School appeals - help offered

Littlepea17

Hi, just after a bit of advice, we recently moved a few towns over due to my work commitments, I couldn't get from my previous town to work on time once my son starts school in September even dropping him off at a breakfast club. So we moved nearer to work to enable me to drop him off at breakfast club and get to work. I tried to put a late application in but it was refused and I was told to wait, I was awarded the school in my previous town which is in the opposite direction to my work. I've appealled for 4 schools in my new town, I will lose my job if I can't get to work on time and have letter from employer to confirm this. From speaking to the team on the phone they say it's unlikely he will get a school in our new town and the nearest with places Is in the next town in the opposite direction, traffic is awful in the morning and it would still be impossible. My husband works shifts and studying a degree so is unreliable in the school run. Can they do this? I will be financially ruined without a job. I'm so stressed at the thought of losing my job. We don't have the transport to get him to a school outside of town either. I'm happy for him to go to any of the 4 schools in the area. What's my best option in getting into a school. All are over subscribed, 2 are protected with class size legislation one I can appeal on prejudice grounds the other is a faith school and we are not church goers. Any advice would be much appreciated

susancs

Littlepea17 wrote: »

Hi, just after a bit of advice, we recently moved a few towns over due to my work commitments, I couldn't get from my previous town to work on time once my son starts school in September even dropping him off at a breakfast club. So we moved nearer to work to enable me to drop him off at breakfast club and get to work. I tried to put a late application in but it was refused and I was told to wait, I was awarded the school in my previous town which is in the opposite direction to my work. I've appealled for 4 schools in my new town, I will lose my job if I can't get to work on time and have letter from employer to confirm this. From speaking to the team on the phone they say it's unlikely he will get a school in our new town and the nearest with places Is in the next town in the opposite direction, traffic is awful in the morning and it would still be impossible. My husband works shifts and studying a degree so is unreliable in the school run. Can they do this? I will be financially ruined without a job. I'm so stressed at the thought of losing my job. We don't have the transport to get him to a school outside of town either. I'm happy for him to go to any of the 4 schools in the area. What's my best option in getting into a school. All are over subscribed, 2 are protected with class size legislation one I can appeal on prejudice grounds the other is a faith school and we are not church goers. Any advice would be much appreciated

I know it will not be what you want to read, but although I appreciate the issues with your work. it will not considered be a valid consideration in an appeal. Your best chance of getting a place is probably via the waiting list. You can put him on the list for all of the schools in your new area (probably much less chance with the faith school, but you have nothing to loose). Between now and September there will probably be places that become free due to families moving or maybe getting a place from another schools waiting list. Accept the place you have been offered until you can get another place.

Could you maybe look for a childminder who drops off and picks up at the school your child has been offered and either you or your husband drop him off at the childminders before work/uni?

susancs

rhianna99 wrote: »

I am very upset to find out today that my 4 year old has not got a place at our preferred school with her siblings. Any advice on grounds for appeal would be really appreciated.

So we moved into area last year and there were no places for my 2 primary aged children at our catchment school so we had to send them to a school a 10 min drive away. We are very happy with this school and were planning on sending our other 2 children there when the time came.

My DD was due to start reception last year but we deferred her entry due to her being a summer baby and having a developmental delay of a year (just been discharged from paediatrics) She attends a nursery which specialises in children with additional needs and she has thrived there. The Senco from my preferred school visited DD at nursery and agreed she should be deferred.

I was told to still apply last year and then turn the place down, which we did and she was offered our preferred school last year but not this year.

I cannot get all the children to school at the same time and even if I could my DD is very familiar with the preferred school and would be staying with friends from nursery which is very important for her because they are at the same developmental stage iyswim.

I am now wishing I just accepted her place last year as now she is going to have to go to a school which is totally unfamiliar and she will take ages to settle and it is really going to set her back.

Do I have any grounds for appeal?

If you child has developmental delay, could you maybe look to appeal under the exceptional social, medical or other need of the child which can only be met at this particular school (this should have been done when applying, but may be worth doping now if you have not done on application). They would expect, written professional evidence from others involved with the child to back this up. It must clearly demonstrate why a particular school is the only school which can meet the child’s needs.

Put your child on the waiting list as having siblings in the school would probably put her high up the list for a place. Hopefully you may get a place via the waiting list.

rhianna99

Thank you, yes I realise now I should have added more to my application. The reason I didn't is I didn't think it was needed as she had been in contact with the Senco from the school and when I put application in I asked school receptionist what I needed to include and she told me to put that I had been given permission to defer her entry by one year and it had been agreed with the Senco and head teacher. I wrongly assumed it was the school who allocated the places, and they already knew of DD'S situation.

susancs

tiltal wrote: »

If my son goes to the top of the waiting list will he be offered a place straight away or does he have to wait until June when late applications are considered...I wasn't sure about that?
I feel so guilty as I feel my mistake has cost my son a potential school place

Don't be so hard on yourself, it was an oversight and as he is so high up the waiting list he will more thank likely get a place.

In our area, it is usually about the beginning of May that is the deadline for accepting or declining a place and the day after the deadline the waiting list officially opens and places are allocated to those at the top of the list as they become available. The appeals process and waiting list are separate and positions on the waiting list have no bearing on an appeal.

tiltal

susancs wrote: »

Don't be so hard on yourself, it was an oversight and as he is so high up the waiting list he will more thank likely get a place.

In our area, it is usually about the beginning of May that is the deadline for accepting or declining a place and the day after the deadline the waiting list officially opens and places are allocated to those at the top of the list as they become available. The appeals process and waiting list are separate and positions on the waiting list have no bearing on an appeal.

