PLEASE HELP! Appealing Childs Primary School Place

atlantis187

My son has been offered a primary school place we particulary didnt want. We are desperate for him to go the the school which was our first choice, as all our relatives children go there and would be a great help in pick up/ drop off. Also it is on route to my work.

The distance between the 2 school is roughly the same, The one we wanted has a straight bus route. The one we have been offered no buses go there and it is quite awkward hilly road.

Has anyone been through this before? If someone could please give me a few pointers in what to write in my appeal letter and what facts to argue. I would be eternilly grateful

Thank You

balletshoes

reading this thread might help you -

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/391020

marywooyeah

when you made the application was there a box in which you could write comments as to why you wanted him to go to a particular school? If so and you explained all your reasons I would contact the council and ask why these weren't taken into consideration. are they the only two schools in your area? just wondering why you put a school down that you didnt want him to go to as there was a chance he'd be allocated a place there.

the above thread helpfully posted by another user should give some good advice to help you x

angelil

I really think too many parents are taken in by the word 'CHOICE ' - NOT that this is your fault at all. In reality what you are doing is expressing a PREFERENCE. Surely you realise that in reality not everyone's preferences can be fulfilled and that this is different to a choice. I am not sure that you have strong grounds for an appeal, but of course you won't know unless you try.

In the 'worst case scenario', send your child to the school allocated and get on the waiting list for the other one. I can't think, though, that the child will suffer from being sent to the allocated school; the stress, I think is borne really by the parents rather than by the children

Best of luck whatever the outcome.

JC9297

marywooyeah wrote: »

when you made the application was there a box in which you could write comments as to why you wanted him to go to a particular school? If so and you explained all your reasons I would contact the council and ask why these weren't taken into consideration. are they the only two schools in your area? just wondering why you put a school down that you didnt want him to go to as there was a chance he'd be allocated a place there.

the above thread helpfully posted by another user should give some good advice to help you x

Even if she did write the reasons she has given here it would not make any difference, they are totally irrelevant as far as admissions are concerned.


If you are appealing you have to argue that your son needs to go to that particular school, not that it is more convenient for you regarding pick-ups etc. The fact that relatives go there makes no difference at all.

atlantis187

JC9297 wrote: »

Even if she did write the reasons she has given here it would not make any difference, they are totally irrelevant as far as admissions are concerned.


If you are appealing you have to argue that your son needs to go to that particular school, not that it is more convenient for you regarding pick-ups etc. The fact that relatives go there makes no difference at all.

Thanks for the reply.
What angle could I take this from from about why he needs to go to the school of our choice. I am totally clueless like I said the main reasons are its alot more convinient for us.

Could u please give me a few bullet point reasons they are likely to accept.

Thanks

Savvy_Sue

You need to look at the thread balletshoes pointed to.

I'm afraid your convenience isn't an argument. Nor is anything you didn't put in your original submission. Things you can use are that they didn't follow their own policies properly - admitted children who are in the same priority group as your child who live further away, for example - so you need to find out what their policies are, and ask questions.

Also get on the waiting list, and find out where on the waiting list you are. If you're 15th, no hope. If 2nd, reasonable hope!

simsimmy

Hello All,
I'm really struggling to figure out what to do. My son is currently at preschool and has been turned down for a place at his catchment school. We put two other choices down on the admissions form but didn't consider that he wouldn't get into our first choice as he is in catchment. It would take approx 8-10 minutes walking time to get there.
The problem is that the school offered is too far to walk (we don't drive) and using public transport means a 10 minute walk, a bus for 15 minutes then another 10-15 minute walk. The walking is mostly uphill too. My partner and I both need to be at work for 8.30am and the school offered does not operate a breakfast club but our first choice school does.
Our little boy is currently at a childminder who lives on the adjacent road to our first choice school and she does the school run to this school alone. He also attends a preschool which whilst on the same site as our first choice school is not 'attached'.
Our first choice school is oversubscribed i understand but the place offered means my partner or I would have to change jobs as our roles at work are key roles that demand us being their at 8.30.
We are on our fist choice school waiting list and have decined the offer of our second choice as there would be no point accepting as we can't get him there regardless.

Can anyone tell me whether this falls into the insane/unreasonable decision stated in the appeals process.

go_cat

simsimmy wrote: »

Hello All,
I'm really struggling to figure out what to do. My son is currently at preschool and has been turned down for a place at his catchment school. We put two other choices down on the admissions form but didn't consider that he wouldn't get into our first choice as he is in catchment. It would take approx 8-10 minutes walking time to get there.
The problem is that the school offered is too far to walk (we don't drive) and using public transport means a 10 minute walk, a bus for 15 minutes then another 10-15 minute walk. The walking is mostly uphill too. My partner and I both need to be at work for 8.30am and the school offered does not operate a breakfast club but our first choice school does.
Our little boy is currently at a childminder who lives on the adjacent road to our first choice school and she does the school run to this school alone. He also attends a preschool which whilst on the same site as our first choice school is not 'attached'.
Our first choice school is oversubscribed i understand but the place offered means my partner or I would have to change jobs as our roles at work are key roles that demand us being their at 8.30.
We are on our fist choice school waiting list and have decined the offer of our second choice as there would be no point accepting as we can't get him there regardless.

Can anyone tell me whether this falls into the insane/unreasonable decision stated in the appeals process.

Could you not find a childminder / nursery who do the school run to his offered school

Legally he doesn't need to be at school until he is 5 so you could defer a year but you are still not guaranteed to get a place at your first choice

Also if you have declined his offered place and don't get into your first choice whatdo you plan to do?

jellyhead

Try calling the other school and asking their advice about childcare. My son's school doesn't have childcare, but there is a local childcare place that picks kids up, and they could also tell you which childminders bring kids to the school.

thebaileys

I am sorry to hear that you did not get your child into the school's you wanted.

I agree with Sue, you cannot state convenience as grounds for appeal.

My son didn't get into our 1st choice school, the school he was given a place at was 4.5 miles away and I don't drive, so it meant 2 bus journeys, however the appeal panel are not interested in this at all.

We lost our appeal, and put him into the school he got a place at, we ended up moving house to be closer to the school.

It was stressful, and I would not like to go through it again, but for my son it worked out great, I never made a big thing out of him going to a different school to all of his nursery friends, and he settled great.

Best thing to do is not worry your child.

Good Luck to everyone