secondary admissions appeal

[nobodysbaby]

Just thinking ahead and wondered if anyone could help. We live just outside the catchment for our preferred secondary school, though dd goes to a feeder primary for it. She is likely to be turned down for a place there. Would there be grounds to appeal based on a long standing reciprocal child care and transport share arrangement I have with another working mother, whose dd IS going to be going to our preferred secondary?

In short - no. Childcare / transport are not issues that an appeal panel are likely to take into consideration, they are your issues to resolve I'm afraid.

Highly unlikely, I would say. Sorry.

You can appeal on any grounds you want but an appeal on those grounds should fail. If your daughter doesn't get a place at this school you will need to show that she will be disadvantaged by not going to this school. Arguments based on what is convenient for you will not carry any weight.

Sigh. Thought this might be the case. The thing is, I really won't have any grounds for appeal except that she won't know anyone at our catchment school, and I know this isn't a valid reason either.

Sorry, so busy sighing that I forgot to say thanks for the replies.

A secondary school child would generally be considered responsible for their own transport arrangements, if necessary by public transport. Or if no transport available, the LEA might provide school bus for long distances. But they'd had to be quite long: not just a case of catching a few different buses or a half hour walk.

I did use logistical reasons, but that was with enclosed medical letters explaining why my dd cannot cope with long journeys because of her disability.

was going to add, childcare arrangements not really relevant either as this is an age where many people stop making childcare arrangements altogether (have just given CM notice ourselves)

For an appeal, you can also look at the after school clubs, and other things that this school offers and how they relate to your daughter's interests. Also any reasons why i is especially important why your daughter needs to be kept with her friends (such as an anxiety disorder).

sadly as others have said logistical reasons tho valid in your eyes rarely result in successful appeals.
what are the admissions criteria for the school?
how far out of catchment are you?
have you managed to find out how many pupils they've accepted over the PAN in recent years?

Thanks again. We're just less than a mile outside the catchment, but it's a very rural area and our catchment school is about the same distance away as our preferred one. Admissions criteria are the usual - catchment, then siblings, and only then feeder schools - and they only take 2 or 3 pupils each year from outside the catchment. All the local schools are fine - it's just I hate to think of her separated from all her friends and not knowing anyone at all. She doesn't have anxiety disorder or anything like that, but she isn't at all confident about doing anything unless at least one friend is there with her. If anyone has any more advice and/or reassurance that your children have been in this situation and been ok, I'd be really grateful.