Hideous Primary School Admissons Offer - Advice needed, please!

[Dworkin9to5]

Hello, I'll try to give all the details, but it will probably be long, so apologies in advance. I don't want to give my location, if that's okay, but we live in England.

My son will be 4 in May. We live in a smallish town, where there are 4 decent primaries. We live just round the corner from one, in fact, we can see it from one of our bedroom windows. We applied for all 4 schools in our area, although our no. 1 choice was the second nearest - still under 1mile away.

I didn't get a letter or email on Thurs. 16th, so I went and checked the offer online. We had been rejected for all 4 choices, and instead, given a place at a school we've never heard of, in another town nearby. When we checked on Google, we discovered that it is an hour's walk away, over 20 mins by car, and is not served by public transport. It is also a new school, in an old building, and the second Google hit for it is a local newspaper article condemning the use of the building because it is crumbling, with exposed asbestos, and so on. There is no OFSTED report yet because it is new. Looking on the map, there are SIX schools nearer to our home than this one. I know they legally have to provide transport, but I've checked, and it would mean my son travelling in a taxi without me, and I simply refuse to allow that.

More facts: I cannot drive, and I have mecfs. I sent a Dr's note in with the original application stating that I cannot walk far or drive, so need my son to go to a school within reasonable walking distance. My partner, his father, cannot do the school run due to work hours. I am a SAHM, and DS does 15 free nursery hours at a lovely local nursery that's not affiliated to a school. He is our only child.

My son is bright (has taught himself the alphabet, how to read and count to 100), but is Summer-born, emotionally immature, very shy, to the point of nursery worrying about elective mutism, very clingy to me, very nervous of other children, wears glasses and has a speech impediment. He is also not very gender-conforming, and likes pink, dolls, etc. (We don't believe in gender-stereotyping children). So we were already worried about him starting school before this development.

We are going to appeal, but what worries me is that we're only allowed on the form to say why we want him to go to his first choice. We're not allowed to give reasons why the admissions offer is unsuitable, or even say that we're happy for him to go to the other choices, so long as it's not the offer school! If they've already rejected us once, despite our existing suitability, what can we say to change their minds?!

Everyone else we know has got their 1st or 2nd choice, we don't know how come we've been so unlucky, especially living in such close proximity to two schools, and what with my mobility issues.

I really need some advice with the appeal, because there is no way we are going to send our son to the offered school. We will not send him to school this year if it's our only option. Please help?

[ragged]

I think you probably have a good case for appeal, I just wondered why 60 min. walk was out of question if 20 minute walk was fine.

[tobysmum77]

Well as you say, ultimately you can choose to not send him. Appeal (although if they offer transport not sure on what grounds) and ensure you are on the waiting lists for all the schools. Do you know your place on the lists?

[exLtEveDallasNoBollocks]

Where does OP say a 20 minute walk is fine?

[meditrina]

When you appeal, you are appealing for the school you want, not against the offered school.

The first thing to establish is if this is an ICS appeal. The Infant Class Size rules mean that a school cannot admit more than 30 per teacher. If the admissions number is 30, or a multiple of 30, it'll be ICS (as could 15 or multiples if they have mixed age year groups in any part of reception-year2).

[spanieleyes]

First find out why you didn't get in, unfortunately your mobility issuses aren't usually taken into account, only issues for your child would generally be considered.

[ragged]

Could OP argue that due to her son's minority gender identity or borderline Selective mutism that she needs a close relationship with the school, so she needs to do pickups and drop offs, hence she needs a school close to home? Also there's just general logistics, if a lunchbox is forgotten, assemblies, meetings, etc. OP can take a taxi but obviously that could be a strain. All disadvantages for a child who she may be able to argue is more vulnerable than average.

[ragged]

exLt: OP said she wanted a school 1 mile away, that'd be 20 minute walk for me so I presumed same for her. Her DP who drives will not regularly be involved in school runs.

[PuppyMonkey]

TBF, there's a big difference between a 20min walk and a 60min walk

[meditrina]

If it is ICS, then the only grounds for appeal are:

a) there has been an administrative error which has meant your DC didn't get an offer they would have received if they had done it right the first time. Was your DC placed in the correct entrance category? Does the distance to the school look right?
b) the criteria do not conform to the Admissions Code (unlikely)
c) the decision is perverse (in the legal sense - seriously high threshold for this; things like child protection issues).

