No space at school for my daughter

belongtojazz

:mad:
Hi, am not sure if this is the right place for my question, but if not I'm happy for it to be moved.

My dilemma is this: I am moving back to Ireland in a few weeks from the UK and brining my daughter with me. I have contacted the local Secondary school in my home village where we will be living but they have said that they have no space in her year (she should be joining 2nd Year) and that they have put her on a waiting list. They are saying it is unlikely that any children will leave the year and that there is other children on the list ahead of her. I have tried the school in the next village and they are also full.

My question is what do I do now? I really don't want to have to send her into school outside of the village as she is a quiet girl who will struggle to make friends and it will be nearly impossible for her if she is not in school with her contempories. Do I have any grounds to appeal even though they haven't officially said no? Is the school obliged to give her a place as she is in the catchement area?

Please help as I can't tell her she has no place at school in Sept as that is one of the main things she is excited about in the move.

Hope this all makes sense and any advice and guidance would be much appreciated

Deliverance

Are there other schools as an option?

belongtojazz

No, it's a small town and only has one secondary school. The nearest other school is about 6 miles away but that is also full.

gaeilgegrinds1

You can appeal but their reason is a valid one. All schools are capped, bar community schools. I know in our school we get names around the time children do their communion so most have long waiting lists. Tricky one really.

belongtojazz

gaeilgegrinds1 wrote: »

You can appeal but their reason is a valid one. All schools are capped, bar community schools. I know in our school we get names around the time children do their communion so most have long waiting lists. Tricky one really.

It is actually a community school, does that help me?

gaeilgegrinds1

Should do, check on educationposts but taught in one before and I know we really needed to find a reason not to let a student in. Get her all ready too as in prepared for it so if they ask for an interview she'll be ok.

Terri26

I am sorry to say this is not true. I teach in a community school. We apparently have to take everyone who puts us first on their school placements IF they meet our criteria (live in area etc) however there is a date for this to be done by. This date is October/November for us. We do have a waiting list and if we get enough on it to make a new class (so minimum 26/27 students) we may then take people off teh waiting list.

smelltheglove

Contact the local td and priest or bishop that is associated with the school. Obviously if there are kids on the waiting list fair enough but priority needs to be given to kids whpo have no other school place rather than a child who has a place in a school 20 mns down the road.

When moving I had similar problems getting my own daughter into school however when the principal realised that we were coming from a different county and would have to travel 50 miles to the school she was in she automatically received the only place ahead of children that were in schools locally. My mother had trouble getting my brother into the local school, also after moving county but she got in touch with the td and board of education and even though she had been told there were no places for him he started school that September. The law is a child over age 5 must be in full time education, which means a place in school must be provided for them.

gaeilgegrinds1

Would appear every community school is different so! Best of luck

January

Unfortunately if there is a waiting list sending her to a school outside the village may be the only option. Where abouts will you be living? If it's Dublin is there a train or bus near that would connect to another school close enough to the stops? Or could you drive her?

It's hard but you can't expect to jump a waiting list because your child is shy and may find it hard to make friends...

belongtojazz

adrieanne__x wrote: »

Unfortunately if there is a waiting list sending her to a school outside the village may be the only option. Where abouts will you be living? If it's Dublin is there a train or bus near that would connect to another school close enough to the stops? Or could you drive her?

It's hard but you can't expect to jump a waiting list because your child is shy and may find it hard to make friends...

The next village school is also full so the only other option will be to send her into Dublin to go to school (we'll be living in Meath) I don't think it is fair on her to have to travel that far. None of the buses stop anywhere near schools so she would probably have to get a second bus once she's in Dublin, that's a lot to ask a 12 year old to do (especially in what is in reality a foreign country to her as she has lived in the UK since she was 2), I won't be able to drive her as I will be working, and if I don't work I will then have to claim benefit and be slaughtered in the AH thread :rolleyes:

I don't expect to skip the waiting list and I'm sorry if it came across that way, what I meant was that this move will be even more difficult for her if she doesn't feel part of the school community and I was looking for options.
If there isn't enough room in the school for all of the pupils who live in the area surely something should be done for that, and parents shouldn't have to make their children travel? That feels wrong to me
I will be appealing to the school once they have provided me a definitve answer and I would imagine all the parents with children on waiting lists will be doing the same. Only by doing that will we be able to make the school see that they obviously need to grow.

January

Sorry I didn't mean it like that! What part of Meath will you be living in? Have you contacted other Meath secondary schools to see if a bus could pick your daughter up in the morning and bring her directly to school?

