So upset at school offer

[kathjee]

Actually sat here crying, sounds so silly. But DS got his third choice, which I was never keen on and is far away.

All his friends got 1st choice and so happy and messaging in the watsapp grp. He's going to be gutted when he gets home from school.

I know we can appeal but iv also heard they are rarely successful. Can anyone help or advise re appeals pls? I feel like we always have such bad luck in these things, without sounding cliche it does always seem to be us who don't get first choices etc 😭.

You might get in on the waiting list. There is hope. Make sure you're on the waiting list for top and second choice.

Remember its not the end.
Find out where you are on the waiting list... if you live near his friends, you might be very near the top.

And reassure your son its not a judgement on him... its a computer algorithm.

I’m really sorry. Do you know why the friends got in and he didn’t? Do they have siblings or live closer?

To win on appeal you need to show an admissions error (rare) or that there is some specific reason why your child needs this particular school, that is strong enough to outweigh the problems it will cause the school to go over capacity. TBH it is hard to win on this ground and yes most appeals fail.

Usually the ones that win are because the child has some very specific needs or abilities or circumstances that mean they really will do a lot better at that particular school. Things like friends or journey don’t tend to be enough.

there's quite a lot of movement between now and the start of term in Sept. Don't be too disheartened, just hang on in on the waiting list, you may still get one of your higher preferences. Good luck.

Sorry to hear this. No advice I’m afraid x

Agree about waiting list, what is your position? Does your council website show this?

Is this secondary school? From memory, I think you need to accept the place and go on the waiting list for your preferred option. There’s often a fair amount of movement between now and September.

But I’m sure someone will be along with more up to date advice soon.

The letter will explain the criteria applied and how the place was allocated. Do his friends live closer for example. Bear in mind friendship groups change from primary. You could go on wl and/or appeal but be objective and accept the one allocated for now.

Thanks everyone,

I have been reading up on how to appeal and it says to show how it would be a detriment to ur child if they don't attend the preferred school. Ie they have certain interests, how would I get this information, obviously from the school but just wondering if they have information packs etc.

I have contacted the LA and they said I need to email in to get the information of why he didn't meet the criteria. And I THINK the waiting list won't be updated until September when ppl have officially accepted/rejected places- that's what iv read anyway. I will ask in the email.

I genuinely don't think any of this is going to work though, I know I sound like a Debbie downer but I'm a realist- some may say pessimist- but I just don't want to be disheartened again, and more so my DS

I know this can be heartbreaking. Was there ever a realistic chance he was going to get into the first 2 choices? My son is in year 6 and we are now waiting to hear about the outcome. It's usually clear which schools are a realistic choices and which we would be chancing due to distance from the school. Hopefully you have prepared him for what is coming? You should definitely stay on the waiting list.

That probably means the waiting list is handed over to the school in September. The council will run it until then.

Usually fir the first few weeks they don't make new offers as people reject the place or ask to be adding to the list, then it updates regularly

I know of quite a few people who didn't get their first choice on offers day but did a few weeks later. They reallocate the place straight away.

Think you have three options, and can do them all.

1. waiting list
2. appeal
3. if neither of above are successful, keep pursuing an inyear place. You can either send child to 3rd choice in the meantime or home educate. Unless first choice is a tiny school it's more likely than not that children will leave in year due to relocation, not getting on at the school or even getting excluded. Phone the school and LA weekly.

@kathjee I want through an appeal successfully last year. Happy to help if I can. I lived this appeal for a few months. There no guarantee of success but it helps if you have a good understanding of the process and how to prepare. But first, deep breath and check your position on waiting lists.

Waiting lists are normally published for the first time about four weeks after allocation day, and then updated throughout. Not only in September.

You didn't just miss first choice but also second though so must be something else at play here - are you out of catchment?

Post on secondary education board with the word appeal in the title to get attention of the experts.

Have you made sure you are on the waiting list?
Did you miss out on a place due to distance? If so, how close do you live to those that did get a place?

Doesn't need to be the case - our first choice was our closest school, only 2.8km away. However, it is in a very densely inhabited city centre with people who have lots of money to pay for houses close to school. 2nd choice had odd admissions criteria which preferred students for whom the school is their closest available school - which meant that it took in a lot of students from outlying villages, but not ours because for us it was not the closest school. In other words, we were in a proper admissions bermuda triangle. That may well be the case here too

So the first choice was a CofE school. One of the best schools. We are not CofE but of other world faiths - so we knew chance was low.

So the school his friends were offered we couldn't apply due to catchment, so it's not that he isn't with them (we already prepared him for that) it's just how everyone is getting their first choices, even the the kids who aren't his friends and going to diff schools got first choice.

The second school, we are within catchment and religion - but I feel like had we put it first we would have got it? Looking back now I think there is a way to work the system. But my OH really wanted to try for the first school.

We have never showed preference to my son so not to get his hopes up. And he's a very resilient kid and such a lovely kid- he said to his dad yday I don't mind if I don't make friends and I'm a loner (he has a lot of friends rn and makes friends quite easily) as long as I do well in whatever I do 😭

Waitlist info will be available in a couple of weeks. You can then ask where you are in the waitlist.

@kathjee Does your LA prevent you from applying for out of catchment schools? Normally, the last admissions criterion is simply "distance" - so even if you are out of catchment, you can still apply.

Schools can't offer places based on your order of preference, so don't worry about sabotaging your chances at school 2.

Your preference makes no difference to whether you are entitled to a place at a particular school or not. All the applicants to a particular school are ranked in order of priority according to the published admissions criteria, regardless of whether they are the applicants, first, second or third preference.

For the second one, I'm sure we are closer than some of the students but like someone mentioned it's like a Bermuda Triangle thing. I feel like it's all so confusing. Hoping to email the LA and get further information. Il call them again re waiting lists, forgot to ask. If you look at the website it does say if u don't get first and second choice u get put on waiting list for both.

There must be a good reason why his friends got in and not your son, eg living closer /siblings /ehcp. The chances of an appeal changing anything are low, unless they have incorrectly applied the criteria for allocating places.
Depending on waiting list length, there’s a chance he could get in to your second or first choice before September but I wouldn’t pin all your hopes on it.
Try and find some positives to focus on. This may turn out to be a school where he thrives. Friendship groups often really do change completely at secondary school. Explain to your son that nothing is certain for now but even if he does end up at your allocated school, there’s a good chance he will end up loving it and make amazing new friends.