This is the reality that Natasha, a mother from Gloucester, recently found herself in. She worked doggedly to overturn the decision that denied her son Sam admission to his first choice schools. Sam had originally been expected to go to Churchdown School Academy or Chosen Hill School. Instead, he now plans to register at Tewkesbury Academy. All of this has led to a collection of frustration for Sam. It has taken an enormous toll, both emotionally and financially, on Natasha and her family’s well-being.
To strengthen their appeal, Natasha collected an array of supportive letters from influential figures in Sam’s life. These were by way of endorsements from his junior school headmaster, rugby instructor, family GP and private tutor. Natasha told us the appeal process was the worst trauma. She compared the emotional toll of the experience to that of losing her father.
I have lost my dad and he is the immediate family that I have lost. Second to that this has been it, Natasha isn’t exaggerating, to emphasize how extremely pained she is about the process of getting into a school.
Throughout the mock appeal, Natasha provided insight, eying a friendly-looking three-person panel with her digital charm. She was convinced that her warnings about Sam’s placement were not given enough consideration. She described how the plan to send Sam to Tewkesbury would cost their family a huge amount of money.
“I’m a working professional with a degree and I am able to navigate through all the paperwork and understand the process but not everyone is able to do that,” she remarked, emphasizing the complexity of the admissions system and the challenges faced by many parents.
Sam shared his personal frustrations over the matter. “Not knowing where I was going was annoying and frustrating,” he said, as he grappled with the uncertainty of his school placement while his peers discussed their own chosen schools.
Linda Cohen, a member of Vassar’s local admissions consortium, addressing many of the issues brought up in Natasha’s testimony before her admissions appeal. “Our admissions team works closely with schools to allocate places fairly and in line with national guidance,” she stated. Cohen agreed that there are still many hurdles to overcome in the admissions process. He emphasized that as a team they monitor the demand for placements in schools and cascade additional capacity as needed.
7 Lastly, Cohen emphasized the need to account for children’s social networks in the admissions process. “More emphasis needs to be put on children’s kind of social group and how that impacts on emotional wellbeing,” she added, suggesting that emotional factors should play a more significant role in determining school placements.
Real families such as Natasha’s are currently moving through these confusing new processes. In the meantime, school admissions continue to be high on the agenda of parents all over Gloucester. It’s a personal story but it’s emblematic of the emotional weight that policy choices can place on the lives of families across the education system.
