School appeals - help offered

JC9297

Madmummy wrote: »

Hi All

Just looking for some advice on "linked" schools and appeals. A quick outline, my child has been attending an out of catchment infant school from Yr R to Yr 2 had applied for the linked on site junoiur school and have been turned down. Have phoned and discussed with admissions some points and the highest intake was a sibling attending the linked school, however many months ago when worrying that my daughhter wouldnt get a place I emailed admissions and they told me that the schools were not linked just bacause they are on the same site. My confussion is why are they linked in some ways but not in others ? can a school be linked only if you have a sibling ?. As having only one child, and please no one take this the wrong but its so discriminating . I will be appealing to the juniours but unless like previously said I can find an error feel that my walfare issue will be useless, I wont give up though .

thanks all x

Presumably the child got in because they have a sibling already attending the junior school, not sure what you mean about the linked school, whether this child attends the infant school seems to have no bearing on getting the place at all.

It is not discriminatory to apply a sibling ruling, every family still has to get their first child in without that criteria coming into play.

Spendless

Mine attend/ed a seperate infant and junior school which is my closest school. Mine works in the order for Junior school:
catchment,
siblings
out of catchment but attended the feeder infant school
out of catchment.

My guess is that catchment and siblings took up all the places. Out of catchment without a sibling meant you lost out. It's purely a guess but the council saying it isn't linked they meant it's not the same as a straight thru Primary school, which when you get a place it's yours till the end of yr 6, instead you have to apply for a yr 3 place as it's a seperate school with seperate head, staff, diff uniform, diff times even if the 2 schools stand in the same overall grounds which mine does.

peachyprice

poet123 wrote: »

I assume it is two form entry. However, even one or two over PAN can make a huge difference to the quality of education for all the children, especially in a class where there are already challenging behaviours but no additional monies for specific support.

Sorry, yes, I mean the class tize of 32-33, not 64! That's far too big IMO and I wouldn't knowingly put my child into such a big class.

poet123

peachyprice wrote: »

Sorry, yes, I mean the class tize of 32-33, not 64! That's far too big IMO and I wouldn't knowingly put my child into such a big class.

I agree, I think 30 is too many really, but in over subscribed schools that is, of course, the norm.

nereta

We havent been offered a place at our first preference school which is out of the catchment by 16 m .The school we got in was our 4th choice.The offered school is nice and not far from my work but one problem is it hasnt got afterschool club.
[FONT=&quot]Most of the school we applied for was near to where i work which is 5 min away from school.My child needs a school that has a breakfast and afternoon clubs to maintain continuity of care and to ensure that i would be able to drop my child off and then go to my work.Me and my husband we both work set hours and we don't get back from work until after school finishes.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]My boy is already going to nursery!It is very important for him to remain with his current friends and his only cousin who is already a pupil at this school.His aunt as our only relative in this country will be able to pick up both children at the same time and look after them until we get back from work.[/FONT]
I am at the stage for appealing under the decision they made but honestly i think we have no chances at all.
Can you really appeal for grounds like that?
Would really appreciate any advice,many thanks.

P.S He is on a waiting list for other 3 first prefered schools.

FBaby

I very much doubt it. I was tools that my personal circumstances ie. Work had no bearing on such decision. I to thought the school allocated didn't have a breakfast/after school club as opposed to our local one but then upon enquiring was told an independent club offered this service to local schools taming and picking up kids. It works very well. Phone the school to find out if there is a similar set up.

balletshoes

nope, theres no way you'll win an appeal because the school you've been offered has no afterschool club, and/or you don't have arrangements in place to take your child to school on time, and collect him on time. Its up to you to make those arrangements, full stop.

I had a similar issue when my DD started primary school, no afterschool club and no childminders at that time who picked up/dropped off at the school. I ended up reducing my hours at work, and thats what I've done all the way through her primary education.

nereta

Thank you for your opinion girls,that is so frustrating.I just need to find out someone else who could pick him up after school and have him for about 3 hours till i finish work.It is was so convenient for me for his first year in a nursery because my sisters boy goes there.so she picks them up from school at the same time.It is so hard to trust other people.
And also i can not believe that mums are kind of forced not to go back to their work because of that.

Savvy_Sue

nereta wrote: »

And also i can not believe that mums are kind of forced not to go back to their work because of that.

How do you propose that schools take into account where parents work, the hours they work, what other relations / friends have children at the same school?

ALL they can do is take into account where parents live, and what they have been told about the child's special needs (if appropriate).

Erin08

hayleyjg wrote: »

I work for an local authority in the school admissions team and have many years experience of school appeals (both admissions and exclusions) so if anyone has any questions I would be happy to help.

Can you please give me some adivce on a school appeal i am in the process of putting forward.
My child has been offerd a place in our chosen primary school but I have just informed them i have moved address in the past two months . I am still within the required distance but they said because I didnt inform them they are taking the place back. They have now put her on the waiting list.
This was a genuine error on my part as I was weeks away from having a baby, moving house and off work with stress and pregnancy related illness and complications it just didnt cross my mind to tell the admissions department. I put my application in September and didnt move till Jan/Feb the following year before we got the letter of acceptance in the April.
I think this is so unfair as she had the place and it has been given to someone else and she has been put at the back of a waiting list and they have told me it is very unlikley places will come free.
They are now offering two schools I didnt not put down and they are also the worst schools in area but that is all that is left. She has gone from having place offerd at fantastic school (that she already attends nursery at) to the left overs that no one else wants.
Do you think i will have any chance at an appeal?