School appeals - help offered

sheramber wrote: »

But then he wouldn't be in the feeder school for the secondary school they want him to go to.

Exactly thank you.

IAmWales wrote: »

But that's not going to be sufficient grounds for a successful appeal.

emerald, is there anything this school can offer to support his anxiety that no other school can? Excepting an administrative error, that's the only grounds for appeal I can see.

They'll let you appeal when the class is full because it is your statutory right. They cannot say no without giving you the opportunity to present your case.

(Also worth checking if being in a feeder school gives you priority for secondary. It's not a common criteria any longer.)

Hi. I don't know what any schools can offer for the anxiety. The main reason is because it's the local village school and as they live in the village it would be nice if he could start there in September for his last year in the junior school along with his sister.

I believe my daughter in law was told she could appeal.

There was never any of this mither years ago when my 3 were children

You just went to the local school and that was that.

emerald21 wrote: »

What I can't understand is how can they appeal if apparently there are no places left for him.

IAmWales wrote: »

They'll let you appeal when the class is full because it is your statutory right. They cannot say no without giving you the opportunity to present your case.

And they let you appeal because sometimes they make mistakes. For example, I know one poster here found that some children had been offered places at a particular school when they were a lower priority than others who had NOT been offered places at that school. I cannot remember how the mixup occurred, or what was involved, but it had to be put right.

It is worth getting as much information as you can about where on the waiting list you are, and what the current numbers are, and what their expectations are in relation to next year. When we appealed (many years ago) for a year 8 place, there were two of us in that situation. The school had admitted two more than their PAN (Planned Admission Number) in year 7 the year before, but let slip that two children were leaving at the end of year 7. The school were talking about stretched resources etc, but I said that if they'd managed the previous year, why not next? I have no idea if it helped, but we both got our places.

Also I don't know if this will encourage you, but we moved over the summer holidays. I had told their schools that we were moving: perhaps I should have done something more formal, but DS1's secondary school did not seem to know that we had moved! Some of his teachers asked his friends where he was ... Obviously that freed up a space at that school!

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

And they let you appeal because sometimes they make mistakes. For example, I know one poster here found that some children had been offered places at a particular school when they were a lower priority than others who had NOT been offered places at that school. I cannot remember how the mixup occurred, or what was involved, but it had to be put right.

Quite possibly me and it was to do with Reception places at a nearby faith school. Their criteria was siblings, worshipping at the connected church with a letter of support from the vicar, the 2 nearest villages where the school/church were, then distance.

It was a year with a high number of kids having siblings already there, which reduced the numbers of available places to others. A lot got in on saying 'I worship at this church, I am religious etc'. When around 5 parents took it to appeal, the school admitted that those admitted under the attending church category hadn't also had a letter supporting this from the vicar, the appeal panel asked them if they hadn't done this would the children who hadn't got places been offered them, school said yes and school was told it had to accept them and make provision for a 2nd teacher for them.