has anybody changed / appealed for a school TWICE in one year?

[Idonthaveenoughtime]

And would you and the county council think I'm an idiot? I don't want to seem like a totally irresponsible parent, I just want to make the right decision for our family.

I am in a really difficult situation where I got accepted to 1st choice (school A), then panicked over a lack of after school care as I was under a lot of pressure from DH about getting a job (childcare issue no longer relevant now though as I was lucky to find one in school hours), and also was put off by the area and the longer walk (all minor issues now in retrospect), so put DC on a waiting list for the other school. I got a letter through the same day after my daughter's taster session at school A (which she loved), saying I'd been automatically (??normal?) given school B and her place at school A had been cancelled.

So I was ummming and ahhhing about what to do for 3 agonising weeks (very, very hard decision for me).

I went along to look at school B and meet the class teacher, seems nice (never met school A's class teacher so can't compare). The school seemed ok. Neither school wowed me but I suspect that is probably going to be true of any school, but I don't like School B as much as school A now I've experienced it outside the guided tour, it doesn't feel right, a bit deflating, even though it is oversubscribed and in a nicer area, and has a few more parents on my wavelength. I think I could have been ok with it If I hadn't befriended a couple of mums at school A, and I've just realised how incredibly awkward it will be to explain that DC isn't going there now, really really difficult for me. Arg!! Worse....DC doesn't like school B (probably because of the happy induction a school A). DC knows friends are going to both schools but her 'best friends' are going to School A, she also likes the smallness of school A.

Wishing I'd not felt so pressured to change my original decision (first decisions are usually the right one?) or that the silly letter had come through before her induction rather than after so I hadn't committed myself to school A in so many ways.

I think I just needed to experience both schools. With limited information I am completely unable to make confident decisions. School B is a nice school with better KS1 and KS2 results, and a bit more convenient (5 minutes versus 15 minutes walk), but School A has outstanding ofsted and better pastoral care, although the catchment area is in social housing so much more mixed intake.

Sigh. I'm going to feel like a fool if I don't switch DC back to school A, and a fool if I do!

What would you do and why?

I have checked the council website and school A does indeed have places left. I think School B is the only local oversubscribed school, no idea why, must just be more children living local to it.

If the schools are oversubscribed, you may find your place in school a no longer exists as it will have been give to someone else.
That said, I don't know the legality of automatically cancelling the place without asking. I know my LEA don't do that, but they may be allowed to- someone else here will probably know. But before you get too het up about it I would make sure you do actually have a choice....

If school A has places, you can ask to switch back. If they don't, you'd have to appeal. If your DD is going into Year R and the school is full, it will be an Infant Class Size appeal and it would be almost impossible for you to win, given your circumstances.

For once I disagree with Lougle. The LA should have offered the place at school B, not given the place automatically and definitely not cancelled the place at school A. If the OP needs to appeal (and her second post suggests it may not be necessary) she can do so on the grounds that the place at school A was withdrawn contrary to the Admissions Code. That should win an ICS appeal.

I would also add that just because a school is full it doesn't necessarily mean an appeal will be ICS. My local school has classes of 25 throughout infants so appeals are not ICS even though it is full.

You're right, of course, prh I was hasty in my reply.