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School Transport
- Thread starter Bob
- Start date
Don't miss lead.
Councils do not decide to allocate places for shits and giggles - I think staffordshire do very, high 90% ??
More often than not it is over subscription, so in many cases it is simply there is no room.
My brother appealed last year and lost and he was working for the council ( different area). But then I know someone who appealed successfully.
No doubt they are based on their own merit. How appeals work for transport I do not know, I don`t anyone who has used or applied.
Councils do not decide to allocate places for shits and giggles - I think staffordshire do very, high 90% ??
More often than not it is over subscription, so in many cases it is simply there is no room.
My brother appealed last year and lost and he was working for the council ( different area). But then I know someone who appealed successfully.
No doubt they are based on their own merit. How appeals work for transport I do not know, I don`t anyone who has used or applied.
Withnail
Well-Known Forumite
After the capture of Stafford Castle in 1643, all the lead from the roof was sent to Eccleshall Castle to properly re-fortify it.
Personally I have never possessed any lead that I might subsequently miss.
Thanks for the insight.
TBF you are quite right that caution is to be advised - i did get a bit carried away - and nothing in life is a certainty.
Ultimately the end of a very long line of the appeals process ends up in a judicial review. No one wants to end up in a court of law on account of it being rather an expensive place to find oneself. This is true for all involved.
So who blinks first?
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Bob
Well-Known Forumite
The nightmare continues!
My circumstances have potentially changed, if things work out there is no way at all eldest child can be ferried to school in one direction and youngest in another every day and night.
My transport appeal has been rejected on the basis of this primary school being closer, child welfare apparently doesn't come into it, one other child locally has also been refused a place on the bus for this reasoning.
With much heartache and deliberation we have opted to put the feelers out for the catchment school, we have voiced our concerns and had them answered, it's an option to try out and at least see how it goes, it breaks my heart but from a logistics point of view we're all out of options.
So I rang the council, catchment school is now over subscribed and apparently even if we get a place from the waiting list transport has been allocated and we wont get a place.
I have no idea what I'm supposed to do now.
My circumstances have potentially changed, if things work out there is no way at all eldest child can be ferried to school in one direction and youngest in another every day and night.
My transport appeal has been rejected on the basis of this primary school being closer, child welfare apparently doesn't come into it, one other child locally has also been refused a place on the bus for this reasoning.
With much heartache and deliberation we have opted to put the feelers out for the catchment school, we have voiced our concerns and had them answered, it's an option to try out and at least see how it goes, it breaks my heart but from a logistics point of view we're all out of options.
So I rang the council, catchment school is now over subscribed and apparently even if we get a place from the waiting list transport has been allocated and we wont get a place.
I have no idea what I'm supposed to do now.
arthur
Nixon Garden Neatness
This is the process I recommend you follow for the bullying – do it formally and in writing and post the letter by recorded delivery – don't email it – don’t hand it to the teacher or the secretary – everything needs to be evidence based including the bullying incidents - if talking has got your nowhere formalise the process.
To start with - have a fresh approach to the bullying
WRITE and ask for a copy of their anti bullying policy
ASK your child how school was each day – keep a diary of anything they say – dates, time and places
If your child tells you of a bullying incident ask the important question of (how did that make your feel) it may seem like a counsellors auto pilot question but the answer is the important part.
You may have done this already but do it again if the bullying is continuing
Book another appointment with the Headteacher – go in prepared with the facts from the diary – ask what action they can take about the incidents. If you are not happy start the formal route – if you have been through the formal route start it again if there are new bullying incidents.
The following process is the formal route and should be followed in stages and only move to the next stage when you have exhausted each stage.
1. Make a Formal Complaint in writing to the headteacher – use the facts from the diary detail the incidents and how it made your child feel. The letter should be non confrontational and be asking them for their help to resolve this matter (there are some example letters on www.ace-ed.org.uk/advice-about-education-for-parents/tackling-bullying
2. Make a formal complaint in writing to the Chair of Governors
3. If the school have a Governing Body they are the last stage of the formal complaints route with regard to dealing with the school
4. You can write to Staffordshire County Council education but they have no power to intervene unless the school have not responded to your complaint in the proper manner (written back to you to tell you what they re doing about the bullying)
5. You can complain to Ofsted if your think the school isn’t being run properly – not adhering to their anti bullying policy
6. You can complain to the Secretary of State for Education
The Schools Complaints Unit
Department for Education
2nd Floor Piccadilly Gate
Manchester
M1 2WD
Contact the advice centre for education Telephone Advice line 0300 0115 142 for support and guidance on letter writing
With regard to the transport issue and attending the same school – I haven't really understood all the facts – so if you want to clarify them or if you want to speak to me about this let me know and you can come to our community project and I'll take the facts and let your know what my suggestion are.
