Secondary appeal Friday please help!

[Emmas85]

Hi,
This is my first post so hopefully I'll do it right.
My son is due to start secondary school in September, he was not given a place at any of our 4 choices and has instead been given the worst school in the area.

This school is in the newspaper nearly every week with a bullying incident, details of the appalling teaching etc and I just cannot let him go there. I'm so upset it's keeping me awake at night. I have appealed for our first choice school and have the hearing on Friday. This is where I hope you can all help me/ offer advice.

The school i have the appeal at is a technology school which my son has a keen interest in, it has good results and we got a lovely 'feeling' about it when we visited. I have sent in a written appeal where I mentioned the schools values/morals and how they matched my sons. His kind, helpful character which I feel will will be an asset to the school. His educational interests and future goals, mentioning the subjects/ property the school offers. My question is what more can I do? I'm aware we don't have extenuating circumstances such as a disability/SEN etc but I really feel my son would not cope at the given school and need to make sure he doesn't go there.

Any advice would be gratefully received!! Emma x

Your case needs to be about the things that this school has that your allocated school does not. So you are on the right track with talking about the technology courses that your son can do.
Look for other things that this school does. For instance do they do after school clubs that your son would like to go to. That is really all you can consider at appeal if there is no SEN etc.

Agree with Admission. Just to add that you must remember that you are appealing for the school you want, not against the school you've been allocated. Don't talk about bullying, etc. at the allocated school. It won't help your appeal. Concentrate on why your son would benefit from going to the appeal school.

Good advice above from two of the resident experts - remember you are appealing for the school you want, not against the one you got. We won an appeal in not dissimilar circumstances last year and this was excellent advice. Do you know where you are on the waiting list?