I'm hoping an admissions expert can help me out here with a few questions! I've started a new thread as much of this isn't relevant to my old one.
- Does the LA have to provide a map of where the measurement was taken from? There are potentially multiple school gates they could be measuring from. I asked twice, and they are declining to give a map or specify which gate. Is this allowed?
- To my shame, I never attended the school's open day. Part of the reason was because there was no way we could make the day/time specified. I also never followed it up because (and this is my own anxiety-related issue here) I was terrified that we would really love the school and then we wouldn't get a place and I'd feel resentful forever. I didn't want to see what we might not be able to have. Unfortunately, had I known then that having not looked round the school is usually picked up at appeal and seen in a very negative light, I'd have moved heaven and earth to get there. I honestly thought it didn't matter.
I should say that we didn't go into it completely blind - we have friends with children there, I had a brief look when dropping DD off for the 11+, and others did attend the open day and share their thoughts. Knowing the type of children that go there and are thriving, and knowing DD, we knew it would be right for her.
So my question is - will this be really held against me, and/or is there any way I'd be able to look round now? What justification could I use, given I didn't look around before? It seems most schools are very against tours outside of open day for obvious reasons, and especially if we don't even have a place!
- All these things over classroom sizes, number of PCs in ICT suites etc - where do you get this information from? When I contacted the school over a late social and medical application last week asking what they might be able to do to help DD with newly diagnosed ASD, I was told they are not allowed to help us with an appeal (this was an application!) and to not expect a response. Which was a bit off-putting.
Thank you!!