Secondary school admissions help

[Admissionshell]

I’m looking for some advice regarding secondary school appeals. My daughter wasn’t offered her first choice secondary school which we are in catchment for and is on the waiting list for this school. She was 3rd but has gone down to 7th now. I have appealed the decision and found out another child out of catchment was offered a place at the school who didn’t meet any criteria other than parental preference. Does anyone know what I need to do to be able to prove this happened to the appeal panel? What are the chances of successful appeal based on the fact the admissions process doesn’t seem to have been followed correctly.
I have included in the appeal form my daughter has a keen interest in sports and attends gymnastics club outside of school, the school she wanted offers a trampolining club which I have stated would also benefit her physical and mental health.

Thanks in advance

If you have reason to believe that a child in a lower admissions category than your child has been offered a place, you should query this with the admissions authority because it suggests a mistake has been made. If there has been a mistake, the admissions authority should give you the place, although some insist that the matter goes to appeal. Be aware, though, that there may be circumstances you don’t know of which place the child from out of catchment in a higher admissions category.

Yes for example you may not know if this child is adopted so you need to on firm ground if you are going down this road.

An example of a circumstance you may not be aware of would be the other child being adopted. Some parents are open, others very private. Unless you have known the child since they were born, this could be a possibility.

x-post.

You simply do not have any idea what this child's personal situation is.

A friend's child was in this situation and had been placed out of catchment because her father was a police officer who nicked a number of parents in the catchment area.

If you believe a child has been placed fraudulently, (maybe they used relative's address?) you can report them for potential fraud and it will be checked.
If they have been placed in a higher category due to reasons unknown to you then no harm done.

Thank you for all the replies, everything crossed for the appeal

Just to add to the advice you've already been given, the fact you were third on the waiting list means you are unlikely to win on the basis of a place being offered by mistake (if that is what has happened - as others have said, there may be something you don't know about that places this child in a higher category). The crucial thing when appealing on the basis of a mistake is that it must be a mistake that has deprived your child of a place. The fact you were third on the waiting list suggests that any mistake may have cost someone else a place, not you.

It may be that the two ahead of you on the waiting list were late applicants, in which case a mistake will help. You need to find out. Ask the school - they have to answer any reasonable question you ask to help you prepare your appeal.