School appeals - help offered

GibbsRule_No3.

Friend has a little girl at a pre-nursery school attached to a Primary school, started at three and a few months, attending just mornings since last September, she could have gone full time after Christmas but mother and grandparents, who collect the little girl from school at lunchtime and look after her until the working mother picks her up, decided she was happy and liking the school part time, so left it at mornings. She has just received a letter saying the little girl has not got a place at the Primary school for next September and the only school offered is a car journey away, not convenient for working mother or grandparents picking her up. What form of appeal should she consider? A new Secondary school is due to be built across the road from the Primary school and both mother and grandparents (God willing at their age) had hoped for an ideal school situation.

Savvy_Sue

GibbsRule_No3. wrote: »

Friend has a little girl at a pre-nursery school attached to a Primary school, started at three and a few months, attending just mornings since last September, she could have gone full time after Christmas but mother and grandparents, who collect the little girl from school at lunchtime and look after her until the working mother picks her up, decided she was happy and liking the school part time, so left it at mornings. She has just received a letter saying the little girl has not got a place at the Primary school for next September

that is all irrelevant, UNLESS the admissions process said that children attending the nursery had any kind of priority in getting places at the school. Does it? If it does, that is very unusual.

And keeping the child part-time rather than full-time is irrelevant too, again unless the admissions process says that children attending full-time get priority over children attending part-time. Since children attending the nursery are unlikely to have any kind of priority, it won't.

GibbsRule_No3. wrote: »

and the only school offered is a car journey away, not convenient for working mother or grandparents picking her up.

The personal convenience of parents (working or not) / grandparents (ditto) / childminders / any other adult in a child's life plays no part in the admissions process.

But do check the local authority's provision of transport for children more than X miles from the nearest suitable school at which a place has been offered.

And how far is this car journey?

GibbsRule_No3. wrote: »

What form of appeal should she consider?

First, ask for the child to be placed on the waiting list for the school of choice. Then, ask how many children are already on the waiting list. Do that before going to the trouble of finding out what the appeals process would be. If the child is first or second on the waiting list, there's a reasonable chance that others will not accept the place, although some children will still have higher priority for admission that this one: for example if a 'looked after child' moves into the area, that would trump just about anyone else. See LilElvis's post describing what 'looked after' means in this context.

Then, the grounds of appeal are based on whether or not the local authority followed the admissions process correctly. What are the priorities for admission at that school? See my post a few above this. Have any children been admitted who should NOT have been admitted above this child? Ask the school whether any live closer but have the same level of priority?

GibbsRule_No3. wrote: »

A new Secondary school is due to be built across the road from the Primary school and both mother and grandparents (God willing at their age) had hoped for an ideal school situation.

Well don't we all, but that's again, irrelevant. Not least because once the school has been built, there's no guarantee that it will be the kind of school the parents want to send this child to!

Beka15

Can anyone give me some advice my son has not got in to his primary school we’re 1 point out off catchment area I really thought my son would have got in has he has a care plan in place has he has speech delay gross motor delay n hyper mobility so I’m appealing on those grounds because he has progressed so much since been there he is also on senco list for any additional help he may need do u think I have a chance at an appeal board

Savvy_Sue

Were his SENs noted in his application? If they were, that's good. The appeal is not supposed to introduce new material which was already available at the time of making the application.

Is That School the only one which can adequately meet his needs? Can you demonstrate that? eg the one you've been offered has no regular access to speech therapy / is not easy for him to get around because of steps etc. You don't want to diss the school you've been offered, just politely point out that it's not suitable because ... (and that's not always straightforward).

But first things first, have you been in touch with the school, asked to go on the waiting list, and found out where he'd be on the waiting list? Parents change their minds, families move away ...

Beka15

I put care plan not senco on first school application I don’t really no much about other school only that it’s catholic and we’re Christians and also on the ofstead report they don’t always meet the criteria for children who needs extra education needs I was naive real I just thought he would get in with having programs in place but obviously not the case

Beka15

Also he was 2nd on list now he’s 5th ��

Savvy_Sue

Beka15 wrote: »

Also he was 2nd on list now he’s 5th ��

Yes, well, that's because it's according to priority. Your school has a priority list of who gets in first, and generally top of that list are Looked After Children - ie children in foster care. So if a family with foster children has just moved into the area and they've applied, that will bump everyone else down.

