PLACING REQUEST REFUSED

[butterfly1968]

I just received a letter from my regional council stating that my child did not get in to her choosen school, we are very upset about this. my older daughter already attends this school and therefor this is going to be very akward. The school we put the placing request in for has a better academic pass mark. Can anyone advise me if i have any other way around this. We are even considering moving into the catchment area, but there are no gaurantees.

any advice would be great

I assume from your OP that you are in Scotland? If so placing request refusals can be appealed?

If you live in the catchment area for a school in Scotland I think that you are guaranteed a place?

I think that you can go on a "waiting list" to see if a place comes up. Could you ring the Head of your older dd's school. He or she may be able to tell you how much they were oversubscribed by. For example if they had 30 places and 32 applied, then if your younger dd goes on a waiting list there is still a slim chance she could get in. Unfortunately (as you no doubt know) as the school is not your catchment school, there is no guarantee of getting in even if a sibling already has a place.
good luck btw, it is stressful.

Oh if you are in Scotland my advice may be irrelevant.
Also it struck me that even if you now move into catchment area this wouldn't automatically get your dd a place in the school. I imagine that all of the places have been allocated. They won't be able to remove another child even if you do move into catchment area.

Hi butterfly1968, do you live in Scotland? We do and are currently waiting to hear about our out of catchment request for our twin sons. I had thought that up until now, no news is good news. Apparently they have to give you enough time to appeal the decision. Definitely appeal ASAP. All the info on the council website generally states that you have a good case if there is a sibling at the out of catchment school. I'm desperate for the letter to arrive - so nervous about it. Good luck!

Thanks to everyone, I live in Scotland also, how strong would my case be, even though i do have my older daughter there already. They have told me that the school is full to capacity. Just so dissapointed. Don't know where to start with the appeal it seem hopeless.

Is this for primary or secondary? P1 class sizes are restricted this year so that will make it even more difficut than usual

It is for secondary school, 1st year. I am in the process of putting an appeal in to the regional council, don.t know if it will do anygood?

Where I live, after catchment pupils have a place, 1st priority is for siblings, which makes me think that the school is full up with catchment pupils. I think that unless you can come up with a very good reason why this school is the best one for your child (not that it is a better school!) then you are likely to be unsuccessful. I would still go to appeal though, you never know it might work. Moving into catchment might work too as I know that a few schools do hold back place just in case this happens.

You have nothing to lose by appealing. I don't know if anything I say would be relevant in Scotland, but in England you have to prove why your child would be at a bigger disadvantage by not having a place than the schol would be at if she did have a place. If that makes sense! One of the experts will hopefully be along soon to explain it better.

I'm appealing too at the moment, and I know it seems incredibly daunting right at the begining because it's so hard to know where to start in preparing a case. Can you have a look at the prospectus and OFSTED report to find things that would particularly suit your dd at this school. You are basically trying to prove why she needs a place there more than any other child, so anything you can find about that school that would especially benefit your child will help.