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Original poster

HELP! Mistake on secondary school application

35 replies

GeMiNix89x · 09/03/2020 18:36

I'm looking for some advice I stupidly made a massive error on my daughters secondary school application and didn't include our catchment school (stupid I know) which she also currently has a sibling attending. on the list was just 2 other local schools that are very over subscribed. To my horror I only realised this when the offers were sent out and noticed she had been allocated a school 10 miles away from our home! And our first choice wasn't even on there! There are only 2 routes to the school via public transport so her journey to school would include a 6am train ride and 2 buses taking approximately 2.30hrs to get there on time. Or an 8.36am bus ride taking 56 minutes and being over an hour late to school every day. These would be her only travel options as I do not drive and start work at 8am. Our catchment school is less than a mile from home a 10 minute walk and she is currently attending one of the schools feeder schools. I have no idea where the hell my head was at at the time and have no excuses for not double checking before submitting 🤦🏼‍♀️ but now I need to deal with the consequences so I have made a late application to her first choice school and am awaiting the outcome and will hopefully hear something Wednesday or Thursday im guessing she wont be allocated a place but will be placed on the waiting list as this school is also oversubscribed but it's literally all I am thinking about I feel so guilty that my daughter is suffering because of a mistake I made! I'm just wondering if anyone has found themselves in a similar situation? And how they have dealt with it? And how high up on the waiting list they were?
TIA x

OP posts:
Original poster
GeMiNix89x · 09/03/2020 21:19

Our first choice is our catchment school. Application was unsuccessful with the 2 other schools in the area (out of catchment) and she has been added to the waiting list for both.

OP posts:
Thisismytimetoshine · 09/03/2020 21:07

Did you really forget to include both your first choice and your catchment schools?!
I’m not sure you could build a case on your dd missing out on all the extra curricular activities plus the photography option, really. By definition all the other children allocated the same school are missing out also.

Original poster
GeMiNix89x · 09/03/2020 20:58

That being said my daughter has been learning Spanish at her current school and would like to continue this but on comparison of both schools I've learnt that the allocated school doesn't offer spanish as a language but our first choice does. Also she has a keen interest in extra curricular activities eg. Football, dance, cooking, drama and again allocated school doesn't offer all of these. After reading the first choice school's prospectus she was ecstatic to learn that they also offer photography as an option which is definitely something she is wanting to take but if she was to go to the allocated school she would miss out on all these opportunities. Am I right in thinking this is grounds for our appeal? And yes we are automatically added to the waiting lists for any unsuccessful school applications but we will not know where we are placed until Wednesday when the wait list is established.

OP posts:
admission · 09/03/2020 20:28

There is no direct connection between the late application and an appeal. You can appeal for any school you want and the appeal is about whether your reasons for wanting the school outweigh the effect of adding a further pupil to the school year. Ironically all the reasons you have quoted that would suggest you will be near the top of the waiting list for the school are not really going to have any weight an the appeal hearing. It is all about what the wished for school can offer that other schools cannot.
If you have not done so, I would ensure that you formally check that you are on the waiting list for all the schools that you would like a place at. Whilst many LAS automatically put you on the waiting list not all do and given you have had one disaster it is better to be save than sorry. Send an email asking them to confirm you are on the waiting lists for the schools.

Original poster
GeMiNix89x · 09/03/2020 19:31

@Darbs76 yes I will definitely be appealing if we're unsuccessful. I wasn't too sure if the fact the application will be classed as late will affect it?

OP posts:
Original poster
GeMiNix89x · 09/03/2020 19:26

Yes it does state this in the school admissions criteria. It also goes on distance from the school and we are very very close! As well as children that are attending the local feeder schools.

OP posts:
Darbs76 · 09/03/2020 19:25

If she’s in a feeder too she will be top of the waiting list so try not to worry too much, plus you’d have good appeal grounds

MichaelMosleyisagod · 09/03/2020 19:18

Does the first choice school have a sibling policy? If so I would imagine you will go to the top of the waiting list as not many people will be in the same situation!!

Original poster
GeMiNix89x · 09/03/2020 18:57

Yes she will be on the waiting list for the other schools. Thank you! 🤞

OP posts:
Gazelda · 09/03/2020 18:51

Are you on the wait list for all other schools that would be a better journey for her? If not, get her on those lists ASAP.
I'm sure there will be other posters along who can give you more useful advice, and wishing you the very best of luck.