Fair reason for appeal for a mid year transfer?

[MidYearTransitionAppeal123]

Wondering whether anyone has experience of school appeals and can advise.

We are relocating to a new area and my 10/11 year old will need to move schools. We haven’t secured our new house yet but I’ve tried to be organised so contacted school admissions in the new area. I know we can’t apply yet.

School admissions have explained that in the town we are moving to, the two schools are currently full for her year group, therefore they would need to add us to their waiting lists and in turn we would then have the right to appeal the decisions. They’ll offer another school which is approx 16miles away (30 mins drive).

The town we are moving to is semi-rural with the alternative school being in a more rural area. Please note the area we are moving to has a three tier education system so secondary school applications do not apply. This will be a mid year transfer to a school where she’d have another 2-2.5 years prior to High School.

I may be able to drive her to and from this school they will offer but this is two hours everyday. Also there will be times with work I cannot do this. From a quick look (and I’d need to verify this) there is a public bus service but the timings would mean they’d arrive 1.5 hours before school started and the return bus they’d have to wait 1.5 hours after school had finished. This would also include a 15 minute walk from and to the bus stop in the small town the school is situated. I feel this is a potential safety issue for a 10/11 year old, especially as the days get shorter and darker. I can’t find any information that there is a school bus service from our new town to this school. I’d suspect not given their are two schools in the town where the majority of students, if not all, would attend.

I completely appreciate the schools in town are full and I haven’t been given an indication of how big the wait list is. But with the admissions team mentioning appeals I wondered what grounds could support an appeal? My biggest thoughts are to focus on distance/safety/transportation and also my child’s ability to integrate with the school community in the town we live in and not one 16 miles away.

Please be mindful that I don’t think we are entitled to a place when the schools are full but with them mentioning appeals I wondered whether there is even a chance of an appeal working when the year group is full.

You should probably go down the fair access protocol route to get a place closer to home. They should also have to pay for transport.

Is there a reason why you need to move to that specific town rather than somewhere else in that general area?

Would the LA offer transport for the further school, perhaps a taxi. Is there nowhere nearer there you could move to rather than that specific area. At that age class size restrictions are less so an appeal is more likely to be successful

It is our choice to relocate and it’s to give us a better lifestyle all round. We want to be in the town for the amenities, transport links for work and one other aspect was schools. The other areas are too rural.

I stress again that I don’t feel entitled that we should get a place if they are full. As they mentioned appeals I wondered whether there was even a chance. This move also ensures that for High School we are in the catchment area and this is a good school.

I have looked at the alternative school and I’d be happy with that school in the main given Ofsted and Performance but it’s the distance.

I don’t know whether they’d offer transport but certainly something I could check with. I feel that would be a high cost though and not something I’d be comfortable them spending money on, especially when it’s our choice move.

The LA is required to provide free transport if the school offered is more than 3 miles from home by the shortest safe walking route.

I note another poster has suggested the fair access protocol. I'm afraid that is not relevant and won't help.

To win an appeal, you need to show that the disadvantage to your child from not being admitted to the school for which you are appealing outweighs any problems the school will face from having to cope with an additional pupil. Transport issues and integrating with the local community will not win your appeal. You need to look for specific things the appeal school offers that are not available at the allocated school and are particularly relevant to your child. For example, if your child is musically talented and the appeal school has more extra-curricular musical activities, that would help your case.

Many thanks for responses. All really helpful.