Son's secordary school nightmare - update.

[Smowball]

Ok, I have finally managed to get his school to sihn their part of the council form to put him on the waiting list for a place at another school, when one every comes up! But the nightmare continues. In Science last week he went to up teachers desk to ask something, got back to his seat and his exercise book, with all of his work since last September, was on the floor ripped to shrehs and covered in water. Nobody saw who did it(yeh right!) and nobody was told off. Went up school next day and was assured that the 3 main trouble makers had been moved to another class. He gets intoday to say that the 3 said pupils were still in his class, and while he was doing his work on sheets of paper( because his book was ruined) one of the girls came up to him and again ripped the paper to shreds. he put his hand up to tell the teacher(who was a substitute) who said to him, oh these things happen. Same girl in Spanish smacked him around the face with a dictionary. There are no places yet in any other school and |I cant home school him - what do I do???

[Smowball]

Am in England. One school told me today he is number 26 on their waiting list and isnt a priority as he has no siblings there, and lives further away than most. The other school he only went on the list today. There are many other schools around but none that I would want him to go to.

[Smowball]

have filled in bothe the council form and the individual schools' IAP's.

[Barmaid]

The waiting list criteria only applies to year of entry. And then only for so many weeks after the start of the September term. ignore his place on the waiting list and go straight for an appeal - when did you last apply for a place at either of these schools?

You need to read the Schools Admissions Code and the Schools Admissions Appeal Code (available from the DFES website). I would post a link but my PC is playing up now.

[Barmaid]

The individual schools do not have an IAP. It is normally provided by the County. They have a statutory duty to allow parents to appeal.

Have you been notified of the date of your appeals? When did you fill in the appeal forms? You need to know how to run an appeal, they can be quite tricky.

[Smowball]

I applied for one school 6 months ago, the one where he is number 26. ironically it was the automatic feeder school from his primary but I decided to go with the local high school to give it a go, as his primary was a distance away and the feeder even further. now he is actually out of the catchment area for it, though I do know of people who go there that live where I live. Second one i only applied for today.

[tonyav]

Smow, why are these little scroats picking on you son ?

[Barmaid]

The only you applied for today when you get a rejection letter you can appeal for.

You cannot appeal for the one you applied to 6 months ago because you are out of time. You can reapply in the new school year and then appeal.

[Smowball]

These girls are trouble makers in all classes, not just with my son, but since he got praised for his work they have been particularly bad with him. The school has a huge amount of difficult children, kids who play up, throw things in class, play their Nintendo DS in class!! It is just a joke.

[tonyav]

Right I get the picture, disruptive little git's who don't like to see other kids doing well.

[d9f1c7]

I find the best way is to beat the culprits to within an inch of their lives but hey I'm a simple soul.

[Smowball]

He has got in today and said girl has come up to him and drawn all over his white shirt with a biro. He told teacher and got HIS OWN name put on board for detention for disrupting class!

[annie0000]

I think my son a similar age to yours smow but he is still in primary as they go to high school a year later here. We have got him in a different school from his class and although the bullying was started by boys in his class a few years ago, it is the girls that have carried it on. I can only think that it must be their gae, but they can be so nasty. I would pull every string I could and just pster and pester until i got him moved - no child should have to put up with that kind of bullying. Please let us know how he gets on.

[Kassee]

Get on to the board of governors and complain to all of them individually about what is happening. The school have a duty of care and they are failing badly. Use the word "bullying" because this is really frowned on almost like "racistism" and it is bullying. Use the word bullying over and over again. Log everything that is happening. Write to the local paper complaining about the school. I would even get on to my local MP and complain - this school is failing big time. Complain to OFSTED - they are supposed to inspect schools and this one is failing.

[Andyvon]

If it were my son I would tell the school that I was keeping him at home until the matter was resolved Smowball. Either they stop the bullying immediately or they offer your son another school.

I'm afraid I've never trusted teachers as they only seem concerned with their own results and league tables. They don't seem to care about the children in their charge now.

[Mosaic]

Not read all the posts in detail Smowball so apologies if any repetition.
If you have the time or family members, take the decision now to home-educate until a suitable school comes along.
In your position and at this time of the school year I would simply keep the boy off school, and write to the head and separately to the chair of governors to state why this is being done.
if you have a few spare bob, look up a personal tutor (eg tutordoctor) to give him a couple of hours a week in core subjects.
Alternatively use this time to buy and enjoy a really cheap family holiday. Only harm will come by keeping your boy at this nightmare place.

[Smowball]

Its so difficult to know what to do. May look into the fees for home tutoring for a while , though I bet its ever so expensive