Secondary school appeal essex

[Activitieslifestyle]

Hi am in desperate need of guidance

my son has been offered a school 12 miles from home which he Will absolutely not be able to get to and from alone

this will mean myself taking him in effect loosing my job

when I applied for his preferred school i only put the one we wanted thinking if he didn’t get it he would be offered one within our area

this process has backfired

I now have waiting list and it’s not looking good

1st choice 13th
2nd choice 11th
3rd 30th
4th 32nd

i am so worried and have appealed all

just needing some re-assurance on what to expect what I can do advice with it all

I only have one child so completely new to all of this process
thanks

Hey OP the LA should provide transport if school allocated is over three miles away - but as I understand it, this only happens if you put your nearest school down on the form. Am I reading it right that you only listed one school - and that was not your most local or catchment school?

The appeal process means you need to show why your DC attending a full school would be more beneficial to him than it would be detrimental to the school. As such you need to look at what the appealed school offers that the allocated school does not. Unfortunately issues such as distance to travel, friendships (unless a medical professional says they are essential) and results are not usually considered.

What might be helpful is if there are GCSEs offered that your DS has a demonstrable interest in - for example music as he has been playing violin for three years and the offered school does not offer it. Ditto things like an orchestra or other relevant clubs.

There are lots of threads giving advice in the secondary schools section on here - take a look.

"What might be helpful is if there are GCSEs offered that your DS has a demonstrable interest in - for example music as he has been playing violin for three years and the offered school does not offer it. Ditto things like an orchestra or other relevant clubs."

This won't help. GCSE options change from year to year, as do club offerings. They are very weak arguments for forcing a school over its published admissions number.

@Activitieslifestyle 11th and 13th on the waiting list sounds fairly hopeful.

The school that we put down as our choice is within our catchment but the offer is 12miles away.

i thought 11th and 13th were good but after speaking to the preferred school admissions officer this morning she said that it is unlikely to be offered as the most movement she has ever seen is 4 maybe 5 which doesn’t leave me with much hope

OK well these are the kinds of arguments suggested by a number of posters who sit on appeals. I agree they are not as strong as "My DC needs to attend a school with a lift and this is the only one within 20 miles" or "my DC's doctor says this is the only school that will be appropriate because of xyz medical reason" but if those kinds of specific things are not available, I gather arguments relating to GCSE and clubs may be sufficient. The stress is on the fact that the you have to show prior interest - so my DC has a German grandmother and speaks German at home, and the appealed school offers German from Year 7. That kind of thing.

I agree 11th place is pretty hopeful tbh.

So did you put down your nearest school @Activitieslifestyle ? If so the LA has to offer transport to the offered school (as I understand it)

that is helpful thank you

I have sent additional email to appeals supporting documents stating reasons why I applied for this school and how the offered school does not offer these facilities hopefully that stands for something

"OK well these are the kinds of arguments suggested by a number of posters who sit on appeals."
They're sometimes suggested as example arguments, to prop up a case, but not as examples of strong arguments that could stand on their own (unless the school had a very weak case for being full).

"So did you put down your nearest school..?"

No, she didn't. The op said: "when I applied for his preferred school i only put the one we wanted thinking if he didn’t get it he would be offered one within our area"

She clearly realises her mistake, but whether the appeal panel will be sympathetic or not is another matter.

@Activitieslifestyle , did you not receive any information from your primary school or the local authority about the secondary admissions process?

No point running down the offered school

No nothing from his primary school

the application stated to put in 6 school choices but no real emphasis on what it meant if you didn’t put all 6

Not running down offered school I was told previous comment to say why I would have found this school more appropriate as apposed to the offered school

Can you focus your appeal in the least worst option?

It's a few years ago now, but I know an Essex mum who thought only putting a single, oversubscribed Herts school would magically get her child in ahead of children who lived closer. The plan backfired, as she had been told it would and their DC was placed at a non local school with average results.

Mum had to transport DC for around eighteen months, but eventually got into one of the less competitive schools closer to where they lived.

OK sorry, the OP said the school they put down was "within our catchment" tbh not sure what that means but I wondered if it was the closest school, as that would facilitate the transport issue to the offered school.

Anyway I am quoting what has been mentioned on other threads by people who sit on panels. I don't tho - maybe you do as well @crinkel and could offer some more helpful arguments of the kind that you have seen succeed?

Unfortunately the admission policies are very clear about the risks of only listing one school.

There is even a mythbusting section in Essex’s admissions document which clearly says that listing one school is not a way to get the school you want.

(Document also includes school transport). From reading, the LA are not responsible for transport. They would be if they couldn't offer you a nearer school, but as you didn't preference a nearer school this does not apply. This follows government guidance.

https://www.essex.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2023-09/Brochure_Secondary%20Education%20in%20Essex%202024_2025.pdf

Is there no public transport that he could use?

I don’t think he’ll get transport provided, for the reasons already stated and I don’t really think you have a strong case to appeal the nearer schools.

"maybe you do aswell ... and could offer some more helpful arguments of the kind that you have seen succeed?"

I do, and the kind that succeed tend to have very strong medical or social need, e.g. mobility issues that require a school with lift access, or child protection-related reasons, not hobbies and interests. Occasionally it is found that a mistake has been made, or a school doesn't put up a strong case for being full, but it's relatively rare.

@Activitieslifestyle all local authorities have to publish a Secondary Admissions prospectus for year 6 parents, explaining the admissions process. Normally the link is distributed by primary schools. The prospectus should have explained the process to you. If you never received one then ask your primary why not. It's a long shot but I did once witness a case where a primary school admitted (in writing) to not having sent out the prospectus, and it helped to strengthen an appellant's case, but they did have some other moderately good arguments too.