My new school

[hambone]

I am eleven years old and I'm supposed to starting senior school in September. The school I was allocated happens to be one of the very worst in my area. It is very rough, with a bad academic record and lots of disruptive children, so my parents have turned it down. It wasn't even one of my six choices. My mum and dad have been to lots of meetings about it bit so far I still don't know which school I shall be going to . We are very down-hearted. My friends keep asking me which school I am going to and I keep having to say I don't know. There were 17 children from my school who were told they would have to go to this bad school because it was the nearest to where they live( it wasn't even on any of their lists) but after lots of meetings they are now able to go to different schools. I am the only one left. I want to go to university when I'm older but I won't get the chance if I have to go to this bad school because the children there just don't pass their exams. What do you think of this and what else can my parents do? 

[callisto]

hambone...i feelso sorry for you what has our education systemcome towhen they now dictate toyou a school that isnt even on the list and jeopardise your chances of a good education. Your mom and dad are obviously very worried , what did the other parents do to get their children moved? write to your MP this is not right and i know as a mother i would fight all the way..... well done for being strong and good luck with appeals

[nykkieberry]

What a terrible situation. I really don't know what the legal options are here but, as a mother in this situation, if I hadn't succeeded fighting tooth and nail then I would either move into to the catchment area of a different school, or send my child to live (on paper!) at a friend/relative in a different catchment area.  Do you have any cousins at a different school? My friend was in this situation and managed to change his daughter's school because her cousins went there. Just a thought. Stay positive and good luck.

[frizzytwig]

Hambone, if in the event you have to go to this school just keep focused about what you want and I'm sure you will achieve it.  You will always get a couple of exceptional pupils in a bad school and they will go the distance, keep your head in your books and don't get distracted by the other pupils, the teachers will soon realise that there is someone out there willing to learn, after all that is what they want to do.  Hopefully with persistence from your parents you will get into a better school, remember families move all the time so if you don't mind moving half way through you may get a place that way, keep hounding the schools.

[jake-the-peg]

Difficult to say without knowing the details but I live quite close to the county boundary and I have placed my son and daughter with a school in the neighbouring county. If you do live close to a county border that might help.

In any case I wouldn't let this make you think you won't be able to go to university. Even if you stay at this school until you are 16 you can always do A levels elsewhere.

Oh and don't stop appealing you can pretty much continue to apply and appeal indefinately I know of people who were finally offered places nearly a year after starting at the original school.

BTW you spell punctuate and structure sentences very well for an eleven year old! :c)

[milly143]

I was sent to a secondary school that was supposed to be the worst in the area and only had one person from my old school to be with. While it is nerve racking i made friends with a good group of people within days. Even though most people in my year did not bother with the GCSE's, I left school with 9, as did my friends. Although I didnt through choice, most of my friends went on to uni. While it might help to be in a good school i think its largely down to the individuals commitment to suceed that determins how well you do. All I can suggest if you do end up going to this school is to make sure that you do not get involved with the wrong crouds and get stuck in to your work. Im sure your new teachers will be enlightened to find a hard working student from what you have said and they should support you all the way. Good luck!!!

[hambone]

When i said this school was bad I meant really bad. It has to have its own security guards. There are lots of horrible bullies there and the children play truant a lot.Thank you for your comments everybody.I shall just have to hope for the best.

p.s. I have not got any cousins and i live in the suburbs of a big city.

[callisto]

hambone you are not living in britain are you ? the school sounds really bad is there many choices in your locality or are you restricted?

[hambone]

Yes I do live in Britain. There are lots of schools but they are not as near to me as the one that I have been told that I have to go to.Every one in the district knows that it is a bad school and that is why they did not wan't their children to go there.

[sandbach99]

I am not sure how the system works, I wonder if your parents can get a letter of your current head showing you are a hard-working student capable of obtaining good qualifications in the future, are your parents then able to get an appointment  with the local director of education to state your case and show him/her the heads letter.   Try your local councillor and ask your local press to run your story, bad publicity is not what a government department wants and there maybe others in the same position as yourself who will also be in dispair like  you  

[Jules001]

Hambone - I can only imagine how you are feeling about this at the moment, but don't give up hope. If the other children have managed to find places elsewhere, I hope that you can too. You mum and dad can if they haven't already done so get on to ACE http://www.ace-ed.org.uk/ and see if they can help in anyway. I had problems getting my son into the school we wanted, but I pestered the School Admissions Office so much and asked awkward questions that they gave us a place in the end. I was determined not to send my son to the school he had been offered and was prepared to teach him at home if the worst happened. I don't know your circumstances and whether or not this would be an option for your parents, only they could answer that one.

[callisto]

cant believe that this is the society we live in and this type of thing is constantly being allowed to happen luckily i have never come across such bad schools with my children some really good advice has been issued on this thread , believe me lad we are all behind you on this one our hearts go out to you and we hope it allcomes good in the end and they like they did for others send you to a better school. x

[catra1]

I'm afraid I don't know much about the appeals system but I went to a very poor secondary school and as soon as I left I chose to do my A levels at a college with a good reputation (quite a few miles away- nice fresh start) and managed to do well in my A levels. Whilst at the secondary school I found things very difficult due to some bad teaching and constant disruption in lessons. I did ok in my GCSEs ( and even did 2 at a local college in night school/ evening classes). When you apply to Uni they seem mainly interested in your 'drive' and your A Level results I don't think my secondary experience went against me if anything it made me more determined and was really character building. My GCSE results are not the best but were good enough to get me onto the A level courses I needed to do. I eventually got an interview to do a Law degree at Oxford Uni (ok I didn't get a place there!) but I don't think I would have got an intrview if it all hinged on my GCSEs. Also I think if I had gone to a good secondary I may have become a bit complacent and may not have tried so hard to do well. I know that this post probably doesn't help but it's just a different way of looking at things.
Another thing is that my school had such a poor reputation quite a few people left in the first and second years to move to better local schools they had not been initially able to get into...Interestingly all my friends younger siblings (including mine) went to differnt schools as parents as a whole kicked up a stink about the quality of the school!

Since leaving Uni I went back to do another degree, two masters degrees and I am now doing a doctorate

Catra

[callisto]

WELL DONE CATRA, just goes to show people that if you have the ability and work at it you can go far an inspiration to all....xxxxx