I had to travel nearly an hour every morning and evening for secondary school at 12 and it was hard but it had to be done...

belongtojazz

adrieanne__x wrote: »

Sorry I didn't mean it like that! What part of Meath will you be living in? Have you contacted other Meath secondary schools to see if a bus could pick your daughter up in the morning and bring her directly to school?

I had to travel nearly an hour every morning and evening for secondary school at 12 and it was hard but it had to be done...

No bother, it can be difficult to judge tone over the net sometimes

Yeah I've spoken to a few schools but either there is no space or no bus for her to use that wouldn't mean a huge walk. When I was growing up there was no secondary school in the village so we all either went to Dublin or Dunshaughlin to go to school which meant that everyone became very cliquey (is that even a word??? ah well it'll do) and i'd like to avoid that for her if I can. If worst comes to worst and she does have to travel we will get through it somehow, I'm just being an over protective mammy who wants it to be perfect for her

January

I know what you mean, and I agree, where I live in Dublin now my daughter will not be attending the local secondary school because, to be frank, it is a disgrace. I'll hopefully be sending her to the one I attended. It is an hour away but it was the best school at the time.

belongtojazz

Yeah the school I want her in seems to have a good reputation which makes it all the more difficult
It didn't really do us any harm having to travel just meant less time messing about in the fields and for Saoirse it may mean less time for her after school activites (she dances and does drama) which she absolutely adores.
Fingers crossed for me that it does work out for her

QuiteInterestin

I don't know much about waiting lists for secondary schools so maybe this may seem like a stupid suggestion but is there any chance you could get her into your local school if she was a first year? You mentioned she's only 12 which seems quite young to be in 2nd year . I know children start secondary school a year earlier in England so have you considered that first year might be more suited to her age group? Also if she's shy and a newcomer to the area she might have an easier time fitting in in a situation where everyone else is new to school rather then joining in 2nd year when groups and cliques will already have formed. Just a suggestion!

belongtojazz

Hi QuiteInterestin, I have considered that and even discussed it with the principal. Unfortunately there is an even longer waiting list for 1st year plus she is just finishing her 2nd year of Secondary school here (yeah she is very young, she's the youngest in her year at the minute:o) but academically she's doing fine, if she was staying here she would be starting GCSE's next year so I know the work shouldn't be a problem to her.

Reading back on my posts it does seem like I'm being very negative to everyones responses. I don't mean to be at all so apologises if I'm coming across like that to others.I am grateful to you all for the suggestions. I think what I was hopng for was you guys to be able to give me a magic script (bean) that I could go to the school with and they would magic up a place for her, and they say you lose imagination as you get older

iguana

I agree with QI, she will be 2 years younger than most of the other 2nd year students. Secondary in the UK and Ireland are very different. In UK they start at 11 in Ireland at 13. Age wise 2nd year in the UK is quite similar to 6th class in Ireland.

QuiteInterestin

Sorry that her starting into first year is a non-starter, if you were really stuck would you consider starting her in sixth class in the local/nearby national school (or would waiting lists be an issue there too?). Would an extra year on the waiting list and her coming from the local national school guarentee her a place in either of the local secondary schools? I know that route might seem a step back academically both in your and her eyes but it might be worth it in the long run. She'll only spend one year in national school here compared to 5 or 6 years in secondary school. Also while she may be up to being in 2nd year academically, her being 2 years younger then her classmates may hinder her socially, as she may feel the pressure to grow up that bit quicker to keep up with her classmates.

Age wise at 12, she still wouldn't be much older than other 6th class children. I started secondary school at 12 and a half and I was the youngest in my group of friends, most of which had turned 13 towards the end of 6th class or in the first few months of first year. Having her 13 starting secondary school will probably have her the same age as most of her classmates. As before its just a suggestion, Good Luck, and hope the move goes well!!:)

BostonB

Only the people in the area, and with kids in the school, and the school iself can give you advice about how likely a place will be created in the local school. This can be quite complex and its different everywhere. If the a place locally isn't created you have two choices.

1) Get a school place away from your home village and commute.

2) Move to another area where theres places in the school.

Personally I'd do 2) having the done 1) as a kid myself.

But of course there maybe reasons you have to be in your home village. Equally perhaps you can live in another area and still be within range of your home village.

belongtojazz

QuiteInterestin wrote: »

Sorry that her starting into first year is a non-starter, if you were really stuck would you consider starting her in sixth class in the local/nearby national school (or would waiting lists be an issue there too?). Would an extra year on the waiting list and her coming from the local national school guarentee her a place in either of the local secondary schools? I know that route might seem a step back academically both in your and her eyes but it might be worth it in the long run. She'll only spend one year in national school here compared to 5 or 6 years in secondary school. Also while she may be up to being in 2nd year academically, her being 2 years younger then her classmates may hinder her socially, as she may feel the pressure to grow up that bit quicker to keep up with her classmates.