Difficulties in transport are not a grounds for appeal.

But, you mention a disability. So the other key question is whether the school has an exceptional medical/social need category, and if it does whether your application was considered under that. Your disability won't count as a medical need (that refers to the child), but can be counted as a social need, depending on the admission authority's policy.

[Smartiepants79]

You do need to know why you've haven't been given any of your choices. Or in fact any of the schools closer to you.
New school does not = bad school.
I would expect all un safe building issues to be resolved before children a put in the building.

[exLtEveDallasNoBollocks]

Ragged, DDs school is just under a mile away and it takes us 10 minutes. Is your walk all uphill or something?

OP, I can't help with the appeal issue, but if it is any comfort there are 8 children from Reception onwards at DDs school who come in a taxi. They all cope with it extremely well, the older ones look after the younger ones and it's a regular enhanced DBS checked driver that they all really like. It's not like a normal taxi where you could have a different car/driver at any time. Best of luck

[bobajob]

Did you look at last distances for your first choice school in previous years? Did children living a mile away get in last year?

[EllenJanesthickerknickers]

A mile walk in 10 minutes? Remember a 4 minute mile is about as fast as the fastest athletes can run. A 4 year old running a 10 minute mile would be pretty exceptional!

[ImNameyChangey]

I would think the asbestos issue is PLENTY to appeal on the grounds of.Focus on that surely?

[EllenJanesthickerknickers]

Dworkin post in primary education. There are a number of admission experts on there, admission, phrbridge, tiggytape, etc.

[spanieleyes]

This IS primary education!

[exLtEveDallasNoBollocks]

Under a mile in 10 minutes is less than 6mph. It's very easy.

[bobajob]

6mph is a pretty fast walk, especially for a 4 year old. Typical walking pace is around 3mph en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preferred_walking_speed

[EllenJanesthickerknickers]

Oops!

It came up on most active. That'll teach me.

[meditrina]

The asbestos, or anything else to do with the currently allocated school, ate not grounds for appeal. The system is that you appeal for the school you want (not against the one you don't).

As they have already offered free transport, if you are making an argument that the application was not correctly considered for exceptional social circumstances, it would strengthen your case if you can show why this prevents you putting him on the type of transport they propose for him.

Lots of parents would probably prefer their younger children not to use school transport, but I'm afraid this isn't grounds to appeal.

[WhenSheWasBadSheWasHorrid]

Sorry not really adding much to the thread but walking a mile in 10 minutes is not easy.
I walk fast 15 minutes is more appropriate.

[EllenJanesthickerknickers]

Average adult human running speed (not a short sprint) is 5 to 8 mph.

[OddBoots]

Don't panic, there is a lot of time between now and September.

Find out where on the waiting list he is at all 4 of the schools you can get to, I believe you can appeal for all 4 if you have the time, someone may correct me on that though. Also ask which other schools have spaces, particularly those on a bus route.

In the mean time you could speak to his current pre-school and if it is what you would want (if you couldn't get a space by September) ask them if they would be happy for him to continue attending for 15h a week until his 5th birthday. There is hopefully a good chance of being offered an acceptable place before his 5th birthday but it buys you time.

[Dworkin9to5]

Thanks for the replies. Re: distance - taking DS to the offered school would entail a minimum of FOUR hours walking a day for both of us. And as I said, I have mecfs. Even a 20 min walk would be a huge strain on me.

I am hoping to get p-t work, but wouldn't have the time or health to if I'm walking four hours a day!

My son doesn't have a gender indentity disorder, he knows he is a boy and likes a wide range of things - those just happen to include things that people codify as 'for girls' (which I don't agree with, but that's a whole other thread!). But thanks for thinking of options to present for the appeal.

We have the distance correct for the schools; all 4 of our choices are actually under 2 miles 'as the crow flies'. Ironically, we chose this area because there were so many good primaries in close proximity!

We have asked for the reason, but they won't give us one. Someone I spoke to mentioned the sibling quota but refused to say more. As I said, we have no other children, but I doubt that he is the only Only child starting school in September around here!

[LIZS]

The asbestos is a red herring . Any building for public use would have this addressed before being declared suitable. You need to focus on the positive reasons for your preference schools not negatives. Even so you will have to hope a mistake has been made or you can be high on a waiting list.