Tips - What to do if you aren't happy with your school place

funinthesun My DS was given his first choice, BUT as time has gone on I know deep down this isn’t the right school for him. I chose this as the first one because it’s the closest so was playing it safe really as I didn’t want to mess about choosing others further away and then not get him in any close by if that makes sense.

A small comment. If you had put your closest school last and listed in your true order of preference you wouldn't have risked not getting the closest school. They only take your order into account if you qualify for more than 1, in which case they give you the higher up one in your list.

Yes, possibly.

First of all, speak to the LEA about joining the waiting list for the other school. (They won’t have put you on it, as you got your first choice).

For a successful appeal, you need to persuade the panel that this school will meet your son’s needs in a way that the offered school can’t, and that any prejudice (ie detriment) to the school in having to accommodate an extra pupil is outweighed by the detriment to your son if he doesn’t get a place.

Assemble as much evidence as you can about how the preferred school will be better placed to meet your son’s needs. Does it, for example, have support programmes for pupils struggling with transition that the other school doesn’t? Ideally, you need letters from the professionals working with your son, saying that in their opinion (not just yours) he needs a place at this school. Look for other things too that would benefit him and aren’t available elsewhere - particular subjects on the curriculum, co-curricular activities, pastoral care or whatever.

Appeals based on social difficulties can be hard to win, because the LEA will be arguing that all schools are able to cater for pupils with these difficulties, so you need to persuade the panel that the second choice school can cater for your son’s needs in a way that the first choice school can’t. There’s no guarantee that you’ll win - much depends on how strong the school’s case is not to admit - but with plenty of supporting evidence you might.

Can I get some advice on my situation please?

My DS was given his first choice, BUT as time has gone on I know deep down this isn’t the right school for him. I chose this as the first one because it’s the closest so was playing it safe really as I didn’t want to mess about choosing others further away and then not get him in any close by if that makes sense.

DS has suspected asd. Tried twice now to get a diagnosis for him. He would thrive more in a smaller school. The school he is going to is MASSIVE. I think he will find it very overwhelming.
The school I chose as his second choice, just slightly further away, would be much better for him and I feel he would be much more settled there. It’s a lot smaller.
His younger brother who is two years younger has asd and has an EHCP. I will want him to go to the smaller school too. All things considered, if I was to appeal, what are my chances of them letting DS1 have a place at his second choice? He has a lot of additional support and SENCO involvement at school. He has social difficulties and prone to letting his emotions get the better of him. He needs to be somewhere he feels comfortable and happy these next 5 years.

Do I have a shot or not?

Nearly everyone accepts, but some will refuse because they’ve left the area, have accepted a place in an independent school or whatever. That creates a few vacancies, which will be filled from waiting lists, and then the pupils offered places from waiting lists give up their original places and so it goes on.

Thank you . But how do places ever get released if everyone is advised to accept the initial offer ? Apologies for so many questions - it’s been a long day !

They know you want a place at that school because you're on its waiting list (but make sure that you are - some LEAs automatically place you on the waiting lists for higher preference schools, but in some LEAs you have to opt into the waiting list). Some LEAs will also allow you to join waiting lists for schools you didn't initially apply for, although sometimes that means dropping off other waiting lists.

Please could I ask about waiting lists? If the advice is to accept the initial offer but stay on waiting lists for higher preferences- how do the schools / councils know you want a different school? We have a situation at my primary school where 2 families have got the schools the other family wanted , but how will it work in reality ? Thanks

Hi @PatriciaHolm - i wonder if you can help with this question, I called my LA but they didn't really give me an answer.

One of the schools we didn't get has an appeal form as you have to appeal directly to the school, on the form they ask you to list your 6 schools that you applied for in order. Are they allowed to do this? We put this school 2nd but as we didn't receive a place at any of our 6 we are now re considering and want to appeal to this particular school. We don't want to list them as 2nd as i feel this would disadvantage us - are they allowed to ask us for this information and will they be able to check what we put on the form? I thought this was confidential and shouldn't have a bearing on allocation.

panelchair yes it was last year. The school we wanted took away sibling places as they knew they were going to be oversubscribed.

We appealed but didn’t succeed and ended up moving DD to same school DS got into.

