I am so upset with our local nursery admissions - do I have to be a pushy parent? Post Reply

[HashBrown]

I sent in an application on 10 June for my daughter to start at our local nursery. It is impossible to live closer than we do, so I was sure she would get a place. 

We did a tour the next week and I asked if there was anything else I needed to do or if I needed to follow up. They said no. She was likely to get a place in October. 

In September I emailed them to ask if she had a place (as I hadn't heard from them). No reply. In the meantime, there is a huge banner outside saying "Nursery places available".

I called them today and they had a quick chat with the headmistress and suddenly there is place for her starting 1 November. No mention of her application or any waiting list. 

I know it's silly to be upset because they have offered her a place. But I feel like they 1) just forgot about her application until I called today and 2) she's missed out starting earlier because I am not a pushy mum who called them 100 times about her application. I am not naturally pushy and quite like following the rules and I guess I am also upset that they don't seem to be following their own application criteria. 

Do you just have to be pushy to get your child a nursery place and not have them forgotten about? Is there anyway I can complain about this?

Also please tell me that getting a primary school place is better organised. 

Thank you for reading. 

[Goldhawk]

Is it a 3 years plus nursery place?
Usually you need to apply by Jan/Feb for the following Sept so maybe you counted as a late application

[HashBrown]

Thanks for replying Goldhawk.

Yes, it was a late application. On our tour in June I was told that there wasn't a waiting list and they'd send out an offer letter with a date - I never heard from them again.

They also then started advertising that places were still available for September so I know that they had space.

I am convinced that they just lost or didn't bother with the application.

However your comment does give me how that maybe I fell through the cracks as a late applicant and that they do process on-time applicants fairly.

[dudette]

I don’t think phoning up is being pushy. If you want a quick answer then phoning is always better than email. I agree with you that it sounds like their organisation is sub-par but I think you should have been a bit more pro-active and made a phone call early on. Now you want to complain about it? No point being pushy now! What are they going to do - go back in a time machine and offer you a place in September? They’ve offered you a place. Either take it or go elsewhere if you don’t like the school. A simple phone call would have sorted this out much earlier.