Perfect school no chance of getting in

kn1ghty - please give us a 'fair' list of ways of admitting children to your chosen school. Even if you could make up the admission criteria, no one way would give your dd 100% chance of getting in. If you lived near a good school, do you think children further away should get priority?

Sorry kn1ghty, but you sound like a terrible snob to me. Lots of tameside children haven't gone to Fairfield and have managed just fine thanks. If you really find tameside so unacceptable, move elsewhere.

Agree, distance is the fairest way. I'd love to know how the areas that work on a lottery system are working out. Are the 'best' schools that everyone wanted still the 'best'?

That IS the fairest way - that and SEN and siblings. How else can you do it? Everyone wants the "best" school for their child. How would you choose the pupils? Size of their parents wallet? Social class?

"Perfect School"
For who?
Every child is unique.
What worked for one of mine was a disaster for the other.
Whose criteria?
Shop being a follower
BAAAAAAAAA
Be a leader
decide what is best for you
a big fish in a small pond is often no bad thing
children in even the "worst" schools can do well with excellent parental support

• are you that excellent parent?

Who are you trying to satisfy?
your vanity
or your child's educational needs?

And why shouldn't 13 and 14 year olds use public transport?

Sorry, OP, but your post is a good argument for why distance is a "fair" means of selection.

Why on earth should people be able to utilise the various accoutrements of privilege to wangle their child's way into a school? (joining the PTA, helping out on school trips, etc,) Why shouldn't girls (and I notice you don't think the single-sex criteria is unfair,) in a "less-desirable" area have first dibs on a "good" school?

There are arguments against distance/catchment selection, but, in this instance? Sorry, I'm all out of sympathy.

Seriously, the only thing to say is that the unfairness resides in the disparity between the schools on offer, which is what makes the mode of selection, amongst all the parents who have recognised this disparity, and understandably, would rather their girls went to this school, an issue.

As everyone has said, you now have the option of accepting the place you dd qualifies for, and if necessary supporting and supplementing that (not fair, agreed, there will be lots of parents for whom those last two are not an option) or moving (again, not fair; lots of parents can't do that).

Which school does your DD want to go to? Where will her friends from primary school be going? Is she happy to move to go to the other school? You may find she settles well locally and if she is happy at school she will do well. Unfortunately the admissions process is not always fair.

what lowrib said.

Again, with the special facilities the school has to offer, you would want to explain why your children need these facilities more than other children. "particular benefit" is the key words here.

Try to think of it from the LEA's pov. They no doubt know that some schools are better than others, but they have to try to be fair to all children.

henna, I'm shocked that your yr9 and yr10 DCs can't use public transport. Unless they are SEN they are well behind their peers in practical life skills. If you make an appeal on that basis you will be laughed at.

I do sympathise at not getting your preferred school, but the school is oversubscibed and unfortunately that is life.

Henna2 - As others have said, it is very unlikely that you will win an appeal on the basis that you refuse to let your Y9 and Y10 children travel by public transport. You would need to show that there are particular reasons why it is more of a problem for them than for other children. The "not so good area" argument also doesn't work.

You need to find reasons why your children's education will be prejudiced if they don't go to your preferred school. That means looking at things like facilities the preferred school has which are missing from the allocated school and which are of particular benefit to your children. After school clubs are also worth checking.

If you are appealing the LA (or the school if it is a faith school or academy) MUST provide you with the information you reasonably need for the appeal at least 3 working days before the hearing. Having said that, most of the figures you mention for the school for which you are appealing should be in the LA's written submission to the appeal which you will receive at least 10 school days before the hearing.

maggott is right, henna: highly unlikely that you will win an appeal on the public transport argument, when vast numbers of children of that age travel on public transport and it is considered a very normal thing to do at that age

if a Yr 10 child is incapable of travelling on a bus, how do they manage their social life? and how will they cope with going to uni and living independently in a few years' time?

the only way this appeal would work is if you could prove (medical evidence!) that there is a special reason why your children cannot manage what most children their age can

If you really want your DD to go there, and you won't get a mortgage, then rent a place near the school, and rent your place out until you can get a mortgage.

I've done this (not to get into a school, but because we've moved to attend university as mature students).

You would have to actually move though. You can't just rent a place and say you live there, they do pretty thorough checks these days I think.

Or, if you're not prepared to do that, than it'll have to be the local school.

Your public transport argument won't work. Loads of children use public transport at earlier ages than this. My Year 5 uses public transport to get home from school. Year 9 and 10 would be no problem. Will need to appeal on different grounds.

Any idea on how to get information to strengthen my appeal for a secondary school in Milton keynes. Where can I obtain information about class sizes, pupil-teacher ratio, numbers in yrs group,etc, because the school won't disclose this info to me.

Hi,on what grounds did you appeal for your child? I need to appeal for my two kids, yr 9 and 10 to a school in my catchment area. They don't have special needs and they school is oversubscribed. They have given an option school which is much further away and not good and will issue them a bus pass, I refuse to let my kids travel by public transport when they have never travelled on it before to a not so good area.

Move, then go on the waiting list and hope a vacancy comes up

Agree with the others. if the school is that important to you, move.

if thats not an option, devote your time and energy to schools she is likely to get into

Do you really want your child to go to school 6 miles away?

I think that the commute to school would be a right pain in the arse for all concerned.

Is it really worth it?

I don't think you stand a chance of getting in unless you move.

I'm sorry OP but I also think you are going to have to accept that she's not going to get in there. Admissions rules are the rules - SEN, siblings and distance usually. The fact that you think it is best isn't relevant for an appeal either, sorry.

Try to think positively about the schools you can apply for, what the weak points are and what you can realistically do about that (join the PTA there etc)

Sadly unless you move RIGHT NOW into the catchment area your DD will not get a place. You won't be able to do anything about it as LOTS of other parents desparately want their DDs to benefit from this school and there are a finite number of places.

You really need to just accept reality and make the best of what choices you actually have.