to not want to walk 35 miles to get to somewhere I dont even want to go :@

[WomanScorned]

We have been allocated a reception place at a school 1 3/4 miles away. That's 17.5 miles a week, in rain or shine. Or snow and ice, on top of a long school day for DS's little legs. And double that for my 46y old achey hips and dodgy knees.

I'm trying to be positive, looking at running shoes and making the most of it, but this school run's going to be f***g miserable, isn't it?

Would I be very unreasonable to shout 'shut up' out of the window, at the smarmy swines running around the playground of the school 5 metres away, who are gloating and laughing at me, because they got in and we didn't?

It all sounds so strange. I applied online and I had to provide proof of adress. It wasn't taken off records of dds preschool. That cannot be official means

Appeal appeal appeal. My dds school is 2 miles away but there is a school bus and i drive/have a car

I agree with making the schools run fun, btw, and seeing it as good exercise. We spent 2 years doing a 2 mile a day nursery run with bikes/scooter/sledge/dolly pushchair/slings etc. We had an I-spy break on the same bench every day, and it was a lovely way to reconnect. But I just dont want to do it for 7 more years! I'll be 53 :|

Lougle is right, you have a very strong appeal case here, providing you put the correct address on the application form. What was on their system is irrelevant.

Post on primary education and you will get excellent advice.

I second with keep appealing.

Definitely get yourself over to www.mumsnet.com/Talk/primary

Sounds like their error and you should win at appeal, the experts on the primary thread will be able to give you guidance for your appeal.

LAC should not be on the waiting list, they should be admitted.

There is more than one error being made by the council here.

The school secretary told me back in May that they usually have about 5 'no shows' every September, which is why I was confident of a waiting list place if the appeal fails. Today though, she told me that 5 or 6 families with a sibling link had put in late applications.

So, I phoned the LA to try to establish whether it's worth going to the desired school's parents meeting this week, and trying to get in on the transition day. I was told that my son is about halfway on a waiting list of 34. I expressed surprise that 16 siblings had made late applications. He reminded me that LA's also get priority, but that they (plural) may well find places elsewhere and free up spaces (plural).

Aaargh, LAC, not LA.

WomanScorned do you think they may have believed your application to be fraudulent? The only reason I can see for using your old address would be if they thought the new address was not genuine. I'm in no way suggesting that it wasn't, but I can see how it might appear that way- they have another address on the system, but you then apply with a new address next to the school!

If they have made that judgement, I imagine it would be easy for you to win or appeal- because you can prove that it WAS a genuine move.

LAC are excepted children and do not count towards Infant Class Size regulations.

From what you have said, it seems unlikely that you would not win an appeal.

Have you started a thread about admin errors in admissions, on the Education Board?

If not, go to Education (lots of the admissions experts hang out there - lawyers, panel chairs, etc). Start a thread with a clear explicit title like 'appealing admin error in admissions - help!' and you will get very clear advice about your legal rights and how to do your appeal.

Good luck, OP.

Not sure why they would use your address from nursery rather than an address you put in the admissions form! If they messed up, they have to give you the place.

Is your new address your new permanent residence?

MrsKCastle - That's something I hadn't considered.

I sent a copy of my tenancy agreement with the appeal. We moved a week or so before the closing date for admissions.

The old address is no longer a residential one. The allocation letter was sent there, but would have been returned to them, as there was no longer a letterbox - or front door! So they KNOW we weren't living there. But I can't prove that, only they can.

Yes, it's a long term let. We love this house and DS will grow up here :-)

(people may recall my nightmare ex-neighbour posts!)

Oh OP I feel for you. In my exerience though, most or all of those 5/6 familes will give uo before September. Plus, in my LA, once term starts the "waiting list" goes out of the window and places go on first come first served so ring every day...

LAC are only excepted children if they are admitted outside the normal admissions round. In the normal round, they have first priority in the oversubscription category, which means that to have 2 LAC on the waiting list at this stage, they must have put an application in after the initial deadline for applications.

The school can take them on as excepted pupils once the normal admissions round is finished, but they can't take them in as excepted pupils during the normal admissions round. I think this is because otherwise, a school could potentially, say, decide that they'll have an intake of 34, because 4 children are LAC/PLAC, by allocating the 30 places to other children and then taking the extra 4 LAC/PLAC as 'excepted pupils'. If they're following the code properly, they'd take the 4 LAC/PLAC applications + 26 other applications to keep within the ICS regulations.

I think, though, that you need to contact the department and point out that 2.15 of the admissions code says:

"Infant classes (those where the majority of children will reach the age
of 5, 6 or 7 during the school year) must not contain more than 30 pupils with a single school teacher. Additional children may be admitted under limited exceptional circumstances. These children will remain an ‘excepted pupil’ for the time they are in an infant class or until the class
numbers fall back to the current infant class size limit. The excepted children are:
...
c) children admitted, after initial allocation of places, because of a
procedural error made by the admission authority or local authority in
the original application process;
d) children admitted after an independent appeals panel upholds an
appeal; "

You can point out to them that either way, your child would be an excepted child and as they quite clearly have made a procedural error, then they should not waste time going to appeal, but allocate your DS a place as an excepted child.

"I sent a copy of my tenancy agreement with the appeal. We moved a week or so before the closing date for admissions."

Are you sure that you applied using your new address? What do the admissions procedures of the LA you are in say about house moves?

Oh, really, lougle?
So, this could, potentially, be resolved sooner?
Thank you for making that make sense @-}--

The woman I originally spoke to at Admissions kept correcting me when I referred to 'their error'. She kept saying 'perceived error' and 'in your opinion'. I kept saying it was neither a misconception nor an opinion, but a fact! She just told me to appeal.

Should I contact the dept by phone, again, or put it in writing?

Thank you Tiggytape.
I was awarded some HB on both houses at the same time, as we moved during my notice period on the old house. And I can prove this :-)
The old house had steel doors and windows fitted as soon as we moved out, due to the neighbours breaking in twice. The old Housing Association can confirm this. I feel much more confident about the appeal now.
Thanks again, everyone.

"LAC are only excepted children if they are admitted outside the normal admissions round. In the normal round, they have first priority in the oversubscription category, which means that to have 2 LAC on the waiting list at this stage, they must have put an application in after the initial deadline for applications."

I would argue that they have therefore applied outside the normal admissions round and should be offered places as excepted children.