Angry And Upset

[tiggerblue10]

On 16 April I received news that my son had been accepted to my first choice of school which was a relief after the long stressful wait. The school would be a brand new school opening in September 14 and he would be one of up to 90 children to start reception there. Premises had been located at an existing nursery surrounded by extensive playing fields, where temporary classrooms would be built whilst permanent building works would be carried out.

Yesterday morning I received a phone call from the founder of the school advising that the planning permission for the temporary building had fallen through and that all children who had been admitted had lost their place at the school which would now not be opening until Sept. 15.

I am so upset by this turn of events. I have emailed the development department of my council and my MP about my concerns. When I contacted the council yesterday they said that they are looking at all schools in the area to find places for my son and the other children. The 5 other schools I put down as my preferences are completely full and will not take on any more children. I am now faced with the prospect of my son being placed a school not of my choosing.

As I said I have emailed the council and my MP. What else can I do?

[Maydup]

Oh Tigger, what awful news. What would you like the solution to be? If it be a place at the second choice school then lobby for that, if it be to review the planning permission then lobby for that. All I can suggest really is to be really clear when you're contacting the authorities, what it is you want them to do to make it good for this year group of children with no school to go to.

[DaisyNonna]

Local newspaper? Know others in the same predicament? Contact them. How much public fuss can you make as a group?

[tiggerblue10]

This is the email I sent to the council development dept:

I have today been advised by the founder of the ................. School, Mr............, that planning permission has not been granted for the School and that the next set of planning negotiations will now take place in August 2014. As you will be aware this will result in my child, plus a further 80 to 90 children, losing a school place that had been accepted and confirmed through the Admissions process on 16 April.

I am extremely upset and angry with this decision. I also imagine that all other affected parents, carers and families are too. I have contacted the School Admissions team at Croydon Council who have advised that all the other schools I preferenced on the admissions form are completely full. I applied for and was given a place for my child at the .............. School. Under what circumstances is it ever correct to offer these school places and have them accepted whilst all the while Croydon Council would have been aware that planning permission had not been given? This is a totally unprofessional and shows the lack of forethought and consideration amongst the echelons of the Croydon Schools Admissions Team and the Planning Permissions Team.

Croydon Council along with many other councils in London and around the country have a shortage of school places and it is imperative that any request for a new school which has been given the go ahead by the DofE to open be granted planning permission.

I am now faced with the prospect of my child not having admission to a school of my choice and that the council will have to find him a place at any school with a vacancy. This is completely unacceptable. I will not have my child go to just any school of the council’s choosing. That is the whole purpose of the admissions system. If a school place is allocated which is not of my liking, I will place my son into private education and I will be advising the private school that Croydon Council are liable for his school fees.

Why was the ............School entered onto the list of schools for admissions when you clearly knew that planning permission would not be given. Is there no communication between Education and Planning Permission for an educational establishment?This has been a complete waste of time and effort, not to mention the anxiety with the waiting of the results and now the added stress of not having a school place for my child.

I will be contacting my MP. Croydon Council Planning Permissions Team have placed myself and a lot of parents in a very difficult position. To be awarded a place and then have it taken away due to this is completely unacceptable and shows a complete lack of care and consideration.

I look forward to a prompt response.

[tiggerblue10]

I forwarded it to my MP as well.

I have thought about going to the press about this.

I don't have any contact details for the other parents.

[SeaJayPea]

I'd be inclined to copy your post here and the email to your local newspaper and your MP. It's one of the best letters of complaint I've ever read.

[SeaJayPea]

Will the school founder not tell you the names of the other parents? If he or she won't, then an article in the local paper will be bound to bring them out. They'll find you.

[anneasquith]

tigger, im so sorry to hear your news, but I know you will do everything you can to fight this decision.

[tiggerblue10]

Thank you SeaJayPea. It wasn't all my work though. My manager helped me because my head was too busy ringing!!

Actually, I will probably email the chap who wrote this article about the school. Its obviously got names in it which I redacted but I'm beyond caring now:

http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/11097650.Free_school_appoints_headteacher_but_could_open_using_temporary_classrooms/

[Maydup]

Tigger, just before you send it to the MP, think about what you want them to do.

Its an excellent letter but it could be even more effective if, rather than ask why etc etc, it suggested a solution. For example you could demand they redirect funds to the second choice school to allow them to take another class of children. Or, demand they fast track the planning permission to keep the new build on course.

What you don't want really is an answer to your why question: what you do want is a good school place.

[joggerjayne]

It's the scariness of your parents becoming best pals with your BF's parents.

When I was dating Pencil Dick, they never met his parents, I don't think.

[joggerjayne]

Oops, wrong thread. Sorry.

[tiggerblue10]

I've already sent it Maydup. Kind of heat of the moment thing. But yes, you are right, I should have put some more thought into it and made some demands.

[tiggerblue10]

Well JJ, the Councillors who have rejected the planning permissions for the school I would say are pencil *** as well.

[Maydup]

Ok no worries ...give it 24 hours and then if you haven't heard send a follow up email asking for a specific solution. That gets it in front of them again before the Bank Holiday weekend. In the meantime you could always go back to the founder of the new school and ask if he/she is making a planning appeal and whether there is anything you can do to help support a campaign to get this school open on time.

Just thoughts, I feel like fighting it with you Tigger!!

[tiggerblue10]

Thanks Maydup. I've just sent an email to the writer of the article I posted above.

The email I sent to my MP was a "forwarding on" of the one I sent to the development dept with the additional lines of:

"I am writing to you to concerning a situation which has arisen due to planning permission not being granted for a new school that was due to open in September this year. My son was accepted for this school on 16 April, along with 80 - 90 other children. I have emailed the Croydon Council Development Management Team. Please see my email below.

The Advance Free School was entered onto the list of schools for admission when the council clearly knew that planning permission had not been granted.

Croydon Council have now placed myself and many other parents in a very difficult position and as this will have a detrimental effect on many parents, carers and guardians due to severe shortages of school places I would be very grateful for your intervention in this situation".

[tiggerblue10]

When the founder spoke to me yesterday he sounded terrible. I think he's exhausted and the fact that he'd had to call around 90 other families must have been awful for him. I will try and contact him tomorrow to see about some kind of lobbying.

Is it imperative that reception starts at the beginning of September or is there any leeway on this and could it start a bit later?

[rockyracoon]

That sounds really awful Tiggs, you have my sympathies. It's bad enough going through the school rigmarole without this on top.

Unless the law has changed a child doesn't legally have to start school until the term after their 5th birthday, so the school could open for the Jan term.

[tiggerblue10]

I will suggest this to the founder when I contact him Rocky. Good thinking!

[rockyracoon]

Good luck

[tiggerblue10]

Thank you.