The whole thing was really stressful but in the end it has worked out ok. The school they go to is nearer home & DD is much happier.

Oops. Just spotted that @converseandjeans’s comment was from last year so doesn’t require an answer.

@lifeasawidower As prh47bridge and PatriciaHolm have said, you will move up waiting lists as soon as you have a confirmed address in Sefton. I would suggest pursuing the EHCP as far as you can in the time available, as (ideally) you will get an ECHP naming the school you want and (if not) you might at least get into the higher category of social/medical need on the waiting list, assuming there is one.

@converseandjeans Can you say more about why the sibling rule doesn’t apply because of high numbers?

Thank you. Essentially, then, the system suggest that we need to move at whatever cost to what's left of his primary education and psychological safety in order to get a place at a secondary school. I understand it but it's stress on top of stress. Thanks again for your reply.

No

Yes

Yes

I had to apply through Southwark council for a school place in Sefton (250m miles away) because we don't live there yet. Obviously I'm not trying to pull a fast one because the commute wouldn't be feasible!

I only put schools in Southport (Sefton) on the list as we're moving as soon as my son finishes primary school in East Dulwich. Yesterday I received an email to say that he had a place at a school in Peckham (Southwark) where we won't be living come September (all the schools I applied for are over subscribed).

My son is in the CAHMS system, has just been diagnosed with autism but doesn't have an EHCP yet, and we're moving as I need a lot more help with him from family up where we're moving (I'm a sole parent through widowhood).

I did everything the right way - applied in October, gave details about where we would live and submitted a psychiatrist report. However, choosing not to disrupt his primary education by moving him up north sooner has left us 68th on the waiting list of 68 for his preferred school (chosen for the support I believe it can offer him).

I'm now facing the reality that he essentially is without a secondary school place - we'll live 250 miles away from his allocated school come September. I do have an appointment with Southwark admissions and I've already spoken to Sefton and now I have to appeal using all the information they already have. I just wondered if I could be doing any more than that.

Thank you so very much everyone for all your advice, I'm so overwhelmed. I've always come on here to read comments, this is my first time posting and you have all been very supportive, bless you all. And do have a beautiful week ahead x

@Toppybas123 presumably you have explored their pretty comprehensive website which mentions Basketball, enrichment etc. Ask about that and any queries you have in mind such as subjects he is passionate about. If you decline the offered school it will not force LA to make an alternative offer.

You say he's very academic, so ask what opportunities they offer for enrichment or for taking things to a higher level. Ask whether there's a basketball team and so on.

Thanks both for taking time to answer my questions and offer advice. I posted 2 schools in a Facebook local group, most parents went with Penketh. I'm also lucky to meet the chair of governors on group and she agreed to a Facebook call, we changed numbers. She has arranged a school visit on Monday.

To be frank I don't know the kind of questions I should be asking them both on Monday. Any suggestions is mostly welcome. As I mentioned I would like a sch he can excel both academically and any other issues he would like to do.
My concern is I don't want anything short of the standard he is currently working on.

Best wishes x

Are there any other parents of slightly older children you have met yet? Where do the children living around you go?

Lost half a sentence there! Was saying that not fulfilling the school's admissions criteria (such as living outside catchment) may be less of an issue for an in-year admission, because if the school has a vacancy it has to give it to you when you apply for it but this tends not to happen with the most popular schools because they have long waiting lists from which they can fill vacancies.

Ofsted reports are one source of information, but don't give you the complete picture, especially if they're several years old. Besides, there's no point setting your heart on a school with a brilliant Ofsted report if you stand no chance of fulfilling its admissions criteria (although this may be less of an issue for an in-year admission, but bear in mind that the most popular schools don't tend to have vacancies as they have copious waiting lists).

Start by looking at school websites to see which offer subjects your son's particularly interested in or sports or other clubs he wants to join. Also think about the practicalities of him travelling to and from school.

There is no simple answer to that. All you can do is look at the information available on the schools and decide which is best suited to your child.

@LIZS and PanelChair, we're offered Penketh High. We wants King's Leadership, both Warrington. We moved address after the application closed, so we didn't get to apply to Warrington but Manchester.

This takes me back to my question please, how do I know which school to choose. I was ofsted report doesn't say it all.
Thanks