My dd is in year 6 and we find out in six weeks time if she has been successful in gaining a place at our preferred secondary school. The secondary school we would like her to go to is a catholic school and after having the same admissions criteria for the last fifteen or so years the school's governing body decided to change it from 2016 onwards.
This change in admissions now means that my dd has gone from being practically guaranteed a place at the school to it being very very uncertain and I'm extremely worried as this is the only school she wants to go to and the only school me and my dh feel is right for her. The basic change to the criteria has moved the sibling criteria from number 3 to number 2, (with the 1st criteria being for medical/social need) but more importantly for my dd she was previously in criteria number 2 which was baptised catholic children who live within one of the six parishes named and who have received their primary education at a catholic school. The category is now baptised Catholic children who live within the parishes, so as you can see the criteria no longer dictates that a child has to have attended a catholic primary school, so it therefore has now opened it up for children within our area who go to community schools to apply (as long as they're baptised).
Whilst I agree that siblings should most definitely come first (after medical/social need children) the fact that children don't need to have gone to a catholic primary school anymore to be high up the list has scuppered my dd's chances. Previously there were only six primary schools were children would come from and then go on to the secondary school, now there will be around ten. So despite my dd attending the unofficial feeder primary school across the road from the secondary another child who hasn't attended a catholic primary school or doesn't attend church etc etc may get in before her if they live so much as a fraction closer than us.
Anyway it is what it is and I might be worrying about nothing but what I would like to know is if we are refused a place and we appeal, what sort of reasons will the panel be looking for in order to give my dd a place, as I'm aware that me simply saying that all the other schools are sub par (they are) will simply not cut it.
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How would I win a potential school appeal?
9 replies
Orlando16 · 19/01/2016 16:56
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tiggytape ·
19/01/2016 18:12
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HorraceTheOtter ·
19/01/2016 18:15
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