Two Homes and school distance

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churchill
Posts: 15
Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2011 10:47 am

Two Homes and school distance

Post by churchill »

My child has been given our last choice Grammar. The one we didn't want!! She shares her time between two homes, (parents separated). We had to put her primary address down which is 8 miles from the school we want. She spends 4 days here. She spends 3 days at the other home which is 6 miles from the school we want. The school we want had a catchment area of 7 miles this year. From her non-primary address she would have got a place at the wanted school, is it worth mentioning this at the appeal?

The school we have been given is 12 miles away from her primary address - a total daily commute of just over 3 hours and over 16 miles away from her non-primary address - a total daily commute of 3 hrs 20mins. I don't need to tell you that she would have to leave the house at 6.30 to catch the first bus.

An adult would find this a long commute, let alone an 11 year old. What do you think is an acceptable daily total commute time?
hermanmunster
Posts: 12820
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: Two Homes and school distance

Post by hermanmunster »

I think you have to look at two pints here: one is the not wanting the GS you have been given, understand the problems of transport but it sounds to me like you did put it on the CAF and hence might be happy for your child to go there - it would be assumed that you had looked at distance at that time.

re the school you want, I presume your DD is eligible academically for that school? If so then is she on a wating list? Do you know whereabouts?
If she is then you can also appeal on oversub grounds - this has to be based on suitabilty for her ie special interests etc,
I suggest you can also mention the proximity of her second home but not make too much of it asreally schools have to stick to one address.
churchill
Posts: 15
Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2011 10:47 am

Re: Two Homes and school distance

Post by churchill »

Yes, it's a tricky one. There are only two grammar schools nearish at 7 and 8 miles away. All the other grammar schools are 12 or more miles away. We put the two nearest grammar schools down obviously, and then 2 of the next nearest grammar school. Yes we did look into the distance of choice 3&4 and that was exactly why we didn't want them! Our HT advised us to use all 4 options - so we did, we were told that over 93% of people get choices 1 or 2, so we didn't think it would be a problem, and you'd have to be pretty unlucky to get your last choice!!! We made sure we selected all grammar as our DD scored extremely highly in 11+ without any coaching/tutoring and has been on the gifted and talented register for 4 years and is given extra provision for her ability, therefore only the grammar schools met her needs in our area.

Yes is on waiting list, they can't tell me where until mid April, where we live is a black hole and this has happened to all parents in this area - so lots of appeals coming from here!

I also put on the SCAF that if we went to another area other than choice 1&2, which are in the same town - that travel to the other areas would be a logistical nightmare. No one seemed to care about that!! but I have sent my original SCAF in with my appeal to prove that I had quoted that in the first place.
T12ACY
Posts: 800
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 9:12 pm
Location: Kent

Re: Two Homes and school distance

Post by T12ACY »

I also think the fact DD has 2 homes isn't at first glance of any relevance (there are a large number of DC in exactly this situation!). You say she spends 3 days at that home, that wouldn't be relevant if it was Friday night and over the weekend for example and become a pointless argument. Of course if it were Tuesday - Thursday then it is very relevant because that is the majority of a school week!

As for the SCAF. The HT will always recommend filling in every place on the form but by putting a school you are actually asking to be offered it if higher options are unavailable, even by adding comments like you have suggested. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I know some parents who have written 'home schooling' rather than indicating they would be prepared to accept a school which wouldn't work for them.

That said, I wish you the best of luck with an appeal if it comes to it.
Money can't buy you happiness, but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.
churchill
Posts: 15
Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2011 10:47 am

Re: Two Homes and school distance

Post by churchill »

I couldn't have put home schooling as that isn't an option. I did however ring the admissions team, who told me if I had only put the first two choices down and not a 3&4, DD would still have been given the same school (4th choice) as it is the nearest school for her abilty with spaces. :(
T12ACY
Posts: 800
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 9:12 pm
Location: Kent

Re: Two Homes and school distance

Post by T12ACY »

.... and home schooling wasn't an option for the people I know who put it but they would not select a school they realised wasn't suitable (so reading between the lines I felt it was more to push the boundaries with the LA who don't really like Home Ed.). Wish I had been so brave!!!

You are entitled to change your mind about how suitable one of your options is in the cold light of day, but you did put it on the list. Had you left it off and were given it you could have said it was never a consideration, but in the situation you are in now of course could say you felt pressure to fill all the 'boxes' and in reality the offered school is not practical.

You need to tailor any appeal to a specific school you want over and above trying to prove how inappropriate the offered place would be. Once in front of the panel you will get the opportunity to show how impossible the situation you have found yourself in is. Eg. 'The school I appeal to is perfect for the reasons x, y and z, and is nearer to home than the allocated school which is totally unsuitable because of x, y and z'.

Good luck!
Money can't buy you happiness, but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Re: Two Homes and school distance

Post by Etienne »

What do you think is an acceptable daily total commute time?
The DFES published a document called "Home to School Travel and Transport Guidance" in 2007.

It included the statement: "Best practice suggests that the maximum each way length of journey for a child of primary school age might be considered to be 45 minutes; whilst a child of secondary school age might be expected to travel up to 75 minutes each way."

I stress that this is general guidance, not a requirement! Local conditions would need to be taken into account (e.g. journeys may inevitably have to be longer in rural areas).
Etienne
churchill
Posts: 15
Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2011 10:47 am

Re: Two Homes and school distance

Post by churchill »

Thank you all so much for the help and advise. I have majored on the reasons why my DD should attend the school that was her first choice, with exact reasons and evidence to substantiate my claims. The other things that I have mentioned above were just to see if they would also be relevant to strengthen my appeal.

All sent off now - just waiting for a hearing date or even better, a place from the waiting list!
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