School appeal sibling priority

[SchoolMum25]

Has anyone had success with a secondary school appeal where the child has an older sibling already at the preferred school? This is our only reason for wanting to appeal really. Unfortunately lots of new houses in the area have pushed us out and we are just outside the catchment area. In previous years we would have got in based on sibling priority.

I would suggest you find some better reasons.
There must be some things that would particularly benefit your child surely?

There's lots of reasons why we prefer it and will include this, but everyone will have the same argument in their appeal. It's just a better school than the one we've been allocated and will be a logistical nightmare to have children in different schools miles apart, but it sounds like this is happening all over the country.

Your appeal will only get anywhere if you have evidence they have applied the criteria incorrectly; do you have this or are you chancing it? Unfortunately as ridiculous as it is they don't really care about the logistics of siblings being at different schools.

How did you not get in with sibling priority? There was a WHOLE year full of siblings???

Are you saying that the school has a fixed priority area, which has been redefined since your eldest started?

Or it used to be children outside the priority area got in, but this year there wasn't space for out of catchment children

It depends what the schools individual admissions policy is and the order places are awarded. Is distance above siblings?

If catchment is above siblings on their written criteria for allocating places you stand no chance at all on appeal if that is your basis for the appeal .

Is siblings not a high priority reason? Round here it comes after disabled children and children in LA care? I guess if the school have decided it isn't a reason then you haven't got a leg to stand on, but it seems odd.

Sibling priority and logistics are unlikely to carry much weight on their own at secondary, as most secondary children are expected to be able to get themselves to school. A lot of secondary schools where I am don’t even have siblings as an admission criteria.

First part is broadly correct for Infants where class size restrictions apply, but categorically incorrect for Secondary. Secondary is about balancing detriments.

However logistics is not generally a good argument

Sounds like we don't have much chance at appeal then!

In previous years the school has always been undersubscribed so my older child got in, we are literally the other side of the catchment line. Unfortunately, thousands of new houses have been built in the area and seemingly no additional school places at local schools. Really frustrating!

If you've always been out of catchment, and its clear that put of catchment siblings come below catchment, then no you can't argue that siblings need to be at the same school.

Logistical issues carry no weight, since secondary age dc are expected to travel independently(assuming no additional needs).

When you say 'better school' you need to quantify things that are better for your child specifically.
So not better results, better Ofsted grade, but rather
Has an orchestra, child plays oboe, offered school doesn't
Offers Spanish GCSE, child already doing Spanish in out of school club and is showing promise
etc

Sorry OP but if you are out catchment I don’t think sibling criteria applies the same way? Plus with many more in catchment and again you out of catchment why would they admit your child who is out of catchment and withdraw someone in catchment?

Sibling priority is dependent on school admission criteria.

Either way, appeals don't mean they withdraw a place from someone else, appeals are in addition to PAN.

It’s not clear @SchoolMum25 (sorry) if having a sibling at the school is on the admissions criteria. Sometimes criteria go
Has sibling and in catchment
In catchment
Has sibling but is out of catchment
Out of catchment

If this is the case here, it may be that all places were filled by in catchment DC (with or without siblings) and while your DC having a sibling would have raised them up the list above those out of catchment without one, it wasn't enough.

Or are you saying that having a sibling at the school [regardless of where you live] is one of the top criteria (above, for example, living in catchment?) If so then it sounds as tho you should have been admitted. I feel this is unlikely tho from your posts, but wanted to clarify.

FWIW I don’t personally think that siblings should be a factor in secondary admissions, or at least definitely not one that ranks above being in catchment/local area/close to school, as in my second example. There are not major logistical issues with having DC at different secondaries, beyond things like having to go to multiple concerts/sports matches/plays; secondary-age DC as others say should make their own way to school, SEN aside.

Sorry, yes it's as you say in your example: those in catchment with a sibling
catchment
out of catchment with sibling
out of catchment

I think it's unlikely we'll get in based on the sibling argument then, just such a shame they won't have the same school experience!

Thanks that's helpful, will focus on this rather than logistics

Yes agree with @TeenToTwenties's suggestions of things to focus on. “He won’t be at the same school as his brother” will not have any bearing on the appeal (unless there is some medical or other reason that requires them to be at the same school I suppose; not sure tho what that might be).

It sounds like all places were filled by DC in catchment, so no @SchoolMum25, the fact that your DC has a sibling there will not carry any weight at appeal. Presuming you already added it on the form, it will already have been taken into account (but you are out of catchment so it wasn't enough).