Thank you. Trying not to be too hard on myself! I am in the process of getting my appeal together. I already have Ben Rooney's book from when I was trying to get my 7 year old into the school, and have downloaded Ace Education's information sheet. One of the Reverends at our church has done us a really good reference too.
I spoke to one of the parents this afternoon in my sons nursery class, her son got a place at the school. She lives a tiny bit nearer to school than us, but she also didn't fill out the supplementary form and is not a practicing Christian, and she has 2 or 3 other children in the school, so it looks like the supplementary form maybe was not even considered? I am still going to complete it though. It just gets me wondering looking at the admission policy, what was the deciding factors?

Littlepea17

He is currently on all 4 waiting list but can't find out where he sits until 2nd of May, I have appealed for all 4 schools. Unfortunately I will be forced to keep him out of school unless they get him a place locally, I will not be forced into losing my job, I can also not afford to travel 2 towns in the opposite direction to drop him off before work as we only have one car so it will be me who need to get him there before I go to work. I also think he will suffer socially not making friends where he lives and he's quiet and shy.

Pattie94

Hello all. I have read the whole topic and I need some advice. My hasn't been offered a place at catholic primary school and I am devasted as he attends nursery there. I am not sure if I have any ground for appeal If he won't get a place I really consider home schooling or deferring him as he is a summer baby. As far as I know he met all the criteria. He is babtised, attends masses and application form has been filled correctly along with signature from the church. I am so dissapointed i couldn't believe how well he adapted in the nursery as he used to go to private nursery and I had to take him out as he never adapted. This time he was so happy and enjoyed every day with his friends he had a lot happening in his life recently. We have moved house, twin brother and sister came to the world and he is awaiting surgery to remove adenoid and fitting grommets in. He has speech delay due to these condition and I believe that is just to much to this little soul I just don't want him to change his surroundings again and he loves his nursery and he is really happy there :(he is shy child and he gained his self confidence in this school. he has been allocated place in his cachement school and I just found out that there are most muslim pupils. I am not being rasist but he will be completly excluded from catholic community in that school i don't know why he has been rejected, the letter says too many applicants and not enough spaces. I don't know how they filled school's places. I will find out where he is on waiting list in beggining of May. I just can't imagine him not going to this school:( it is Outstanding school so I don't give much hope from a place from waiting list. I guess all nursery kids got places as there is 25 kids in his class. The school has only one reception class of 30 pupils. I know one child from his nursery got a plce and they live a bit further away but how can I prove it? I am sure he only could be rejected due to distance as he meets all the criteria. Can someone help me ? Is faith ground good ground for appeal? I have all the forms ready just need to think about what to write

Pattie94

I have contacted the diocese if they could support me in the appeal process but there were not much of help. Just said to apply to other catholic schools which I will but they are far away and I am sure he won't get a place anyway.

susancs

Pattie94 wrote: »

Hello all. I have read the whole topic and I need some advice. My hasn't been offered a place at catholic primary school and I am devasted as he attends nursery there. I am not sure if I have any ground for appeal If he won't get a place I really consider home schooling or deferring him as he is a summer baby. As far as I know he met all the criteria. He is babtised, attends masses and application form has been filled correctly along with signature from the church. I am so dissapointed i couldn't believe how well he adapted in the nursery as he used to go to private nursery and I had to take him out as he never adapted. This time he was so happy and enjoyed every day with his friends he had a lot happening in his life recently. We have moved house, twin brother and sister came to the world and he is awaiting surgery to remove adenoid and fitting grommets in. He has speech delay due to these condition and I believe that is just to much to this little soul I just don't want him to change his surroundings again and he loves his nursery and he is really happy there :(he is shy child and he gained his self confidence in this school. he has been allocated place in his cachement school and I just found out that there are most muslim pupils. I am not being rasist but he will be completly excluded from catholic community in that school i don't know why he has been rejected, the letter says too many applicants and not enough spaces. I don't know how they filled school's places. I will find out where he is on waiting list in beggining of May. I just can't imagine him not going to this school:( it is Outstanding school so I don't give much hope from a place from waiting list. I guess all nursery kids got places as there is 25 kids in his class. The school has only one reception class of 30 pupils. I know one child from his nursery got a plce and they live a bit further away but how can I prove it? I am sure he only could be rejected due to distance as he meets all the criteria. Can someone help me ? Is faith ground good ground for appeal? I have all the forms ready just need to think about what to write

I know it is not what you want to read, but I am a school governor at an oversubscribed catholic primary school and a lot of the time in our school for a baptised, practicing catholic child (form signed by priest), who does not have exceptional SEN, a sibling in the school or is a looked after child, it comes down to distance from home to school. In our school there are approx. 6 catholic children applicants per single place (plus some non Catholics), so the majority of catholic children do not get places i.e only 30 out of the 190 plus applicants.

You can request details on how many applied for places and how many were admitted under each of the admissions criteria. If for example there were 27 catholic children admitted with siblings and 3 with SEN for example and these are the top criteria, then you know your child did not have high enough criteria to gain a place (infant class sizes are capped to 30 pupils per class). If you are unsure of the full admissions criteria it will be on the schools website and they admit strictly according to that criteria. Going to the Nursery in the school is not usually part of the criteria, so you will get catholic children who have not attended the nursery applying.

Your child does not have to be given an education until the term after his fifth birthday, so you could go on the waiting list for a place at this catholic school or another local one and keep him at home. He would still be entitled to 15 hours free with another early years setting such as a nursery, childminder or pre-school. Reception class is still very much play based learning and all early years settings follow the same Early years Foundation Stage Framework until the term after he turns five. If the school nursery he currently attends are not oversubscribed already for September they may even agree to keep him there, so worth seeing if this is an option.