Please or to access all these features

Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Does being a young carer help in a Year 7 school appeal?

83 replies

busySunflower · 10/07/2026 16:00

Does being a young carer adds any advantage in secondry school appeal process ? for year 7 entry ?

OP posts:
busySunflower · 11/07/2026 07:57

the allocated school clearly mentioned in writing that dont provide any support within the school it has been always outsourced to a 3rd party which is not realiable(we have evidence for that as well), whereas the school that we are appealing for provides in school support+3rd party support and they confirmed that in writing that they have been doing this for many years now and well aware of YC needs, we didnt get this school because of the oversubscription.
this wasnt the only reasons there are other reasons as well.
our appeal is already over, waiting for an outcome now and this waiting time is what killing us

Pannel said there are many appeals for this school they can only take a decission once they heard everything, my worry is, though we our case is strong, there could be other families they too might have a strong reasons as well, in that case how do they decide to whoom they will up held

another question: when multiple appeals are being heard nearly 15+ do they take a decission immediately after the appeal or they revisit each case once again at the end of hearing everyones case, how does it work ?

pannel didnt probe much asked few generic questions or the most common questions only, do they really go through all the details specially when you share all the evidence and writeup and medical history that are really long ?

Will pannel assume that every school provides the same/similar support for YC even though we shared all the details that they dont, infact allocated school mentioned that its not mandatory for the school support to YC but providing support to SEN is mandatory.

What happens during the pannel training ? would they be aware that YC also face disadvantage or barier to education like FSM/PP

OP posts:
PanelChair · 10/07/2026 19:53

Yes, exactly.

PatriciaHolm · 10/07/2026 17:21

A year 7 appeal will be looking at whether the detriment to the child of not attending is greater than the detriment to the school of taking other pupil.

As such, there is no prescribed list of reasons that absolutely do and don't count; of course some arguments are stronger than others.

it could absolutely be the case that, for example, a young carers responsibilities mean they need to be in a school very close to home, or the young carer needs themselves to access support that School will be required to facilitate. These could be part of a winning appeal, particularly if the School's case itself is quite weak. (These are both examples in cases I've heard in the last few years chairing Appeal panels)

Being a carer just itself won't win an appeal, and there would probably need to be other reasons the School was suited to them, but it's far more complicated than just saying no it won't help.

PanelChair · 10/07/2026 17:16

It might, if there is evidence to show that attending the preferred school will in some way support the child in their role as a young carer.

If the school has an oversubscription category for medical and social need, it might also be helpful to apply to the admission authority for consideration under this category, if it wasn’t done at the time of applying; being placed in the medical/social category won’t immediately provide a school place in the way that a successful appeal would, but it would move the child up the waiting list.

LIZS · 10/07/2026 16:59

It might help for a wl place if it is a priority criteria but unless there is specific related provision at the appeal school or a reason it uniquely supports their caring role probably not.

cramptramp · 10/07/2026 16:03

No. None. I have lots of experience in school appeals.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 10/07/2026 16:02

Not really, unless its particularly exceptional circumstances, such as caring for a parent with a terminal illness. But including it in any case will enable whichever school does offer a place to monitor and support the child to reduce the disadvantages they experience as a result.

ChickenBananaBanana · 10/07/2026 16:01

In what respect would it?

Swipe left for the next trending thread