Appeals for secondary schools

[cazboldy]

Hi

Today we found out thaty ds1 has been refused a place at the secondary school we want him to attend.

We are out of the catchment area, but literally on the border. Even after we moved last year, I have continued taking him to his old school each day, instead of moving him, to cause the laest disruption possible. It is a feeder school to the high school in question.

My dd1 also attends the same school as ds1, and ds3 attends the infant school that is the feeder schoolt to the one that they currently attend, so if we had to move him, then we would have to move all of them as I can't be in two places at once to drop them off/ pick them up.

Anyone have any experience of this, or anything that may help. We do intend to appeal.

TIA

Sorry to hear this
No advice, but there is a thread going on at the moment re school places and I know advice was being offered there for someone who didn't get what they hoped for. I'll find it and link.

Have a look at this thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/2404/488941?stamp=080304144023

thank you very much

I don't know anything about appeals, but I do know that in this area (Surrey), it is well worth checking that you are on the waiting list, and whereabouts on it you are and keep checking. A lot of people get offered places in popular schools, and then turn them down as they have also been offered the private school place they were looking for. This can free up quite a lot of places, which then go to those on the waiting list. This happens right up until the start of term in September. A friend of mine got into her No 1 choice, the week before term started last year!

Yes appealed sucessfully 2yrs ago. There is a book available Winning your School Appeal or something like that. Got it in Waterstones (they should be able to get it for you)and found it very helpful because it's a very complex area. Also worth googling as we came across a few orgs who produced info to help parents.
We wrote several pages, put our childs photo on front so it was ataring out at them when they were considering our case(!), had letter of support from primary head and anyone else we could think of! Try to focus on why your child is unsuited to the place s/he's been offered and why so suited to the school you want. Be aware of the distinguishing features of the schools not just league table/Ofsted/ his friends are there etc etc kind of info. We made a short bullet point summary with final pleading statement and copied this and gave to every member of the panel.
Be aware that the procedure is fairly formal statements and cross questionning We felt it helped to have a final statement to read out at the end because it's ikely that you'll feel quite drained by then but need to leave them something to remember you by.
Waiting lists can shift by an amazing amount with people moving unexpectedly, taking up school places in ind sector or those in state sector they were not expecting to come free. Everyone in that yr from child's primary sch got sorted to their satisfaction eventually although in one case not until after the start of term........not sure we could have waited that long though! Very best of luck to you

There is a great little booklet you can download free of charge:

www.ace-ed.org.uk/advice/booklets/Appealing.html

and the organization that prepared it also offers a free telephone advice service (number on home page of the same website).

Good luck!

thank you