DDhas been fefused a place at secondary school that all her friends are going to,should i appeal?

totallyfloaty35 · 2006-03-02T12:46:01+00:00

Have found out today that my DD has not got a place at the catholic school all her mates are going on to.I think its because we are not catholic enough,she goes to a catholic primary school,her father is catholic and she attends church,but a c of e one as a friend takes her because i work strange hours. Im torn between appealing or bigging up whatever other school she gets offered.She will be distraught as she was bullied very badly at non church middle school,she developed a twitch,ecxma and even started wetting the bed,we moved her and shes happy.If she doesnt get into any of the church schools she will end up at the local comp which will contain alot of the kids who bullied her.

Angua · 02/03/2006 12:47

Why not try an appeal and if it does not go to plan you could start bigging up that school then. would that be any good?

Twiglett · 02/03/2006 12:48

yes I think you should appeal .. was reading a feature on appeals on the bbc website (news .. look at UK)

LadySherlockofLGJ · 02/03/2006 12:48

Is she baptised ?

4blue1pink · 02/03/2006 12:53

Appeal

Original poster

totallyfloaty35 · 02/03/2006 13:00

she is baptised c of e,has also had first communion and is about to start confirmation classes.
I was so hoping she would get in,i had several letters of support from gp,peadiatric osteopath(she treated her for her eye twitch)and dermatologist.However just been informed by council admissions office that they cant locate them,this is scary news as they also had the forms for the 2nd choice church school with them,if they didnt go out it leaves only the local comp,and my dd has informed me previously that she would rather die than go there,big words for a ten yr old

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Original poster

totallyfloaty35 · 02/03/2006 13:01

she is baptised c of e,has also had first communion and is about to start confirmation classes.
I was so hoping she would get in,i had several letters of support from gp,peadiatric osteopath(she treated her for her eye twitch)and dermatologist.However just been informed by council admissions office that they cant locate them,this is scary news as they also had the forms for the 2nd choice church school with them,if they didnt go out it leaves only the local comp,and my dd has informed me previously that she would rather die than go there,big words for a ten yr old

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Original poster

totallyfloaty35 · 02/03/2006 13:02

she is baptised c of e,has also had first communion and is about to start confirmation classes.
I was so hoping she would get in,i had several letters of support from gp,peadiatric osteopath(she treated her for her eye twitch)and dermatologist.However just been informed by council admissions office that they cant locate them,this is scary news as they also had the forms for the 2nd choice church school with them,if they didnt go out it leaves only the local comp,and my dd has informed me previously that she would rather die than go there,big words for a ten yr old

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drosophila · 02/03/2006 13:03

I heard an education expert on TV yesterday talking about the new white paper. In passing she said that the appeal system currently operating is very good and fair. She was an independent expert. SHe said that appeals were heard by independent people who only had the childs interest at heart.

I would appeal and stress the affect bullying had on her.

LadySherlockofLGJ · 02/03/2006 13:23

Kick up a stink , but in fairness all of the places may have gone to children who fed in from the Catholic primary, and they would have been given priority.

uwila · 02/03/2006 14:08

Appeal. What is to lose? All they can say is no. So the worst case is that you will be where you are now. YEs, it soes sound like you probably haven't met the church criteria. Are all of her friends catholic?

Original poster

totallyfloaty35 · 02/03/2006 14:22

Yes most are catholic,my friends son was baptised catholic but has communion in c of e church and he got in.
However just got some good news,nice lady at admissions just told me she has been offered a place at another catholic school,its one i really liked,but its not going to have all her friends there,so guess i shall big it up and then see if she still wants me to appeal.

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LadySherlockofLGJ · 02/03/2006 14:26

In that case I would accept that, I really would.

If you appeal and lose, then the second Catholic school will always feel second best to your DD. IMO.

There are probably peoople in your area who would give their right arm to have been given the second Catholic School.

In the end it is all about being away from the bullies isn't it ??

uwila · 02/03/2006 14:46

YEah, I'd probably settle for that too. I am dying to get my daughter into a particular COE school. Part of the reason I'm dying for this one is it is the only COE school she has a chance of getting into (we go to the church). We do not live close to it. The schools we do live close to are not chuirch aided. So, anyway if she doesn't get into this school, I'd be quite happy to be offered another COE placement (but it won't happen).

Original poster

totallyfloaty35 · 02/03/2006 18:13

Did not go well,dd burst into tears,all she keeps saying is"yet another school where i wont know anyone"It will be her7th school in as many years.

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Blu · 02/03/2006 18:33

Can you acccept the place at the 2nd school and still appeal at the first?
Definitley keep on waitng list for 1st, as people drop out before term starts or don't show up, etc.

"I heard an education expert on TV yesterday talking about the new white paper. In passing she said that the appeal system currently operating is very good and fair. She was an independent expert. SHe said that appeals were heard by independent people who only had the childs interest at heart. " tbh I think this is absolute tosh - and that is from seeing very different processes at work with very different results and all based on exactly the same case, documentation etc! Some schools / governors / appeal panesl interpret things one way, some another, and since the Head is one of the witnesses at the appeal, and presents the schools case, this can make a huge difference!

TF35 - there are some very helpful Dfes docs on making appeals, and admissions and appeals from the school' pov - I advise you to download them, study them and appeal exactly within the parameters they suggest.

Poor love. How come she has been at 7 schools?

Original poster

totallyfloaty35 · 02/03/2006 19:05

She was at 1st school in london,just started yr1 and we moved,school next door gave her place away,so she ended up in another for couple of months til place came up again.3RD SCHOOL SHE WAS AT TIL END OF YR3,they make you change to middle school then.So yr4 she went to middle school,got severly bullied and i removed herat end of that school yr,had to put her in private school as no other schools had spaces,the catholic school was full but they finally had a place for yr6,wich was great as couldnt really afford private for much longer.
Its ridiculous she needs some stability,when i was at school and in most other counties,they dont make you change school at 8,you stay til your 11.

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