Got last choice secondary school, hate it, - turn it down?

[TeenToTwenties]

Click bait sorry. I haven't got a child starting secondary. I only have a lay interest in this from reading the boards over the years.

Of course I and anyone else would be totally unreasonable to turn down my offered school unless I already have a place at a private school or I really would be willing to home educate

Accepting an offered school does not impact your chance of a successful appeal.
Most areas you automatically go on the wait list for higher preferences but check rules for your area.
You can get appeals advice on the Secondary education board.

I could have put down 1 school for my DDs each time, given that at the time about 40-50% of students came from out of catchment.

We were at a linked primary school.
Not only that but we lived well within catchment.
But to trump everything, my DC are ex-looked after so come top behind EHCPs.
I still put down 2 schools! Unnecessary but harmed nothing and helped my peace of mind.

I NEVER once told anyone to do it. I simply stated what I had done and others have said the same. Each to their own like I said. This thread is becoming ridiculous.

OP - take the school placement but appeal if you want.

You think I'm the delusional one...you, the person who thinks they are so special the schools disregarded their own admission criteria just because you said you wanted that school ...

You haven’t answered my question from
upthread. What do you think happens if 100 parents put ONLY school A down and School A ONLY has 50 places??

You literally haven't bothered to try to understand an important admin process that could have affected your child's future and are now giving other people incorrect information because you're too stupid or arrogant to understand that you did it wrong. Aren't you even a bit embarrassed by that?

Well like I say whatever. We're happy that they're at their chosen school and ours

No not really

Most don't. Look at this thread. People are told you must put X,Yand Z down. That gives councils and schools more options where to place your child

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That’s complete nonsense.

I’d stop digging if I were you. Literally every comment you make shows you don’t understand how the process works.

Ok well there’s no convincing someone who’s happy in their own ignorance!! If you really believe you got what you wanted because you were so clever and played the system whereas others followed the rules, then I despair! Enough people have told you that you’re wrong but oh well, you know best

It is clearly a co-incidence. It’s only a small number of people on here who have said it. The majority of parents in the country get their first choice school, I think, or if not then a large proportion.

I have only ever got my first choice school for both children for primary and (different) secondaries. I have always filled all the slots, and my first choices were very oversubscribed. What does that prove? Nothing, other than that my children fulfilled the criteria for the first or a high priority.

Those who put down one school and didn’t get it are hardly going to own up to it anyway.

Edit - it doesn’t “give them more options”. That just shows ignorance of how the system works. They very much always have the option of placing your child in a school you did not put down at all, including a very under subscribed, under performing school miles from where you live.

Again....each to their own. Not telling anyone to do it one way or the other. Good luck to anyone with their admissions.

That’s not how it works and you have once again shown a complete lack of understanding of how the system works.

Apparently 100,000 children sit grammar school tests every year. And 600-700k enter secondary schools. So more than 15 per cent seem to want a stab at grammar. Whereas on here we are always told how unpopular they are and only 5 per cent of kids get to attend.
It would be fascinating to see how much the 100000 spend on the process of tutoring, books, mock exams. I didn’t realise it’s that many. It would also be fascinating to know how many people specifically move for school catchment and the cost of stamp duty associated with that. I reckon we are looking at over a billion annual spend.

🤣🤣 okay whatever

Oh I get it now, you think children can only be placed at schools you've named. Thats incorrect.

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Definitely a lot of people move to be near good schools, no idea on the total spend. Our local house prices got a bump when the nearby primary went (in one inspection) from requires improvement to outstanding.

Do these emojis mean you do think that or you don't? No idea why I'm so invested lol.

You’re so ignorant it’s embarrassing 🤣🤣

I'm actually gobsmacked by the stupidity that someone thinks that by only putting down one school, someone at the LA goes "oh we MUST assign this child their only choice" 🙈

If that school had been oversubscribed, the LA would have actually though "good, this parent didnt bother with any more options, so we'll offer them the school that suits us" which is why it's stupid to not decide on plan B and C yourself.

People who have two brain cells to rub together would realise that surely...

Grammar schools only exist in a very small number of counties. I really am not too sure where you got those figures from.

Would you mind providing a link?

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@Another2Cats https://comprehensivefuture.org.uk/facts-figures-and-evidence-about-grammar-schools/
Well you can find the information easily including on Google.
But here is a link to the lobby group that hates grammar schools that admits that around 100000 DC sit the tests. They have no incentive to massage figures, because essentially if 100k are sitting it, that implies they are actually popular clearly.
https://trak.org.uk/11impacts-one-in-four/
And here a suggestion it is more like 120000! That is quite a large proportion of total pupils. And I never knew that. It just occurred to me today as I was wondering about how many kids actually do 11 plus style tests.

It is one of those things. Massive market and huge spend.