To start with - have a fresh approach to the bullying
WRITE and ask for a copy of their anti bullying policy
ASK your child how school was each day – keep a diary of anything they say – dates, time and places
If your child tells you of a bullying incident ask the important question of (how did that make your feel) it may seem like a counsellors auto pilot question but the answer is the important part.
You may have done this already but do it again if the bullying is continuing
Book another appointment with the Headteacher – go in prepared with the facts from the diary – ask what action they can take about the incidents. If you are not happy start the formal route – if you have been through the formal route start it again if there are new bullying incidents.
The following process is the formal route and should be followed in stages and only move to the next stage when you have exhausted each stage.
1. Make a Formal Complaint in writing to the headteacher – use the facts from the diary detail the incidents and how it made your child feel. The letter should be non confrontational and be asking them for their help to resolve this matter (there are some example letters on www.ace-ed.org.uk/advice-about-education-for-parents/tackling-bullying
2. Make a formal complaint in writing to the Chair of Governors
3. If the school have a Governing Body they are the last stage of the formal complaints route with regard to dealing with the school
4. You can write to Staffordshire County Council education but they have no power to intervene unless the school have not responded to your complaint in the proper manner (written back to you to tell you what they re doing about the bullying)
5. You can complain to Ofsted if your think the school isn’t being run properly – not adhering to their anti bullying policy
6. You can complain to the Secretary of State for Education
The Schools Complaints Unit
Department for Education
2nd Floor Piccadilly Gate
Manchester
M1 2WD
Contact the advice centre for education Telephone Advice line 0300 0115 142 for support and guidance on letter writing
With regard to the transport issue and attending the same school – I haven't really understood all the facts – so if you want to clarify them or if you want to speak to me about this let me know and you can come to our community project and I'll take the facts and let your know what my suggestion are.
Bob
Well-Known Forumite
Thanks @arthur
Eldest daughter has finished first school and is moving to middle school.
Our catchment middle school is where the girl who has been picking on my daughter is going. Our closest middle school is where my daughter has a place.
There is a primary school closer to us than either middle school but it then feeds into a secondary school 15 miles away, would only be for two years and she would have to move back to the middle school system two years after her peer group.
Transport are only willing to get her to the primary school despite it being in a different system. They would pay for a taxi there rather than get her on The bus that goes right by my house.
It would have been difficult enough to manage the school run two kids at 2 schools 8 miles apart) but I now have commitments that make it impossible so I have contacted the council about the catchment school, I’ve been made aware that my daughters classmates are all in the same middle school class except for this one girl who it was felt would benefit from a fresh start and is in a class with none of her peers from the first school (seems odd when according to head there was no issue?????) so though maybe we could see how it goes if my daughter can get in the class with her current school friends.
But apparently because transport has already been allocated it’s too late to get transport to the catchment school so I literally have no idea what I will do next week.
Eldest daughter has finished first school and is moving to middle school.
Our catchment middle school is where the girl who has been picking on my daughter is going. Our closest middle school is where my daughter has a place.
There is a primary school closer to us than either middle school but it then feeds into a secondary school 15 miles away, would only be for two years and she would have to move back to the middle school system two years after her peer group.
Transport are only willing to get her to the primary school despite it being in a different system. They would pay for a taxi there rather than get her on The bus that goes right by my house.
It would have been difficult enough to manage the school run two kids at 2 schools 8 miles apart) but I now have commitments that make it impossible so I have contacted the council about the catchment school, I’ve been made aware that my daughters classmates are all in the same middle school class except for this one girl who it was felt would benefit from a fresh start and is in a class with none of her peers from the first school (seems odd when according to head there was no issue?????) so though maybe we could see how it goes if my daughter can get in the class with her current school friends.
But apparently because transport has already been allocated it’s too late to get transport to the catchment school so I literally have no idea what I will do next week.