Cannot get into any good secondary schools in the area - how to appeal?

[kikisampala]

I have been refused a place at Perry beeches Academy - we don't meet any of the admissions criteria and are now having to go to nba which I am completely devastated about - do I have any possible grounds for an appeal?? Is an appeal pointless?

What are your reasons for wanting this school? Does your child have SEN which are catered for better? Do they offer support in a subject your child excels in?

You need concrete reasons. We had a successful appeal due to sustained bullying and all the bullies going to the school we were offered a place at.

Do you know why you weren't allocated a place?
We didn't get our first choice school (but am lucky we are happy with our second). However on my email, because our first choice wasn't given I had a link to the schools showing me how the places were allocated. We missed out by a few meters distance!

Maybe a waiting list might be more productive? I know plenty of people who ended up with their first choice by the time term started.

I am 77th on the waiting list - no bullying issues no sen - He excels in music and sport which is why I wanted him to go to that school as they have excellent facilities for both. i'm a working single mom and the school they've sent my son to finishes at 1.3opm on a Friday and I work till 6pm so it would mean him having to be at home on his own for over 5 hours plus I have childcare help by one of my neighbours and there son is going to my preferred school so the idea was them to walk home together and stay at his until I got home -6.30pm but that plan is now to dust - I just don't know what to do !!! :-(

Does the school he's been offered have after school care/clubs? That's the first thing to investigate.

Secondly, what can you do to move yourself up the waiting list of the school you prefer? Why don't you meet any of the admissions criteria, and your neighbour's child does?

Waiting lists move quite a lot between now and September. Another thing to find out is if your preferred school offered over PAN. This means that, for example, they have 200 places, but offer 220 because they know that at least 20 students will drop out to go private, or emigrate, or otherwise go elsewhere. If they've offered over PAN, and you still haven't been offered a place, then your chances are slimmer than if they offered on PAN.

Hi
1st you are not on the waiting list your son is!
2nd with regard to music and sport does the preferred school offer anything that would be beneficial to your son that the other schools don't eg orchestra, jazz groups. Badmington club and that is his sport etc.
Get on the waiting list for every school that you would accept and he can get to. Include any schools you would consider even ones not on your original list.
Hopefully the appeals experts will be along to help

An appeal will need to be based on proving that the detriment to your son in not attending the school is higher than the detriment to the school to admitting.

You are not appealing against the school you have been offered; you are appealing for the school you want. So you need to identify key things the school offers that make it the right place for your son to be; can you prove his abilities in music and sport for example and then demonstrate the strengths of this school in those instruments/sports?

Your childcare issues are going to be irrelevant in an appeal I'm afraid.

How did the neighbour's son get this school but your son didn't-are they close neighbours?

Had a very quick look at the admissions criteria for your desired school. At a guess, your neighbour's child got a place because they still have sibling preference at no 2 on the criteria, children of staff at no 3. So either is presumably a possibility. Unfortunately, childcare issues are not going to be considered, particularly as at secondary level, most students are expected to be able to to get themselves to and from school in an urban area.