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Original poster

Is it worth appealing? DD so unhappy [sad]

47 replies

MayorMumbum · 04/03/2019 09:12

DD found out on Friday that she has not been offered any place at her preferred secondary schools and has instead been allocated a place at the local secondary which is just unacceptable for her and in special measures. Recently voted worst in the country, etc.
DD is a very anxious child and has been in a consistent state of panic since Friday. She is terrified of going to this school due to its reputation and all the members of her friendship circle are going to her preferred school. I'm trying to figure out if we have any basis for an appeal/whether it's even worth appealing.
She has anxiety but I'm not sure I could get a GP letter and I'm struggling to see anything that her preferred school can offer over the one she has been offered that a panel will consider as I know you can't run the offered school down (despite no one I know willingly wanting to send their child there).
Any advice would be invaluable as I'm desperate to fix this for her, she's so unhappy and anxious and absoloutely cannot attend the school she has been offered. I'm prepared to home educate rather than her go there (though I've accepted the place for now)
Thanks!

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Original poster
MayorMumbum · 06/03/2019 07:35

Yes. I visited twice last October. I wasn't impressed and due to the ofsted report/reports in the newspaper as well as what I saw on the open days I didn't put it down as a preference. It isn't snobbery. I would send her to literally any other school in our area.

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EvaHarknessRose · 06/03/2019 08:10

Remember, for her anxiety sake, let her know you’re handling it.

Your plan sounds sound, tell her that plan A is a waiting list place, but plan b is home ed - and likely at least some home ed. Get her excited about that. Get her to commit to be prepared to study independently. And if you definitely won’t let her go to that school, tell her its off the table.

prh47bridge · 06/03/2019 09:33

Around 25% of secondary school appeals are successful so you have a chance if you can make a decent case. As others have said, remember you are appealing for the school you want, not against the school you have been offered. It doens't matter how bad the allocated school is. It can be the worst school in the country that no-one in their right mind would want their child to attend. The appeal panel simply cannot take that into account. Your case needs to be about things the school you want can offer your daughter that are missing from the allocated school and are particularly relevant to her interests, abilities or needs.

BarbarianMum · 06/03/2019 10:22

If you would send her to literally any other school in your area make sure she is on the waitlist for every other school in the area. See how many of these you can appeal for too.

I would also consider (if all else fails) encouraging your dd to at least try the new school, on the clear understanding that she can leave and start home schooling if she really doesn't like it/can't settle.

Candace19 · 08/03/2019 16:10

The only way you're going to get into a heavily over subscribed school is if you can prove that it would be more detrimental to your child to not have a place than it would be for the school to accept her. The bar is really high.

prh47bridge · 08/03/2019 16:26

The bar is really high

As I say, around 25% of secondary school admission appeals succeed, which doesn't sound like a particularly high bar to me. But it does to some extent depend where you live. Appeal panels are more generous in some LAs than others.

Original poster
MayorMumbum · 08/03/2019 16:36

I've found out today she is 13th on the waiting list for her first choice. Not as bad as I thought it would be. She's 63rd on one of them!

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Candace19 · 08/03/2019 17:06

Perhaps compared to those received it is ?

Candace19 · 08/03/2019 17:07

Plus the figure is for all year round appeals and not just September admissions. So that reduces the figure somewhat too.

prh47bridge · 08/03/2019 20:44

The figure is for the proportion of appeals that are heard where the panel decides in the appellant's favour. An appeal that isn't heard (i.e. where the parents withdraw their appeal) doesn't tell us anything about how easy or difficult it is to win an appeal.

Yes, the figure is for the whole year, although the vast majority of appeals are for September admissions. There is no reason to believe that appeals at other times of the year are more winnable. The rules are the same.

Toomanycats99 · 08/03/2019 20:56

13th is feasible. Depends on intake. We were 47 on a waiting list and got a place day before term started.

Original poster
MayorMumbum · 08/03/2019 21:23

That's reassuring TooMany. I think what isn't making me hopeful as parents aren't even allowed to refuse a place this year as there are literally no places for anyone anywhere else. But have to stay positive and put lots of energy in to getting an appeal together.

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Original poster
MayorMumbum · 09/03/2019 17:09

The preferred school has a sixth form (DD wants to go to further education after high school. The offered school has no sixth form) and also a game design club after school. DD is a IT ambassador at her school and wants to do software/game design as a career. Do you think I should list these things as reasons on the appeal form? clutches at straws

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prh47bridge · 09/03/2019 18:44

Definitely list the game design club. That is a good point. Sixth form is some way away and there will be other options so it is less relevant but I'd still put it in.

Original poster
MayorMumbum · 13/03/2019 20:34

She went from 13th on the waiting list to 28th in five days Sad.

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Tavannach · 13/03/2019 20:52

Games design club for an IT ambassador is a good fit. Does the preferred school have a particularly strong IT/computing science? Does it go into the subject in more depth than the offered school?

Original poster
MayorMumbum · 14/03/2019 10:53

We decided last night to move out of area to a village in the middle of a cluster of very good schools. I know there are no guarantees she will start at any of them in September but I feel that we have been left with little choice when the schools here are all terrible to mediocre and she hasn't got a very good chance of getting in to any of them.
I think it will be a positive move and am resigned to be homeschooling until Christmas at least.

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prh47bridge · 14/03/2019 11:06

That's a bit drastic! I wouldn't give up on an appeal. You have a decent case. The game design club is not clutching at straws. An appeal panel will regard that as a strong argument.

Original poster
MayorMumbum · 14/03/2019 11:21

It is drastic but its something we've talked about for a while and due to some other issues it's just been the push we need I think!

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dancemom · 14/03/2019 11:32

I don't think its drastic. If you have 2 younger children you could find yourself in this position again with both of them, even if you did get your dd in on appeal.

I sit on education appeals panels also, albeit in Scotland and the number of parents who get their eldest child in on a placing request and then don't with the younger siblings is very high!

Original poster
MayorMumbum · 14/03/2019 12:44

I've called the local primary schools and 2 out of 3 have a spot for DS in year 4 currently so there is hope.
I am resigned to have DD2 at home with me for a year as she's only in nursery right now and I can wait until she's 5 to start her in school.

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Original poster
MayorMumbum · 14/03/2019 12:47

Sorry Dancemom didn't read your reply properly. Yes I think we would be in a difficult situation with DS as none of the local schools would be a good fit for him for various reasons , where we are moving to has a much better choice for all of them Smile.

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