Edinburgh schools appeal

[dexy5000]

Hi all,
First time on here and hoping someone can offer advice. I know this is a subject that some have very strong views on, so here's hoping.
I was hoping to get my little one into a small primary school which is out with our catchment area in Edinburgh and not surprisingly, we were turned down.
We are going to appeal this decision and wondered if anyone had done the same and been successful, and had any advice to offer?
I understand people have strong views on the catchments areas, schools oversubscribed, etc, and we understand this but it would not be possible for us to move there.
Thanks in advance.

[prettybird]

No idea on what grounds you can appeal in Scotland (I only did a placing request for secondary, which was accepted).

When you filled in the placing request form, did they mention the criteria they used to rank placing requests? I'm sure Glasgow City Council's form gad something like that.

As in: highest priority are Cared for kids, then disabilities that can only be met by that school (eg a wheelchair user needs a school on a single level), then siblings, then other reasons (caveat: that ranking might not be accurate and I may have forgotten other categories).

Does your dd have any special needs that can only be met by this school? Any sports that it does that can only be done there?

Is it at its maximum capacity?

I remember someone else at ds' primary had put in a placing request for a particular secondary and didn't get in. She was all set to appeal but was then told her dd was in anyway so didn't have to go through the process.

[Superjaggy]

I think the ranking that prettybird mentions is probably about right - some councils are a bit cagey about their criteria but it's still worth asking yours if they'll tell you their grounds for refusal. And there's plenty time for things to change - some children registered for that school will possibly have moved house or been placed elsewhere by August - so do keep asking for updates.

[dexy5000]

Thanks guys for taking the time to reply. I will call them tomorrow and confirm. Will also find if the school is at its capacity. just keeping my fingers crossed.

[stealtheatingtunnocks]

Loads of Edinburgh schools are at capacity.

TBH, unless you've got good cause for wanting out of catchment then you've probably got a hard sell ahead of you.

The thing to consider is that being out of catchment does not mean that you'll get a place in that school's cluster high school. You might, if there is space, but, there are lots of schools which are at capacity.

Plus, if there are siblings, you may not get them in.

Why do you want to go out of catchment?

[dexy5000]

I am not bothered about secondary catchments as we have a plan for then. We just feel the little one will settle better in a smaller school and I do think we should have a choice where they go to have the best start, but I understand that schools are at capacity and where you live totally dictates what primary you will most likely attend. Thanks for replying.

[stealtheatingtunnocks]

Absolutely fair enough.

And, you're right, choice would be nice. I'm on a school council and we have reports from the Rising Rolls meetings - seems Edinburgh is populated by a bunch of mad shaggers...or, that the council has not invested adequately in the school estate.

Most families either move, go private, or, get on the local school board to try and improve things from within.

Good luck with it.

[dexy5000]

Lol! Thanks for the input.

[OneMagnumisneverenough]

I put in placing requests for both my children for High school which were accepted. The criteria are public on the councils website as well as detailed in the form pack but I think are pretty much the same as given by prettybird

A neighbour submitted a request to a primary that was rejected, they went to appeal and were rejected again and then I think they were taking the council to court but were awarded a place before that happened (I think they were told that there had been some movement in the class roles) Schools in some areas have to keep open spaces in case of people moving in to the area and I think this was the basis of their argument in that there was a space available but the school was holding it open for a child that might never arrive and they wanted the space now. I don't know if they would have been successful.

I suspect the main reason that the neighbours wanted the space was pure snobbery and I would also suspect that the school didn't want to give one to the boy as he was a complete shit (he attended their nursery) and 8 years on he still is.

[Groovee]

My friend had to go in front of the panel at an appeal and broke her heart as to not being able to get her children to 3 different schools. Then on the last day of term she heard they had got a place.

There can be a lot of movement in places before the schools go back. I think preparing yourself that it may not be successful is important as I did see one of DD's classmates have to get 2 buses to school for a whole year as he couldn't get into the catchment they had moved to.