School Appeal

If you don't qualify for a place at any of the schools you expressed a preference for, the LEA's only obligation is to offer a place at the nearest school with places available after the allocations have been made. But that doesn't necessarily mean that the school that you have been offered is the only one with space. I would call the LEA and ask for a list of all the schools which still have places vacant and see if any of them are more acceptable to you than the one you have been offered. And make sure that you stay on the waiting list. Depends where you live of course but in some places lots of people move in and out of the area and 8th on the list isn't impossible. (Though do bear in mind that people may also join the list above you.)

There’s nothing you can really do apart from wait for a place on the wait list. If you don’t meet criteria then you don’t meet criteria. Did you used to live in the parish and now you don’t?

If your son has an EHCP do you have a Secondry School named on it?

People’s finances, caring responsibilities and marital status are not relevant for school applications or appeals.

It is whether there is a physical space for your child if you do not meet the school criteria.

worth keeping on the waiting list, but look for other schools you would prefer rather than the one you have given. Unfortunately as you did not have a 2nd preference you are at the mercy of what they give you, so now is time to choose your next best school and see if it has a space or appeal for it.

As the Catholic element is important to you, are there other faith schools nearby?

You were allocated a school that you didn’t have as a preference, but, because you only put down one school and didn’t meet the criteria for that one, the local authority doesn’t have any further responsibility to offer anything else.

You say your son is registered on the learning disability register. Do you mean he has an EHCP or that he has some additional learning needs, acknowledged by the school?

I’d visit the allocated school and see what you think. Seeing it in person might be very different from reading about it and anecdotes about it.

Your options are :-
accept the place
accept the place, but ask to be put on waiting lists for other schools.
home school
apply for an EHCP. That’s a lengthy process though and wouldn’t be finalised by the start of the autumn term, so there are decisions to be made between now and then.

There is nothing you can do apart from

1. consider other schools
2. Stay on the waiting list
3. Appeal again next year

Why do you have to give up caring for your father and give up working?

If living In the parish is a criterion for entry then I can't see that they've made an error.

Have a look at other schools in the area to see if they have places or smaller waiting lists

Does your child have an EHCP?

Have you accepted the place offered or are you willing to homeschool?

Unfortunately caring and work responsibilities are not relevant to the appeal.

Are there any other schools in the local area which you didn't apply for but would find more appealling than the allocated school? If so can you get yourself added to the waiting lists for these?
Can you visit the allocated school and see what you think? The Ofsted report may not reflect what you feel/see when you view the school.
Depends on the school and where you live, but worth asking the school what the chances are of getting a place within the next year from 8th on waiting list. Sometimes there is a bit of movement on September and in big cities there is often movement during the year with people move in and out of the area.