Secondary school appeal

[Nikkipez]

Hi there, we received the dreaded email last Friday to say that my son had not been offered his first choice secondary school. The reason they have gave us is that we just missed out on distance. Their criteria is 1.83m and we are 1.83.1. So literally just missed it. We are going to appeal. The school he has been offered is not that further away but we feel his first choice school offered so much more. He is very sporty and it’s a sports and performing arts school. He would have no one to walk to school with on his 2nd choice but all his friendship group plus cousins go to the one we didn’t get. He is also a very anxious child. Very naive for his age and not street wise at all. When we explained he didn’t get his first choice all he’s done since is cry. We’ve had sleeplessness nights, panic attacks and hardly eating. I can’t believe how much it has effected him 😞 I know the appeal process is very difficult to win but I feel I must try and do anything at all I can to try and get him a place. He is currently 8th on the waiting list. I can’t believe how close we were. Do you think I’ve got a chance? Thanks so much in advance. From a very stressed out mom 😞

It's very hard for everyone going through it. In your appeal big up what the school in question offers him which is important to his learning and skills/interests development and which is not available at the school given to him.
Look at the websites of the two schools and see if you can pinpoint specific things offered by one that is not offered by the other.
Take a deep breath. Don't show him you are upset. Show him you are respecting his preference by trying the appeal. If it fails, it fails.
I have been through it (last year). We didn't succeed but dd has settled in well at her new school.

Well the friendship and cousins won’t hold any weight at appeal but if he is very sporty and you can provide as much evidence as possible of this you might stand a chance ( unless the other School is also sporty)

It really is the case that friendships and family will not carry weight in the appeal. By all means say it but it can't be your main argument.

Friendship groups and the like only carry weight if you have evidence from a professional that your child has a much greater need than other children to stay with the same friends.

On the information you've posted, sports is your best point. Strengthen it by finding out what specifically this school offers in the way of sporting activities that is not available at the allocated school.

You have a chance at appeal. You also have a chance through the waiting list. Neither is guaranteed but both are possible.

It is quite common in urban areas to have this kind of situation where 0.001 mile is the difference between getting a place and not getting a place.
As well as planning your appeal as PRH describes above, it is worth just checking a couple of things about the distance. Firstly was it based in straight line distance from the school to your residence or was it based on roads and footpath to the school. If it is straight line distance it is very difficult to argue against the measured distance as the computer system is easily able to measure down to 0.0001 miles if necessary. If however it is on road distance then you need to find out from the LA the exact route used to get that distance and more importantly for you to consider whether that is actually the shortest distance by road - are there any paths through parks or cut offs of roads etc.
The other thing to check is what is being used as the measuring point at the school and your residence. If they talk about using the "seed point" or something similar they are setting a point on each residence and that cannot really be contested. However if they are using "school gate" or nearest entrance to the school again you need to check whether there is any leeway to argue the distance is wrong.

If he is 8 on the waiting list there is a good chance he may get it as things juggle about. Particularly if your in a high populated area.

Kids go to private schools and are also in other waiting lists so don’t give up hope.

I got the distance wrong sorry! It was 0.83m and we are 0.83.1m 🤦🏻‍♀️
But after re checking the Wolverhampton Councils admissions criteria for 2019 for Coppice Performing Arts School it does state there admissions criteria is within 1.62m from the school so now I’m confused!!! Can they just change it?? Thanks x

And it’s 1.162m sorry!!! X

Which was the last criterion they used? What I mean is, they might have hit their limit with children in the criterion above the one you fit into but, for reasons that are not clear, they broadened the catchment area to fit someone in in the category above yours. Does seem odd.
I know you are very stressed and worried. I strongly advise you to start getting your son (and you ) used to the idea of the appeal failing. Play down the possibility of success to him. I also know how hard it is to do this when you also want to motivate yourself to drive forward with the appeal. I had exactly this last year.
Year 7 is very different. So much going on. My dd is doing it with absolutely no y6 friends or even familiar faces. She was a nervous, "in the background" kind of child who finds The New difficult. But she has really settled in and made new friends. She also has an extra curricular interest that helps her. New friends there too.
I really understand how gut wrenching this is and how it is so hard to see any progress you have made with your child's emotional and social development take a hit.

Can they just change it

The distance you quote was the distance of the last child admitted last year. Since they use distance as the tie breaker, that can go up or down each year. They don't specifically set a figure. It just depends on where applicants live.

Oh ok thank-you. It doesn’t look like I’ve got a strong case at all then. I’ve had a letter off his head teacher today just explaining how worried DS is and that he don’t think he will cope and a letter off his sports coach saying how he excels in sports. And that’s all I’ve got 😞 I’ve read you need evidence to back everything up. And I have non. I really thought they had made a “mistake” about the distance criteria. But no. It’s not just about my one child either I have two other sons currently in years 5 & 4. And wanted them all to go to this school. My yr 5 son sufferes with Dyslexia and has APD so we even asked at the open day about the senco units there knowing he would be going next September and the one at Coppice came out better. It’s also in walking distance where the other one isn’t. No one from his primary is going to the allocated school so he will have to make his own way which is adding to his anxiety. He’s the most “un street wise” kid I know! He’s just terrified of going there. I will still hand in my appeal letter and attend the meeting and also pray for a miracle 😞
Thanks everyone for your replies.

I hope you do get the school of your choice but the reality is everyone thinks they have a special case. 8th means you have a good chance if it's a large intake

You've put your son's name in your last post. You may want to ask Mumsnet to fix that - click on "Report" at the top of your post.

You have evidence that your son excels in sports. If the school you want has more sporting activities than the school you've been allocated you should make that part of your case. It is a good point and could be enough to win your appeal.

If you have a sports teacher saying sport is his thing and the school is sportier than the one given, focus on that, I would say. If your ds does extra curricular sport, see if there are other supporting letters you could get from teachers so it's more than your word (sadly).

Is there a particular sport he excels in that school A offers that your allocated school does not. Eg they are great at basketball and school A enters the schools Junior NBA competition and runs a regarded basketball programs- something like that.