Trying to get my kids into a school in South buckinghamshire is proving very difficult! HELP?!

[TLC11]

I have recently taken up a post as a Midwife in Slough. Due to the shortage of Midwives in England I presumed I would be greated with open arms and assisted to settle into a new life there...I WAS WRONG!!!

Firstly trying to rent accomodation is a nightmare. The area I was looking to stay in is Beaconsfield. The cheapest suitable accomodation was a private rental that wanted a deposit of £2500 up front?! I was advised by South Bucks council that I do not qualify for the 'deposit guarantee scheme', 'intermediate rent scheme', 'New build homebuy', and I would be waiting forever on the council waiting list for a home, because I am not currently resident and paying council tax in the area.

The hospital may be able to provide rented accomodation for a 3 month period. But as the accomodation is in Slough...the school catchment area is Slough and not south bucks...which is where the nightmare begins!!!

Aparently no school in the Beaconsfield area that is of a resonable standard is able to place my children!!! I was advised that I would have to move to the area then it may take up to a month and my kids would be placed in the nearest school with an avaliable place. This could involve splitting my two children up which would be awful as my 5 year old has just started school and have ADHD and would not survive on his own without his big sister there who is 9...and exceptionally intelligent!!

So with my son having special needs, and my daughter already performing way above her age group (she is year 5 and has managed to pass the equivalent of the 11+ test in Scotland) I dont want to jepordise any of their educations by sending them to an inadequate school. Equally, I cant afford to have them off school for a month until the council finds a school place for them, and even then...it may not be a school of my choice!

I looked into private schooling but I could only scrape together the fees for one of them to attend. I am also a single parent so funds are limited.

If anyone has been in this situation or can offer any advice I would be so gratefull, I really want this job and a fresh start, but I feel I am constantly banging my head off a brick wall and not getting anywhere!

Thank you in advance! :)

[bednobs]

also i think reading girls school uses the 11+ too.

[boxtops]

TLC - the kids sit 11+ the year before they would go - my niece passed her Kent Test a few weeks back, and will start the grammar school in Sept 2012.

[TLC11]

Hi all,

first I will clear some things up for people who obviously dont know or live in the Buckinghamshire area...the 11+ does exist in Buckinghamshire, and is based on 2 verbal reasoning papers worth 80 marks each. A standardised score then determines the childs final score. Depending on this score the child will be admitted to grammar school or upper school.

Annie, the test I am referring to is known as a diagnostic test and is set by our council, this allows secondary school teachers to know what stage in the cirriculum the child is at, and their strengths and weaknesses. They only gave it to my daughter and a few of her classmates at the start of this term, to plan their workload for the year. I am not trying to insinuate any ''seceret test''. Furthermore, if it ''all seems very strange'' then please feel free to ask me to clarify this ''strangeness'' for you. I also have family support nearby to help with my kids should I require it!

Boxtops - I do not need to start until January, which gives me time to sort everything out...therefore I am doing plenty of research, believe me! If between now and January things didnt work out or were proving impossible...then, well I dont start the job?!

Cath...It seems in the NHS the jobs are there and staff are required, Iv looked into a few different hospitals and all of them the pay is great, but there is always a drawback. This is why London and the South East have trouble with recruitment and retention problems, the jobs are great, but trying to live there is a different story.....

If theres a will theres a way.....

[TLC11]

ps annie....slough and beaconsfield are only 20 mins apart

[TLC11]

boxtops...i phoned the county council yesterday and they say it is october and results come out end nov, so that will be about right thanks.

Bednobs, your answers are certainly not rubbish, you know the area well and I have found your answers to be positive and informing...thank you.

[bednobs]

thanks TLC - don't worry it's a long standing problem between me and buildersmate - mainly due to the fact that most of my answers he seems to have read (in the law section)ARE wrong, i'll fully admit i get most of my legal knowledge from judge judy :) I was just absurdly and childishly please to be able to point out that one of his (usually impeccable) answers was wrong. I need to grow up i think :)

[TLC11]

haha Bednobs...oh dear, what started out as an innocent question has turned into modern warfare on the net! Seriously though, people will clearly know more than others on different topics. These type of websites are here for sharing knowledge!

[TLC11]

hit a button and sent that message before I ment to. As long as its all in good humour thats the most important thing...so bednobs you stay away from the law section and builder you stay away from the education section haha! and me...il stay well clear of the spelling and grammar section (as it is clearly apalling!) haha :)

[bednobs]

problem is, the questions in law are so tempting to answer, i can't help myself. In fact, i wish i WAS judge judy