Ask the school whether they think he has a chance of getting in via waiting list. They will usually know how fluid their admissions are, if you are an area where people do move on at regular intervals etc.

Ginger08

Hi my son has not been offered a place at his preferred school and I have appealed on the grounds that it is not feasible for me to take 3 children to different schools at the same time. My daughter is at middle of town in junior school and my son is offered a place 2 miles from that but I have my fianc!e daughter to take to his preferred school at the other direction. All need to be there at half eight. I take my kids school and pick ups 50% of the time but as my partners daughter who I am a guardian for it is not classed as marriage it doesn't fit the school policy. I would like advice on what I can do to get my son in the same school I already visit daily and to enable me to achieve for my children. Thanks for your help

silvercar

Ginger08 wrote: »

Hi my son has not been offered a place at his preferred school and I have appealed on the grounds that it is not feasible for me to take 3 children to different schools at the same time. My daughter is at middle of town in junior school and my son is offered a place 2 miles from that but I have my fianc!e daughter to take to his preferred school at the other direction. All need to be there at half eight. I take my kids school and pick ups 50% of the time but as my partners daughter who I am a guardian for it is not classed as marriage it doesn't fit the school policy. I would like advice on what I can do to get my son in the same school I already visit daily and to enable me to achieve for my children. Thanks for your help

You need to look at the school policy on its definition of a sibling. The school must make it clear how this will be defined (e.g. whether it will include half-siblings and step-siblings, foster siblings, adopted siblings, other children living permanently at the same address and siblings who formerly attended the school).

Presumably if you are legally a guardian your partners daughter is a child who lives permanently at the same address as your child, so your child should be treated as a sibling.

nirvana314

Hi everyone  just reading though some of this thread and already I'm feeling a little more positive.  I love all your success stories!! I found out today my son didn't get his preferred secondary school place, trying to think as positive as I can. I'll try and not waffle on too much but any help or advice would be amazing, good or bad!! I'm going to obviously appeal this decision (a little terrifying).  So here's a few short details,

The school I wanted him to go too is slightly out of my catchment area.  The main choice for this was due to intense bullying that my son has had to endure, physically and emotionally.  My aim was just to get him out of this catchment area for a fresh start and for him to fall in love with school again (aswell as to finally form friendships groups).  The school he has been offered (it wasn't on my list they have chosen this being the closest school to me) is where a lot of these children will be going and I'm just heartbroken for him (haven't told him yet).  It doesn't help that the school he has been offered already has a known rep for bullying without even taking his situation into consideration.

I'm not sure what grounds I would have to make my appeal be heard apart from the social and emotional needs of my child.  Which is important to me but is it too personal for a appeal as I'm sure their are many children unfortunately dealing with these circumstances.

The bullying throughout these last two terms have cause alot of upset, anxiety and created low self esteem amongst other things for my child.  No amount of love, confidence and positivity I pour into him helps him believe in himself or gets rid of the negative views he has about himself and it truly breaks me.  Now this school offer has happened I feel a little powerless.  He had such a love for school and was a social little butterfly but the bullying has just destroyed this.  Secondary school is such an important milestone and I just want him to have the opportunity to feel safe and be in a happy friendly environment away from all of this.

I've seen from reading a few posts on here proof is best?

I can back up these claims if the teachers will be willing to write me letters (to send to the appeal as proof about the claims I'm making about the bullying and changes in behaviour)

I can get gp notes as proof.

A close family member or friend who has noticed the changes in my child could maybe be proof, I'm not sure if that's necessary?

Also with is being out of my catchment area I'm not sure if they will ask about travel? I do work and already rely on a childminder to take my children to and from school.  The school i have chosen is closer to my father so he has offered to take him pick him up if needed (one option).  They're are many childminders around the area that drop off to the school (option two) Then of course he will be old enough to take himself to school, its probably more me that isn't ready for that option ha.  This will involved him catching a bus too and from school which he will be capable of.  The school he has been offered is probably a 15/20 minute walk so I'm not sure if they will argue this.

The one thing he does love is sports  the school I'm appealing for has extra curricular opportunities in sports so maybe I could get his pe teacher to back this claim.

But again my main focus will be his social and emotional state.  I just can't have him going to this school.  There's only so much his little shoulders can bear.

I have no idea where to start really, but I've ordered the Ben Rooney book for some help and guidance.
Any advice welcome thanks guy's.