So disappointed - can anyone explain to me exactly how offers work?

I really wish people like prettyvase would stop perpetuating this bollocky nonsense.

I only ever put down the first choice of school. Never a second or third.
Or I might have put the first choice three times.
Basically that tells them there is no second or third choice.
Has always worked.

It's only worked because you'd have got the place anyway.

Hundreds of parents try this and are disappointed each year.

As an aside do you really think a computer has the ability to think about why someone might have put the same school three times? Do you really think artificial intelligence is that good?

Dd is in the same position. Kids from the other side of our village got in, less than half a mile away and this is the first time a child has been refused a place in the school as it’s surrounded by countryside and have more places than children in catchment. It’s really gutting for her although unlike you I am ok with the catchment school offered.

There are people advising op to go on a waiting list for this and other schools. We are thinking of doing this with dd.

Does anyone know if you can be on more than one waiting list at a time?

@Prettyvase that's always worked because there has been room for you in your first choice school. If there hadn't been, you would have been allocated any school with a place. Only putting one school isn't recommended unless you are 100% confident you will get a place in your first school. They don't say 'this person only put one school therefore they must really want it so we will give them a place' that would not be legal. They gave you a place because you were eligible for one. 🙄🙈🤦‍♀️

I only ever put down the first choice of school. Never a second or third.

Or I might have put the first choice three times.

Basically that tells them there is no second or third choice.

Has always worked.

"IceRebel

There's no need to appeal because it doesn't sound like any admissions criteria have been overlooked or medical needs ignored, so appealing is pointless as it won't change anything."

This would be true for an Infant Class Size appeal (YrR-Yr2), although many would appeal anyway just in case they could slip through the process with a lucky win, but for a secondary school place, appeal away!!

You just have to be able to show that your child needs the place at your preferred school more than the school has a reason to refuse the place. Being 'nominally full' is not the same as being actually full, and it's down to the school/Local Authority to demonstrate that the school is actually full and therefore can't take your child.

But you need to be aware that many other parents may have the same idea, so you will need to be able to convince your panel that not only is the school not actually full, but that your child needs the place more than any other child/children who is/are trying to get the few places that the panel decides the school should be able to open up.

Agree with above. Accept school B for now.

I hope my experience will give you hope. DS1 was offered a school I definitely didn't want him to attend. I appealed and was successful. Some years later, after a house move, DD was offered our second choice school. We accepted and thought that was that. Several weeks later, I received a phone call to say a place had come up at our first choice so we accepted.

Good luck, OP.

You did the right thing in putting your favourite school first, and you did not disadvantage yourself by listing school B.

1. Accept school . This will not disadvantage you in any waiting lists or appeals.
2. Make sure you are on the waiting list for school B
3. You could ask the LA why you were not offered school A: they might tell you your distance and last distance offered.
4. Consider going in the waiting list for any other schools you prefer to school B,

1. Consider an appeal. You have a chance to win an appeal if there is a specific way your child would be disadvantaged by not attending the school that is greater than the disadvantage to the school of accepting an extra pupil. These might include medical or SEN reasons, a specific sporting, Arts’s or academic activity that your Ds does that is offered at school A but not at B. The other way to win is if there has been a mistake, e.g they mis-measured your address.

There is movement on waiting lists. All those who listed School A second will be trying for their own first choice, people move house per the summer, people accept private school offers.

also, the fact that school B has just been deemed inadequate sometimes turns out to be a great thing, as alot of money and resources get diverted to it. We have one in thei area which went into complete meltdown and is now considered far better than the previous 'outstanding' one that has been downgraded to 'good'
That doesnt alter the fact his friends may be going to the other one. However many primary school friendships change drastically during year 7, so friends at primary are not neccesarily going to be friends at secondary - and those which do last between different schools can be facilitated through play dates and XBox/PC live chat if he is into gaming

Nothing useful to add but did just want to say I understand your deep disappointment. When DD was offered a place at a school we hadnt even put on the list (Special Measures, sacked Head no replacement in sight) I was very down about it.

In many areas there is no genuine choice. Parents get to express an opinion but that is about all.

This was now many years ago. The school we wanted DC to go to is now in the doldrums and the school the DCs went to is slowly improving.

Is distance from the school the criteria he hasn't got in on? If so you should be able to find out what distance offers were made to in previous years and and compare it to how far out you live.
You might still get in. All it needs is for some of those offered a place to go private or to get in to a school they prefer that they are on the waiting list for. (You said you know some people that put the school as their second choice and have got in.)
People do move up waiting lists as those with a place get offers elsewhere or go private. The distance offered to gets further out as time goes on. (If distance is the criteria and not faith etc.)

Apologies if i'm incorrect about appealing, although I still think it would be a lot of stress to go through it and potentially be declined. However I still stand by accepting the place, and checking the waiting list.

First thing is to accept the place.

Then call your LEA admissions and find out where he is in the waiting list for school A.

There can be a lot of movement between now and September. I know a boy who was offered his 3rd choice on offers day. Then a couple of weeks later his second choice and in the first day of term, his first choice.

But you have to accept the place you've been offered-it's the only way you stay in the system.

Hope your Ds is ok-it can be a tough day for some families

Ignore advice about not appealing - you have the right to do so and with secondary applications its not about medical needs or application errors.

Accept the place you've been offered
Go on waiting list for school A
Think about appeal - but remember when appealing you are appealing for school A and not against school B - so think about what school A offers that better meets your Childs needs. Start a separate thread on here for appeal advice - there are lots of experts who help every year!

Good luck!

Everyone at school will be talking about it I'm afraid

The fact that you've misunderstood the process hasn't impacted on the school you've been allocated

Winning a secondary appeal doesn’t require a mistake to have been made or medical needs to have been ignored. You just need to show that the pejudice to your DC not going to the school is greater than the prejudice to the school in admitting an extra pupil.

Y

I’m not sure what the grounds for your appeal would be, but I hope someone can help you as you sound really distressed

No. Your misunderstanding hasn’t actually made a difference to your application. If school A was your genuine 1st choice and B was your back up you’ve ended up with the schools you would have got anywhere. The only difference not putting school B on would have made is the local authority would have given you a space in any school that had spaces after everybody ekse’s application had been considered.

Secondary appeals are slightly easier to win than primary. It might be worth a shot, but don’t get your hopes up.

The difference would have been that you might not have been given B either! You would have been left until the end and given a place at an undersubscribed school, which could still be inadequate but miles away.

Putting or not putting school B won’t have affected your chance of getting school A. If school B had spaces left after everyone had listed it then you’d still have been given school B, if it had no spaces at that point you’d have got the nearest school with spaces which could be further away and worse performing

There's no need to appeal because it doesn't sound like any admissions criteria have been overlooked or medical needs ignored, so appealing is pointless as it won't change anything.