My friend needs to know if she is BU in expecting to have a choice of more than one primary school?

[mamalino]

The school she would like her DS to go to is actually closer to her house than the one school whose catchment area she is in. She has been told by the LEA she cannot appeal as she only has one choice available to her.
Is this normal,or is she really being unreasonable in thinking this is unfair?

I was under the impression that you were allowed to appeal, even if offered a place elsewhere

I thought 3 choices was normal?

Well, she had three choices on the application form but was allocated the one school she didn't want (due to wrong direction for work etc, no after school provision etc).

She has been told she cannot appeal as no grounds as she is only in catchment for that school alone

My friend lives 4 miles from the school she named on the forms so well out of the catchment area. It did not affect her right to appeal though. She did appeal and she won. I think your friend has perhaps been misinformed.

Similar where we are. Only one school in catchment...and it's not close by. There is a school at the end of the road (literally) and another within walking distance; both were our catchments schools until 2007. Then a failing infant & primary merged and the lEA put us in the catchment for that - taking away the others. It is utterly dire.

No one to our knowledge has won an appeal - despite it not even being close I guess this is what has happened to your friend.

I thought you could appeal regardless - but maybe there is no point.

I agree PP, they did seem to be very "heavy handed" and stated if she did not accept the offered place her DS would not be able to start school this year.

They have written to her to say she has no grounds for appeal, it does seem odd.

Thanks for all replies so far, it is interesting to see other peoples' experiences re catchments. We genuinely don't know if it is unreasonable to think parents should have a choice, given you can put down three options on the application!

As far as I am aware a parent has a right to appeal but no subsequent right to appeal should the first one fail. Your friend may find out more if she rings the local LEA.

You don't have the right to choose, just the right to "express a preference".

We went to appeal a couple of years ago, in a similar sounding situation. We put two schools on the form (that was what was allowed by our county), which were the two closest schools in the area, after the catchment one. No spaces available, so we were offered a place at the catchment school for our little boy. We had several (we thought) good reasons to appeal, but lost nevertheless. My understanding however is that the appeal process is open to all - it's up to you to decide if you want to appeal the decision.

We found "How to Win Your School Appeal" by Ben Roony a very useful book on the subject.

I would say if they are unsure - best to start the process asap. You can always pull out later on, but there are quite strict time limits about when you have to submit paperwork etc.

It is the LEA themselves that are saying she cannot appeal.

Preference doesn't mean 'choice' on school application forms
(So I'm finding out anyway).

I wonder if she can get her DC on the waiting list for the school she wants

good example of bonkers system of "choice" children should go to school nearest to them. If people don't like this then they send them to fee-paying school (not that this guarantees high standards).

There is very often no choice! If schools are oversubscribed and you aren't in the catchment and don't have a special reason, there is no point in applying and no point in appealing. You need to see what the criteria is first and whether you meet any of it. You can have a free choice if you want an undersubscribed school that no one wants!! Choice is a myth!

Choice is indeed a myth! Lack of primaries here means that two schools can't even take in all the siblings due to come into next year! Where we are catchement is often not the closest school and there are many people who have moved to be in a good catchement and still not got in!

I am a bit puzzled by schools in catchment but further away than non-catchment schools. How does that work? I thought that for most LEAS the criteria were something like siblings, special needs and looked after children, followed by allocation on strict distance from door to door measurement. Am I misunderstanding?

If you go to your LEA they will give you a list of the criteria-it can vary. They should also be able to tell you how many applied, how many didn't get in and how many got in on appeal. This may well be why the LEA told OP there was no point in appealing.
You can have good reasons but if there is no space, there is no space.
Historically catchment areas can be peculiar-they are very odd in my village! One road has one side going to one secondary school and the houses opposite to another!

we are in this situation as well preferred choice school 5 min walk, catchment school allocated 20min + walk.

Wierd catchment areas here too.

Chatting to other parents it is apart from children in LA care and special needs children and siblings, have been allocated catchment schools only, making the whole system a farce. They say you have choice but in reality have none.

We have also been told that because of the class size law??? there is no point in appealing for any reason than incorrect allocation in the first place