Ruby was talking about the ‘Key Stages’ that schools are split into these days. Apparently the big children are in Key Stage 2, then there are ‘Year Twos’ who are in Key Stage 1.
I asked Ruby what stage she was in. She looked at me thoughtfully and announced “I think it is the Dalmatian Stage, or something like that”.
Two children at Ruby’s school are suspected to have Swine Flu.
We will resist the urge to get on the web to buy knock-off anti-virals and face masks. We shall not keep ourselves locked up at home with the windows closed. We shall not deprive Ruby of the fun she will have at the nursery Teddy Bear Picnic (although maybe we should stop her from taking Oscar, wouldn’t want the bear to get ill).
In short we see no need to panic, even though our local rag seems to have lost all sense of proportion and indeed any regard for the facts.
Quote:
"Cases of the potentially deadly pandemic... "
Enough said.
Gazette Live – News – Local News – Swine flu scare at Wolviston Primary School.
Damn!
Curses!
Wailing and gnashing of teeth!
Have you guessed yet? We lost.
The letter arrived this morning saying we were unsuccessful in our appeal, but we can go to the High Court. That would just be a little over the top I think.
We don’t know the reasons for the ruling yet, so I can’t comment on it much, but at least we can begin accepting the decision now.
To add to the disappointment, we heard through the grapevine that one of the appeals has been successful. This is hearsay at the moment, but if it is true I’d love to know the reason for it.
So we now start our about face by talking about how our second choice is actually a better school really, and how lucky Ruby is to be leaving some of her weird classmates behind.
We attended the appeal hearing that will decide the fate of Ruby’s education yesterday. I think we had prepared as well as possible, but it was still quite hard to keep calm about it all.
There were 7 appeals in all for our school and they were all being held on the same day. We were number 4. I get the impression that the case we presented had points in it that had not been raised in the previous hearings. When we pointed out that the plan of the school supplied by the LEA was out of date, there was a comical rustling of papers, raised eyebrows from the appeal panel, and some embarrassed back tracking from the LEA. That alone made it worth while for me. Some discomfort caused for the ‘faceless bureaucrats’.
The Panel also seemed to be questioning the admission number set by the LEA for the first time as a result of our questioning several aspects of the way the numbers are worked out. They also seemed to be pleased to hear that Jane is a full time mum (and so can walk Ruby to and from school like we said we would like), and noted that difference between the cut off distance and our house was pathetically small.
So we have some hope. The panel did at least get right into the detail of our arguments so perhaps that means they consider it worth thinking about.
The decision will have been made now and we await a letter in the next couple of days.
Fingers crossed then.
The long awaited letter from the School Admission Board arrived today. Horror of Horrors, Ruby didn’t get into our first choice school! A few frantic phone calls and we find that Ruby is 0.002 miles too far away to make the cutoff. Great, we need to move a few yards down the road. Being so close does mean that Ruby is first on the waiting list, so if anyone who already has a place drops out, then we are up next (someone please move away).
In order to get Ruby into the school she already attends at Nursery, we will have to go to an appeal. Mucho hard work and heartache.
Now we are very lucky to live in an area where the vast majority of the primary schools are good, and most of them are under-subscribed. We just happen to live closest to one that has very few places (which is why we want her there – small class sizes and it is closest). It would not actually be a really major set-back to have Ruby go to our second choice school. It is still a good school.
This does not stop me being annoyed at the admissions policy however. Basically, it is designed to give the impression of choice, but does not actually deliver that choice in many cases. In Billingham, one can generally choose a school and get into it (with the exception of the one we picked through perversity). This is partly because the town has a lot of schools left over from when the town had a much younger demographic, but also partly because they are all pretty good. The good schools are everywhere, so there isn’t much competition for places. In places less fortunate, there is either stiff competition for the few good schools, or most schools are over subscribed. In these cases, you can ‘choose’ to go to what ever school you like, but in reality will go where the Authority sends you.
Any system must be better than this. A lot of forms get filled in, a lot of hopes get raised, and the child ends up where ever there is space regardless.
Much better I think to admit this up front and just inform parents which school they have been allocated (preferably before they begin any Nursery) and be done with it.
I’d really rather see schools specialise in certain areas then be allowed to select on the basis of their specialism, but I realise that is far too elitist for our modern “one size fits all” society, where giving a mediocre and general education to everyone is preferred to any form of selecting for aptitude.
Update 12/05 Just found out that one of the children who was accepted into our first choice school lives just two doors down the road from us but has been going to a private nursery! Boo and Hiss!
