Reasons that would be suitable to get a place in a secondary school

[Katem2104]

Hi everyone
My son is year 6 in primary school and has been given a secondary school that is 2 miles away and is not the school that I would be happy to send him to. He is a very intelligent bright boy and very well spoken - however the school that he has been given doesn't have a good grade rate of success as I know a teacher that works there.
Anyway he has no other siblings so I cannot use that as a reason to attend a school of my choice. The two schools I would like him to attend are only a mile away. I have started a Bsc in Physiotherapy so am studying. The thing is my sister lives near the school of my choice - so what if I used that as a reason that she would be providing childcare for him after school as there is nobody else at home ?
If not what other reason could I use that could be successful?

Thanks in advance

[W00t]

That's really not an adequate reason.
But how has he been allocated a school yet when the admissions round doesn't end until 31st October?
Are you outside England?

[Lougle]

In England, that would not be a reason to get a school place. Children can be expected to walk up to 3 miles at secondary school before transport is given.

To get a school place you'd have to show that his need for the place outweighs the difficulties that it will cause for the school to have an extra child. You'd need to look at all the benefits of the school and how that will help your child.

Note that 'it has good results', 'it's a better school', 'my child is too good for x school', 'my child would be an asset to the school', etc., are not acceptable arguments at appeal.

[Finfintytint]

Not a hope in hell with that excuse. Our reason for appeal was that my DS had to travel through several unmanned crossings to get to the allocated school. It was dangerous and the local authority listened and he got in. We had another argument at secondary and the local public transport would get him to the allocated school 10 minutes late every day due to buses and trains. He got into preferred schools on both occasions. Both preferred schools were 5 minute walks away but were initially denied. It’s a shit system.

[BikeRunSki]

What country are you in?

[BikeRunSki]

Childcare is not of that much relevance at secondary level.

[Katem2104]

I'm in the UK .. it's the school he has been allocated and I'm filling in the form now to name my choice of three schools!

[Lindy2]

Where are you OP? Where I am people are only at the stage of starting to put their school choice applications in. Places aren't allocated until next year.

Secondary school pupils are not really expected to need childcare so your work/study/personal arrangements won't be of interest to the school allocations department.

[Katem2104]

I'm in the UK

[RedskyAtnight]

I'm guessing you are not in England as school allocations have not been made yet. On what basis have you been offered the school 2 miles away? I assume the nearer schools are oversubscribed? Do you have any hope in getting a place from a waiting list?

As others have said, nothing in your post is a reason for appeal. If you were in England, I'd suggest that you needed to argue for something specific that your preferred school offered that the offered one didn't e.g. they offer Spanish as a language and your child has a particular interest in that language due to cultural reasons. But without knowing what country you're in, it's hard to advise.

[Katem2104]

In the uk.. sorry I wasn't clear

[Lindy2]

You're making your choices then. He hasn't been allocated any place yet. That's the next stage.

[Katem2104]

@W00t

That's really not an adequate reason.
But how has he been allocated a school yet when the admissions round doesn't end until 31st October?
Are you outside England?

Sorry not allocated.. yes I'm making the choices now

[meditrina]

Which country in the UK?

[RedskyAtnight]

ah crossposted. Although England, Wales, Scotland and NI have their own systems, so varies across "UK".

If you are filling in the form to apply for places for next year, then you haven't been allocated anything yet. You simply put the schools you want in the order you want it. Is the form simply defaulting to one school and your are thinking you have to choose it?

[VirginiaWolverine]

Do you mean that the catchment school is 2 miles away and you want him to go to a closer school but you are out of catchment?

[ChaChaCha2012]

Put down the schools in order of preference. The allocation will then be made according to set criteria, which will be published on the school/ LA website.

[ChaChaCha2012]

(Assuming you're in England.)

[Bettysprocker]

He hasn't been given any school yet. You can apply where you want. That excuse won't fly though.

[RedskyAtnight]

There's often a free text box where you're asked to give reasons why you want the school. Is that what you mean? Because in the vast majority of cases, it really doesn't make any difference what you put in this box, as the admissions criteria have to be followed.

[PastMyBestBeforeDate]

It does matter whether you're in England, Scotland, Wales or N. Ireland.
Assuming England then unless you have compelling social, medical or emotional reasons why he should go to a particular school AND that school includes that as an admissions category then there's little point in adding information other than your choices to the form.

[Katem2104]

@BikeRunSki

What country are you in?

I'm in South Yorkshire England

[Katem2104]

@PastMyBestBeforeDate

It does matter whether you're in England, Scotland, Wales or N. Ireland.
Assuming England then unless you have compelling social, medical or emotional reasons why he should go to a particular school AND that school includes that as an admissions category then there's little point in adding information other than your choices to the form.

Social reasons for example friend networks?

[Katem2104]

@VirginiaWolverine

Do you mean that the catchment school is 2 miles away and you want him to go to a closer school but you are out of catchment?

Yes.. the catchment school is further away ..

[Katem2104]

@RedskyAtnight

ah crossposted. Although England, Wales, Scotland and NI have their own systems, so varies across "UK".

If you are filling in the form to apply for places for next year, then you haven't been allocated anything yet. You simply put the schools you want in the order you want it. Is the form simply defaulting to one school and your are thinking you have to choose it?

No it's just the catchment school that has been filled in when I recieved the letter? I have to clarify my 3 schools I want him to attend

[RedskyAtnight]

OK, so you're in England. You just need to put the schools you want in the preference order you want them. If there are 2 schools that you would prefer, then put them in positions 1 and 2. If your catchment (?) school is 2 miles away and you don't really want it but will probably get a place there, then best to put it in last place as it will be preferable to have a school you don't want that is close by, rather than one you don't want that is miles away. Why do you think you won't get a place at the 2 closer schools? Have you looked at admissions information from previous years (normally available on the LEA website) - this will give you an idea how likely it is that you will get a place.