Our daughter has just dropped off the bottom of the Primary Schools Admission process, been eaten up and shat out like a turd.
For those of you who dont know, in the UK we have a system whereby parents are given choices to which primary (ages 5-11) school they would like their child to attend, and there are several criteria, none of which are academic, as to which children get in and which ones dont.
As is the usual, there are good schools and there are bad schools. Unfortunately the nearest school to us (and there are over 40 listed as being in our area for us to apply) is one of the least successful schools in terms of performance and reputation. So like a good parent, my wife and I, when not worrying about the congestion charge, went and visited several schools for a visit. At every meeting with the head teacher they were being informed by the education authority that expected intake this year is going to be lower than previous years. Based on this information we choose 3 of the schools, which sadly we didnt get any of them on our allocation.
In fact we were not consulted, but rather GIVEN a school, which was the closest, and least desirable school we could imagine.
So they writing and reasoned ranting begins again. We intend to appeal to the 3 schools who said no, as well as speaking to our local MP, Howard Stoate and also the Kent Education Authority. It would intake this year has been one of the highest ever seen, so how could they get it SO wrong by reducing the number of places. Education (allegedly) is all about choice, and yes while we were given a choice, I believe it was just smoke and mirrors and our daughter had already been allocated a "cheap" seat months ago.
pete_darby (194.60.106.5)
4th Apr, 2007 14:06 (local)
Good luck with that: as you probably know from my rantings, I think there's nothing more important than education.
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lawbag (86.132.97.107)
5th Apr, 2007 09:24 (local)
For both our daughters we intend to fight to ensure they get a fair education.
I recall you education at home, or want to? Its an avenue me and the wife have considered as well as a local Public Primary School, but at £3,500 per term, it would mean whatever my wife earned, would be spent on Polly.
We intend to appeal all 3 schools, as well as put her name down on the waiting lists, but in the meantime if she ends up in this "less than perfect" school, I will be on the headteacher's case like a bad case of eczema.
The headteacher is a public servant like any other and will be accountable to me like any other...
Like I said at the beginning of this post I didnt want this blog to become a schooling rant, but Im fully expecting this wont be the last one.
I recall you education at home, or want to? Its an avenue me and the wife have considered as well as a local Public Primary School, but at £3,500 per term, it would mean whatever my wife earned, would be spent on Polly.
We intend to appeal all 3 schools, as well as put her name down on the waiting lists, but in the meantime if she ends up in this "less than perfect" school, I will be on the headteacher's case like a bad case of eczema.
The headteacher is a public servant like any other and will be accountable to me like any other...
Like I said at the beginning of this post I didnt want this blog to become a schooling rant, but Im fully expecting this wont be the last one.
pete_darby (194.60.106.5)
5th Apr, 2007 09:27 (local)
Yeah, I do home ed, but that knocks one of us (currently my other half) out of earning.
And yes, the whole "public servant" thing has been lost as NuLab has moved us closer to the Spartan Ideal...
And yes, the whole "public servant" thing has been lost as NuLab has moved us closer to the Spartan Ideal...
lawbag (86.132.97.107)
5th Apr, 2007 13:54 (local)
I take my hat off to you both.
My concern with home education is that the Government send inspectors around to your house to evaluate more harshly the progress of your child, as opposed to the evaluation of the very schools you opted out of.
My concern with home education is that the Government send inspectors around to your house to evaluate more harshly the progress of your child, as opposed to the evaluation of the very schools you opted out of.
pete_darby (194.60.106.5)
5th Apr, 2007 14:09 (local)
They try, they get turned away, I know my rights....
Though they're trying to get the law changed because, err, inspections never stopped Eunice Spry... sorry, I meant, they never saved Victoria Climbie.... oh, what was it again, oh yes, we're dedicated to bringing the world of Terry Gilliam's Brazil to life, that's it...
youts,
Harry Buttle.
Though they're trying to get the law changed because, err, inspections never stopped Eunice Spry... sorry, I meant, they never saved Victoria Climbie.... oh, what was it again, oh yes, we're dedicated to bringing the world of Terry Gilliam's Brazil to life, that's it...
youts,
Harry Buttle.
