already has acceptances above PAN???). And in any case now you're asking the person with two offers to consider the position of a hypothetical child who quite probably doesn't exist when making decisions about their own child's future. You might choose to do that but I wouldn't.

"Also it is equally unfair to hold onto a large scholarship that someone else might really need."

There I agree with you, although I think it probably applies more to bursaries than scholarships.

Mike