Grounds for appealing primary school offer?

property.advert

I looked into this when moving and in truth there are few avenues to explore. Unless they make a mistake, you'll find an appeal pointless in most cases.

I would think about schools when buying a property, if not for me then for resale to someone with kids. The only realistic alternative is to rent a property within the catchment area. Unfortunately too late for this OP.

I think the travel is too far but not sure that is a good enough reason. I would have thought it was but I don't know the rules on time / distance.

Waiting lists are fine but they too go on distance, which is where the problem originated.

silvercar

School transport should provide a bus pass for your child as this is the nearest school with a place available. You may find they run a school bus with escorts. Ask the LEAs school transport team what they propose to do. It may be that they will run a taxi service.

It may that this is the first time someone from your area has been allocated this school, so systems arent yet in place. If they offer a bus pass on a public bus derived, ask them how that will work, whether they expect a 4 year old to travel alone and who will escort the walk at the other end. Ask to see the Health and Safety assessment of the route. ( that usually provokes some action on their part).

flutterby_lil

Gosh you found out early, we don't find out til end of April.

What area are you in?

bylromarha

Maybe this thread can help you?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/391020

NBirdy

flutterby_lil wrote: »

Gosh you found out early, we don't find out til end of April.

What area are you in?

Same here - 20th April. I just checked when I saw this thread and panicked lol!

JoJoB

I'm in Kent.

Thanks silvercar - certtainly will ask to see the health and safety assessment of the route when doing the appeal, that's a great idea, and it's exactly what I'm wondering about the bus pass, it doesn't actually remove the expense part of the equation if I am having to pay my fare to escort her every day! Even if there is a dedicated school bus I think 4 years old is a bit young to go unaccompanied. My friend's son got beaten up on a school bus last year, they are not necessarily safe places!

Then there is a good 20-25 minute walk at the other end. I just don't think it's nice for a 4 year old, just getting used to the really long days at school for a start, to have an hour journey on either side of that school day. She'll be exhausted! Think this is the avenue I will have to push - a tired child will not be amenable to much learning.

Nicki

Won't the school bus have escorts as well as a driver if it is transporting primary school age children. My child has gone on the school bus to and from school since she was 3, and her bus has a driver and a minimum of 2 other adult escorts. Admittedly she has learning difficulties as do all the other children on the bus, but the children who were taxi'd to my son's primary school, also had an escort in the taxi with them, so I'd be amazed if there wasn't some adult supervision on a bus that a 4 year old was travelling on.

74jax

Nicki wrote: »

Won't the school bus have escorts as well as a driver if it is transporting primary school age children. My child has gone on the school bus to and from school since she was 3, and her bus has a driver and a minimum of 2 other adult escorts. Admittedly she has learning difficulties as do all the other children on the bus, but the children who were taxi'd to my son's primary school, also had an escort in the taxi with them, so I'd be amazed if there wasn't some adult supervision on a bus that a 4 year old was travelling on.

What normally happens at the other end, do they then walk the children the 20 mins to school?

Nicki

74jax wrote: »

What normally happens at the other end, do they then walk the children the 20 mins to school?

Where I live the school bus takes the children directly to the school gates, doesn't just drop them at a public bus stop. I think you are confusing two different things: OP can get the normal public bus from a bus stop in her town to a bus stop in the destination town, which is a 20 minute walk from the school, and have the child's fare paid, or there may be the option of a school bus (which the general public can't use), which will pick up from a nearby location to OP's house and drop her child, and any other children from her town, off at the school which they are attending, and pick them up from that school and drop them at an agreed pick up point.

74jax

Nicki wrote: »

Where I live the school bus takes the children directly to the school gates, doesn't just drop them at a public bus stop. I think you are confusing two different things: OP can get the normal public bus from a bus stop in her town to a bus stop in the destination town, which is a 20 minute walk from the school, and have the child's fare paid, or there may be the option of a school bus (which the general public can't use), which will pick up from a nearby location to OP's house and drop her child, and any other children from her town, off at the school which they are attending, and pick them up from that school and drop them at an agreed pick up point.

Thanks Nicki, yes I did completely mixed up. I couldn't work out why a school bus wasn't going to the school, the sun must be getting to me :rotfl: