Are The Authorities Getting Tougher?

[magwich2]

Rather than persecuting parents who are only trying to do their best for their child perhaps the "authorities" ought to be considering the uncomfortable question of why some primary schools are deemed by parents to be so much better than others?

[Tolstoy]

Possibly because of the ridiculously high expectations of the parents.

Nowhere did I read that the school her child was offered was a failing school or substandard, in fact with 5 outstandings it is probably better than many.

She took a gamble and it hasn't paid off I am afraid.

[Marylou]

Agree up to a point, Magwich - and not just with regard to primary schools! I've always felt that councils ought to invest more in finding out why parents are prepared to go to these lengths to secure a place at a school other than in their own catchment area. As a governor of our local primary school, it always bothers me slightly when an in-catchment family chooses another state school over our own. If it's simply for convenience or because the parents feel that a different school can meet their own child's needs more closely then fine - but it's useful to understand why they think this, and if it's because of something they feel we are doing wrong, then we need to know so that we can try and do something about it.

On the other side of the coin, as a parent who has opted for an out-of-catchment secondary school, if we fail our appeal and our younger daughter ends up at the local school then I would expect to be asked why her older sister didn't go there...in which case I intend to be perfectly honest - we did not feel it would meet her needs as well as the chosen school. This would also explain why the local school was not first choice for her sister. If I was head of that school (which is, ironically, just as oversubscribed as our first choice!) I would see our intention to stay on the waiting list for our first-choice school as a challenge and try to prove me wrong...

However to quote from the article:

‘The vast majority of parents who abide by the rules for admission need to know we will challenge any alleged attempt by others to bypass them.’

We have played by the rules from the start and would like to think that admissions departments in our area will, in the interests of fairness, likewise investigate any suspect cases.

[T.i.p.s.y]

The government really need to do something about this. Parents all over the country are desperately unhappy and many very worried about the lack of choice they have. Our local comp has had 7 knife crimes this year and there were problems at our local primary. The ofsted gave it 10 outstandings in areas such as creativity and spiritual development - not for teaching or curriculum standards. So although this women was wrong I don't think we can say parents have unnecessary high expectations. Is it too much to not want to send your child to a school where 88% cannot speak English when they start, have a transient community of pupils and teachers or where pupils bring knives into school? We're not all living in the leafy shires! The above describes my local primary school and I had no option but to home-ed because DS didn't get into any school and we couldn't afford school fees. Many parents are not even in a position to home-ed, so I ask - what would you have done in the same situation? My question is not directed at one person.

[capers123]

As a governor of our local primary school, it always bothers me slightly when an in-catchment family chooses another state school over our own.

We put the local school as first choice, but then prepared to appeal for 2nd & 3rd choices (getting into 2nd choice by waiting list eventually). We didn't particularly want the local school, despite an excellent reputation.

Why? Because I'd had a run in with the new head teacher when I was on the Parish Council - we felt the head was being less than open & truthful on a matter, which indeed later to be the case.

Note, however, that we put that school in 1st position as a fall-back choice, and all the schools in the area are pretty good (although all of very different character to each other).

[Marylou]

we felt the head was being less than open & truthful on a matter, which indeed later to be the case.

That's perfectly reasonable, IMO. Parents don't expect perfection (well, most don't ) but we do expect honesty and a willingness to admit mistakes and shortcomings.

That was a risky strategy, though - you must have been very confident of a place from the waiting list or an appeal win for choices 2 or 3!

[Tolstoy]

The vast majority of people can't afford to live in the 'leafy shires' (in the sense you are alluding to) in this country ditto Kensington in London, Tipsy.

One of the reasons we have ended up with such a vast desparity of standards in our schools is related to parental choice and postcode lotteries plus we now have a situation where a parent may have acted fraudently to get her child into a school because she deemed it better than her catchment school which as I repeat, having been given no proof to counter this, was probably a good school.

I am well aware that there are parents out there who have real worries about the schools' their children are allocated and financially they don't have any other options but to send them there or home ed.

However I agree totally and whole heartedly with the authority in this particular situation. The shame is that they are being painted as the bad guys for having to waste time and money that could be better spent on improving those schools that are failing if it wasn't for people trying to cheat the system.

Just to point out I am not against parental choice persay I just think that it is often an unworkable situation not helped by league tables and the way ofsted reports are published. It has become a competition to the detriment of the education of many children in this country.

Re Capers - that must have been an awkward situation to be in especially with the old system being still in place and having to put it first.

[Loopyloulou]

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[capers123]

That was a risky strategy, though - you must have been very confident of a place from the waiting list or an appeal win for choices 2 or 3!

Not really. The local school would have been OK at a push, and of course, there was no guarantee that I would not have issues with the head at the other two schools.

[raceytracey]

My parents address is very near to the school that we wanted for our DD.
It did cross our minds way back last year to put their address down but to be honest I couldnt have lived with the worry of getting found out plus also unhappy in the fact that we would have taken a place from a child who did live near to the school.

We didnt get the school based on the correct address and are on the CI list which although is a shame at least we can sleep sound at night and not worry that the authorities are sitting outside our door clocking our every move.

I disagree with putting a fake address in the hope of the getting the school of your choice however much you are desperate to get your child in.

However much I disagree with system and boy do I, I think its fraud and it wouldnt surprise me if they do prosecute this mum just to make a point and to stop other parents doing the same.