Appealing against seconday schools

[Pillarcase]

Because of where we live my son is very likely to be allocated a place at the worst secondary school in the city. I would never, ever allow him to go there.

Thing is, all the other schools even remotely in the area are good but over subscribed from people within their own catchment areas so its very unlikely he'll get a place in any of them.

I'm going to put 3 of them down as the options anyway and not write this horrible school down at all.

It is still likely though that they'll try and say he has to go there.

I'm preparing myself for an appeal but I don't think my reasons will stand up as being genuine.

The REAL reasons he won't be going are as follows:

*Terrible GCSE pass rate, 2nd to worst in the city.

I don't want my sons mixing with the majority of the kids that go there, snobby or what, I don't care

Just getting there in a morning would include a walk through THE most notorious council estates in the city, that in itself is dangerous but throw into the mix the fact that half the kids from this school hang around on this estate in a morning instead of going into school waiting to pick on the next vunerable person walking past

My son will almost certainly be bullied there, I have known people who have been stabbed in the leg needing an operation in year 7, the school was set on fire by a pupil last year and almost destroyed, my friends son was pinned up against the wall by a group of boys and beaten up in year 8... my son attracts bullies as it is, he will inevitably suffer at this school

My son has a good head and is capable of doing very well in GCSEs, if he is distracted by loads of rowdy "don't give a shit" kids this chance will slim down*

And lastly...the kids that live down our street will all be going to this school. They already victimise my son, calling him a queer and a faggit because he is not a thug like them, on the last occasion they chased him down the street and pushed him off his bike. If he went to this school he would have to walk home in the same direction and at the same time as these kids and anyone that says they won't bother him is having a laugh.

So as you can see, my son will simply NOT be going to this school but how would I word my appeal so it doesn't sound like I'm saying he's "above" that school IYSWIM? Is it going to have to be a case of home-schooling?

He's a quiet, sensitive boy and they would slaughter him at a school like this.

The problem with appealing is that you have to justify to the admissions people why your son in particular needs to go to this school more than any other kid.

If the school is oversubscribed, then that means lots of other parents are in the same situation. So you need to show why your son should be given the preference.

Bullying is a horrible thing, but you'd need to show why it would be worse for your son than for anybody else's iyswim. The scary incidents at this school must be just as scary for any other parent. So you need to think if there is anything that would give you an edge.

oh good lord are you sure you arent me?

is your ds due to go to secondary school this September or are you just thinking ahead?

As I understand it, in an appeal you do not say why you don't want to go to a school but you have to justify why you want to go to the school that you have chosen. I should get advice now.

Absolutely.I don't think you are there to appeal against the school you've been allocated, but appealing for the school you want. So I think to say you want to go to x school because you don't want him to go to y school is not good enough (I don't mean in my opinion, but in the eyes of the panel iyswim. I understand totally why you want this and completely agree, but think you have to say why a certain school would benefit your child rather than why a certain school would be detrimental. Not certain about this, but that was my understanding of the appeal process (which several of dd's friends are in the process of just now)

I really feel for you

God what an appalling situation
Can you tackle the kids parents - the ones who are bullying him already on your street?
Is there anyway you could move? I know this might be completely impractical but your situation sounds really desperate

Thanks for your advice. I will look into it more but the only thing I could say why I want him to go to any of these specific schools is that IMO he has less chance of being bullied or injured and a higher chance of being able to gain qualifications but surely every other parent that is trying desperately to keep their kids out of this school will be using the same argument . I know a man who taught at this school and has said that under no circumstances will his son (a brown belt in karate) be going to this school, he would rather give up his job and teach him from home than allow it. Another person who was a teachers aide there said that the vast majority of kids with a decent brain/attitude are dragged out of the school by there parents within months of starting year 7 as the "friends" they make and the standard of work is enough to make the parents visualise seeing their kids behind bars by the time they're 18. Therefore by the time year 8 comes around, all that's left are the kids who's parents couldn't care less and the kids themselves are walking asbos.

I wouldn't dare speak to the parents down the street TBH, the main culprits father has an asbo and has been in and out of prison many times, his family are known all over the estate and generations of them have ruled this school too.

It is very unlikely that we'll be able to move in time for him starting secondary school I'm so worried. It would be such a shame to home-ed as he has such a brilliant mind he could do really well at school.

I would Appeal - we did last year for a primary place and it is stressful, but then again so is the thought of the wrong school!

We used a compant that specialise in appeals, worth every penny and we got in.

Let me know if I can be of furthur help.

Im shocked you havent been jumped on by now pillarcase .

I know exactly where you're coming from. Read my thread from a couple weeks ago (just search my name), its in education.

I really think that you need the best advice that you can get. I really feel for you. Find out all about the schools that you want to go to and try and make a case for your DS going there. Is your primary Head helpful? If so start there and ask for help.See if you can find anyone who successfully got a place and find out what they did. I think that you fail in an appeal if you mention the school that you don't want to go to.

PinkAlien, just read your other thread and I'm in the exact same situation to you. Single mum, two kids, council house...its just so frustrating that all of us "council tennants" get lumbered together and are given places at our own special "council estate schools" because we deserve no better. Thats how it feels.

Everyone that I know that has got a place at the other schools live just in the catchment area of it, the catchment boundary stops just at the end of my road, how annoying is that? but this hell hole school is so under-subscribed the council do what they can to ensure ALL kids in the catchment go there.

The school you described sounds like this one, its also due to close in a few years, you don't live in Hull do you??

The ofsted report said that this schools serves a proportion of the community suffering from high levels of deprivation and social problems In other words, its a school nobody wants their kids to go to.

Even a health visitor on duty advised me against this school saying DS wouldn't last 5 minutes there.