WA Wording help needed for choosing high school

[Newmember2015]

Hi
My ex and I are doing new consent orders as the other ones are outdated. He wants to put something in there about us agreeing on a highschool to send our children to (as he is planning on moving house so wants it local to him) but I want it worded in a way if we dont agree on a school, we dont end up in a stalemate and I can just enrol them at the highschool which their current primary school feeds to.
Any suggestions on wording please?

 

[Newmember2015]

He currently lives in the catchment zone for the feeder highschool from their primary school (which I would like them to attend with their current school friends) but he is looking at moving out of that area. The local highschool in my catchment zone isnt as good and none of their friends would be going there.
I have them 9 out of 14 nights.

 

[AllForHer]

So, you basically want veto powers if he doesn't agree with the school you've picked?

 

[Newmember2015]

I've written in my draft that we meet before the end of school term 4 this year to discuss highschools and if we cant come to an agreement when then go to a mediator before the end of school term 1 in 2018 (which we have already done, both came to an agreement and then he reneged the next week) and then if still not agreeing we go to Family Court.
Just want to know if this is reasonable and not shooting myself in the foot.....

 

[AllForHer]

Ah, okay. It's a reasonable pathway for resolving the dispute in theory, though I suppose in practice, it's going to take far longer to get to an outcome if it's actually followed, potentially up to two or three years, and I'm guessing that's not going to work with your son's educational outlook.

You could include an Event A option and an Event B option - if dad remains living in X, then child attends school Y or as otherwise agreed, or if dad relocates from X, then the parents agree to attend mediation and if agreement can't be reached, then child attends school Y until an alternative is agreed or a further parenting order is made by the Court.

The reason I suggest some kind of conclusive order that stipulates the actual school rather than a pathway to resolve a dispute about the school, is because it's best to avoid including consent orders that might land you back in Court in future, if possible. Better to have future disputes resolved now rather than later.

 

[Newmember2015]

Awesome, thanks. That makes a lot of sense.

 

[Newmember2015]

How about this?

30. The Mother and Father agree to meet prior to the conclusion of the 4th school term in 2017 to agree on a suitable high school to enrol XCHILDX into for her high schooling years, which will commence in 2019. In the event that both parents agree on a high school, the Mother is to enrol XCHILDX at the agreed high school and include both the Mother's and Father's details on the application and provide copies of the enrolment to the Father.

31. In the event that both parties cannot come to an agreement on a high school at this time, the following will occur:

a. If either parent is residing in the XXX College catchment area, The Mother will enrol XCHILDX into XXX College and include both the Mother's and Father's details on the application and provide copies of the enrolment to the Father.

b. If neither parent is residing in the XXX College catchment area, the parents agree to attend mediation before the end of the 1st school term in 2018 to agree on the high school XCHILDX is to attend;

c. If an agreement cannot be reached at the mediation session or within 2 weeks following mediation, then the Mother will make an application for XCHILDX to attend XXX College temporarily, as a cross boundary student, until an alternative is agreed upon, or a further parenting order is made by the Court;

d. In the event that a cross boundary application is not accepted by XXX College, the Mother will enrol XCHILDX temporarily into the local high school intake area of the parent responsible of the children for the greatest number of days, until an alternative is agreed or a further parenting order is made by the Court.