school admissions

[kelly2571]

Hi, can some one please help me understand the school appeals & waiting list process please.
We live in Northampton & we had picked out 3 schools like you supposed to, how ever on the 1st of march 2018 we was informed that our daughter will be attended Northampton International Academy so didn't get any of the preferred schools that we had chosen.

We live in camphill area, first choice school was Wootton park which is 1.3 miles from our house according to the county council website
the next 2 choices were chosen as we liked the schools but not as much as the first choice so thought we would have a good chance of getting a place at first school as the other two are 2.6 and 3.6 miles & we didn't really fall into the lat 2 choices of schools criteria.

I don't understand how she was given NIA school as if she didn't get wootten park she should have been given the next closes school to where we live which is Abbey field which is 0.9 miles from our house.
We are aware that NIA is a new school still in the process of being built but its 1.8 miles from our house & that will result in her taking public transport (bus) to our town centre and then walking the rest of the way, which we will not allow her to do so, and i can't see there being a purpose school bus as NIA is located on the out skirts of northampton town centre so all children attending that school will just catch a bus from their local area?!

We have appealed for all the 3 choices, have had email to confrm our daughter os on the waiting list. Im just bit confused as if we are un successful on the appeal, & she does not get a place at wood park does that mean she has to attend NIA?!?

Can I re apply for a school that still has places, but still remain on the waiting list for her top choice.

Many Thanks

[Sirzy]

If the closest school was full from people who had applied there then you won’t have been given a place.

Unfortunately with hindsight your mistake was not applying for a “safe” school you knew you were pretty likely to be in the criteria for. If none of the schools you have applied for have a place then you basically end up stuck with what is left.

[MurielsBottom]

You can sit on as many waiting lists as you want even though you have accepted the school place you don't want. It may be worth contacting your LA and asking which schools still have places.

It is expected that children attending high school will have to travel independently using public transport and the distances you mention are not excessive.

[LIZS]

Your dd did not rank highly enough against the published admissions criteria to be offered a place at the schools you chose, probably due to distance but your letter should clarify that. If your appeals are unsuccessful and you turn down the place offered the LA does not have to find another school for your dc. Put her down on the waiting list for any schools you are happy for her to attend, as well as the 3. On what basis do you intend to appeal? Most secondary age children make their own way to and from school so that in itself will not help and your preferred schools would presumably require that too.

[LIZS]

And having exhausted your preferred list , a place would have been allocated at the closest school with a vacancy. Presumably the one 0.9 m away was already full by that point with those who had listed it.

[Bixx]

Hi OP. Respectfully, I think you’ve misunderstood how admissions work. If you’re child didn’t qualify for your first choice on distance (I’m assuming there are no social or medical issues to put her in a higher admissions criteria?) then they would have looked at your second choice and then your third. If she didn’t get into any of these either - because they were full up with children who lived nearer, then your DD would have been given a place at the closest school that still had places. Which seems to have been NIA. Not at the next closest school to where you lived.

What I would do it get your DD on the waiting lists for any and all schools you would prefer to send her to and keep your fingers crossed that a place comes up. Have you accepted the place at NIA? Better a school you don’t want than no school at all, and the LA will not offer her anywhere else.

On another point, 1.8 miles is no distance at all for secondary. Getting a bus and walking and then walking a bit is pretty standard.

[flowery]

”taking public transport (bus) to our town centre and then walking the rest of the way,”

Why would you not allow her to do this? Sounds like a perfectly standard secondary school commute and it’s not far in terms of distance?

[EduCated]

Also, you mention not really meeting the criteria - with regards to the admissions criteria, it’s not a check list where you need to meet them all. They are used to prioritise children into a ranked list, and then say they have 180 places in Year 7, the 180 children at the top of the list will get offered a place. The waiting list then works in the same way, with the children ranked by the criteria. You will be ranked according to the highest criteria your child meets.

[prh47bridge]

I don't understand how she was given NIA school as if she didn't get wootten park she should have been given the next closes school to where we live which is Abbey field which is 0.9 miles from our house

It doesn't work like that. If you don't get any of your preferences you will be offered a place at the nearest school with places available. Presumably Abbey Field was full so you weren't offered a place there.

that will result in her taking public transport (bus) to our town centre and then walking the rest of the way, which we will not allow her to do so

Why not? Many children of secondary school age will be undertaking similar journeys. Indeed, many would walk or cycle the whole way for a school that is only 1.8 miles away. If there is some reason why she is unable to undertake this journey such as disability it may help you at appeal. But, barring that, the appeal panel will not see any reason why your daughter should not travel to this school.

Im just bit confused as if we are un successful on the appeal, & she does not get a place at wood park does that mean she has to attend NIA

If you haven't already accepted the place at NIA you should do so. That will be your backup plan if your appeals fail (unless you plan to home educate or send your daughter to an independent school). If you do not accept NIA a failed appeal will leave you without a school place for your daughter. Rejecting NIA may harm your appeal.]

Can I re apply for a school that still has places, but still remain on the waiting list for her top choice

You should already be on the waiting list for all the schools you named as preferences. If there is a school with places available that you would prefer to NIA you can apply to that and stay on the waiting list for your top choice. Note, however, that some councils limit the number of waiting lists you can be on. If you are on three waiting lists already the council may insist you come off one of them if you apply to another school.

[Allthebestnamesareused]

Also you do realise that most secondary school she kids use public transport to get to school so don't use that as a reason for appeal

[RedSkyAtNight]

Unless the route is very unsafe 1.8 miles is easy to walk/cycle surely? Plenty of students at my DC's school walk/cycle further distances.
Actually plenty of their friends walked/cycled a couple of miles to primary school ...

[Hersetta427]

Can I ask why you would not let your child go to a school 1.8m away but are appealing for schools located 2.6m and 3.6m away - thats seems odd to me.

[viques]

you have had some good advice and explanations about what has happened with your application.

This is what you need to do now

1. accept the place she has been offered, this means that whatever happens she has a school place for September. If you refuse it it WONT make the authority offer you the school you want.
   
   2)make sure she is on the waiting list for any school that you would be happy for her to go to, you might be lucky and get offered a place without having to appeal.
   
   
2. make sure you understand the appeal process, the dates you have to apply by etc.
   
   
3. work out what the grounds of your appeal are, remember for each school you are appealing for you are trying to prove that that school is a better fit for your daughter than the one she has been offered. So, is she is good at maths and there is a maths club , is she sporty and they do the sport she excels at, is she musical and they have an orchestra. Etc etc Do not mention the distance or travelling, do not be negativeg about other schools, do not suddenly start claiming medical grounds if you have not mentioned them before and have no evidence for them.