Appealing against a faith school place

thisgirlrides · 2020-09-24T10:42:12+00:00

Just wondering if anyone has successfully appealed against a school place purely on the grounds of it being a faith school when you are not of that faith/no faith. Any help or suggestions much appreciated.

klavierspielen · 24/09/2020 15:57

No experience, but as I understand it you don't appeal against a place - you appeal for a place at the school you want. And you have to show why it's important for your child to attend that school, not why you don't want them to attend the one you've been given.

UnaMujer · 24/09/2020 15:59

@klavierspielen said. Can you elaborate.

StephenKong · 24/09/2020 15:59

I doubt they'll squeeze your child in to a school that's full because you don't like the allocated place, no.

klavierspielen · 24/09/2020 16:20

Unless you have really specific circumstances (I can't really think of any - possible fear of persecution because of a specific trait maybe??) I would think your chances are very small. If it's just a case of 'I'm Catholic so I want a Catholic school' or 'I'm an atheist so I don't want a CofE school', then thousands of people are in this position every year. All schools have to be open to children of other faiths and to allow you to withdraw your child from religious assemblies etc. If they granted appeals on the basis of religious prefence then that would open the floodgates for everybody to get a place in the best schools by just arguing that they wanted a certain religious or non religious school.

NailsNeedDoing · 24/09/2020 16:21

You can’t appeal against schools, only for them.

StephenKong · 24/09/2020 16:26

Faith schools give priority allocation to children of that faith, but if the school is undersubscribed the places are available to anyone else.
There will be no issue with the allocation as far as the LA are concerned.

prh47bridge · 24/09/2020 19:27

There is no chance of a successful appeal on that basis. You are appealing for the school you want, not against the school you've got.

SerenityNowwwww · 24/09/2020 19:29

There’s a hierarchy isn’t there:

Children who have been adopted
Front and centre every Sunday and involvement in the church, baptised etc
Regular attendance, baptised etc
Weddings, funerals and Christmas Day
Rarely
Never
What’s a church?

converseandjeans · 24/09/2020 19:54

Why would you want a faith school if you're not of that faith? As said above places are allocated in an order of preference. So priority would definitely be given to children of said faith, then children in care etc...

Metallicalover · 24/09/2020 19:57

Are you appealing for a place at a faith school? Or are you appealing for your child not to be placed in a faith school?

Wearywithteens · 24/09/2020 20:03

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn at the poster's request.

StephenKong · 24/09/2020 20:05

I understood op to have been allocated a place at a faith school, despite not having put it on her list of preferences.
All you can reasonably do is put your child's name on the waiting list for your preferred choices, op.
The LA aren't concerned with whether you like the one they've given you or not.
Although it seems to have taken you some time to realise it's not for you?

ChicCroissant · 24/09/2020 20:07

As everyone else has said, you don't appeal against a school you appeal for one. What are the benefits of the school you want your child to attend?

Smallereveryday · 24/09/2020 20:58

Yes I did... between DD1 and DS1 I changed from CofE to Quaker... school is one of the most sought after non-selectives in the UK .. DS was offered the far away secondary boys.. I started the appeal process , they wanted a letter from out 'clergy' .. I pointed out that one of the main points of QUAKERS is that we believe no one has the right to tell you HOW to pray.. my relationship with MY God was between Him and me... but nonetheless the SAME God..

They gave DS a place without the need for appeal... but then again I'm an argumentative arsey cow...

StephenKong · 24/09/2020 21:03

@Smallereveryday

Yes I did... between DD1 and DS1 I changed from CofE to Quaker... school is one of the most sought after non-selectives in the UK .. DS was offered the far away secondary boys.. I started the appeal process , they wanted a letter from out 'clergy' .. I pointed out that one of the main points of QUAKERS is that we believe no one has the right to tell you HOW to pray.. my relationship with MY God was between Him and me... but nonetheless the SAME God..

They gave DS a place without the need for appeal... but then again I'm an argumentative arsey cow...

They gave you a place because one became available, I imagine.

prh47bridge · 24/09/2020 21:38

They gave you a place because one became available, I imagine.

Or possibly because they realised a mistake had been made. Many CofE schools give priority to children of any Christian denomination that is part of Churches Together. That includes the Society of Friends (commonly known as Quakers). If the school realised they should have given priority to Smallereveryday's children they should have admitted them without needing an appeal. So that may well be what happened.

Of course, none of this helps the OP who is trying to get her child out of a faith school, not into one.

Lougle · 24/09/2020 21:49

As others have said, the appeal process requires you to appeal for a school, not against a school. If it is a is a Key Stage 1 place and the appeal is an Infant Class Size appeal, then it is very hard to win the appeal, because you have to show a mistake was made that denied your child a place. If it is Key Stage 2, or the infant classes don't reach the 30 child per class limit, it is a case of arguing that your child needs the place above the difficulties it will cause the school.

ISo you need to find a school that you would like your child to go to, then look at all they offer that benefits your child. You then build the case for your child to be admitted because they need those things. For example, if they have language tuition and your child has a strong interest in that language.

It's really important that you focus on the benefits of your preferred school, not the fact that you don't want the faith school.

Changethetoner · 26/09/2020 18:46

In my experience (as parent) the Faith school was not particularly full-on religious. They accept children from all faiths and none, and although there was an element of Anglican religion, it was a tiny part of the school week. I accept all schools are different, but thought I'd add that you don't need to expect or worry about all out Mass every day or prayers etc, though obviously there will be some schools like that. So basically, please don't panic if you are atheist and your child has been allocated a Faith school place.

Dahlietta · 28/09/2020 10:44

Why would you want a faith school if you're not of that faith?

I think the OP is talking about the absolute opposite: a scenario where her child is allocated a place at a faith school when they absolutely don't want the child to attend a school of that faith.

user27378 · 28/09/2020 10:53

I don't understand why so many posters don't understand your question. One poster said: If they granted appeals on the basis of religious prefence then that would open the floodgates for everybody to get a place in the best schools by just arguing that they wanted a certain religious or non religious school.

Which is actually what schools already do. Religious schools offer priority places to those who are religious yet live further away. But if you live close to a substandard religious school it's tough shit of you'd prefer a non religious school. Unless that school becomes outstanding and then they don't welcome none religious pupils anymore. It's grossly unfair to allow priority to religious children in schools but not allow parents to request only non denominational schools. It should work both ways. As far as I have researched before OP, I don't think you can appeal it. But I think the humanitarian website has some info on it.

borageforager · 28/09/2020 10:56

The Humanist Society is running a campaign (think humanitarian above was a typo for this)

TheVanguardSix · 28/09/2020 10:58

Just put your child in the faith school and on the waiting list of the school he/she would prefer.
Otherwise, you're just tilting at windmills appealing 'against' a placement. There's no such animal.
By the time a place at the desired school comes up, your child may be well happy at the faith school.

sashh · 28/09/2020 12:22

OP The national secular society might be able to help you.

www.secularism.org.uk/faith-schools/

prh47bridge · 28/09/2020 12:40

[quote sashh]OP The national secular society might be able to help you.

www.secularism.org.uk/faith-schools/[/quote]
If the OP wants to campaign against faith schools the National Secular Society can help. However, they cannot help the OP to appeal against her child being given a place at a faith school. You cannot win an appeal on the basis that your child has been given a place at a faith school when you are not of that faith.

sashh · 28/09/2020 12:58

@prh47bridge

They have a helpline which can give the OP options, practical advice, not just, "no you can't"