Age wise at 12, she still wouldn't be much older than other 6th class children. I started secondary school at 12 and a half and I was the youngest in my group of friends, most of which had turned 13 towards the end of 6th class or in the first few months of first year. Having her 13 starting secondary school will probably have her the same age as most of her classmates. As before its just a suggestion, Good Luck, and hope the move goes well!!:)

Hi, I did consider primary school but she'll be 13 in sept and that would make her 14 starting secondary which really is too old unfortunately.

Thank you for the good wishes I need as many as I can get

belongtojazz

BostonB wrote: »

Only the people in the area, and with kids in the school, and the school iself can give you advice about how likely a place will be created in the local school. This can be quite complex and its different everywhere. If the a place locally isn't created you have two choices.

1) Get a school place away from your home village and commute.

2) Move to another area where theres places in the school.

Personally I'd do 2) having the done 1) as a kid myself.

But of course there maybe reasons you have to be in your home village. Equally perhaps you can live in another area and still be within range of your home village.

Hi there are reasons for staying in my home village which for the moment are non negotiable, it is looking likely she may have to leave the village for school but I am hoping something gets sorted for her which means she won't as that would make life very difficult. I have my fingers crossed and will hopefully be in a better position with the school when we are actually in the village (less than 2 weeks to go eek )

Shelli2

Contact the local TD, you'd be suprised what magical powers they have

Anything to get a vote!!! LOL

belongtojazz

Well I have a small update, we are now living in the village so I rang the school yesterday. She is 3rd on the waiting list for her year and 12th overall for the school. I will know more on the 19th Aug when the principal returns and reviews the list.
The secretary I spoke to wasn't able to give me any indication either way so we're still playing the fingers crossed game

Chuchoter

12 is waaaay too young to be in second year. Academically whatever, the work isn't too bad, but I'd be worried they would be so much more mature than her (not saying she's immature, but most people would start going to discos/drinking in second year, a lot of girls are 15 by the end of second year). I don't know what schools are like in UK, but I can't even imagine being 12 in 2nd year.

If you get your daughter to write a letter to the principal saying why she wants to come that might help your case.

Kooli

crayolastereo wrote: »

12 is waaaay too young to be in second year. Academically whatever, the work isn't too bad, but I'd be worried they would be so much more mature than her (not saying she's immature, but most people would start going to discos/drinking in second year, a lot of girls are 15 by the end of second year). I don't know what schools are like in UK, but I can't even imagine being 12 in 2nd year.

If you get your daughter to write a letter to the principal saying why she wants to come that might help your case.

I was 12 when I started second year, turned 13 in November. It was never an issue. I'm sure it would be for some kids, but the OP will know if her daughter is mature enough.

belongtojazz

Hi all, thank you all for your concern about my daughters age.

She has now turned 13 (teenager aaarrrgggh lol)and I do believe she is mature enough, she has always been the youngest in her class and it has never been an issue for her, so I'm sure she'll be fine

Moonbeam

Kooli wrote: »

I was 12 when I started second year, turned 13 in November. It was never an issue. I'm sure it would be for some kids, but the OP will know if her daughter is mature enough.

12 was the normal age for starting secondary school and a lot of kids still are.

belongtojazz

Well I'm back looking for some more help. The local school have basically said it is a no go they don't have any space and there is 2 children ahead of her in the list to join 2nd year, so it's unlikely she's going to be able to start next week. They were absolutely lovely about it and have said this is the first time they have been in this situation.

I have been trying since Thursday to contact the National Education Welfare Board - North Leinster but they aren't answering the phones and I have been ringing shools which are less than a 40 minute drive from us but again no one is answering the phones, I am starting to get desperate now and have no idea what to do now

Anyone got any ideas?

smelltheglove

Did you approach your local councillor yet? Also the priest? Both these people will have influences with schools, my own brother got in through my mother contacting the councillor, she was in dire situations with seperating from her husband and the councillor was a great help to her in fighting both to get him into school and to get her rent allowance etc sorted.

BostonB

I've just realised you're in Ashbourne. You can pretty much reach all of NW/W Dublin from there. When I was in school there were loads of kids who used to commute from Ashbourne in the City Center everyday. While far from ideal, You could do this as a stopgap until a nearer place comes up. There has to be places somewhere in Dublin. If not west of ashbourne.

Try email as well as phoning, often that get picked up where the phones won't. Likewise try the local parish office they should have the correct number/people to ring on file. You might just have to wait a week or two into the school term as people move around a lot for a few weeks, creating spaces where there were none.