LEA being spectacularly unhelpful with information regarding appeal and waiting lists. Are they obiliged to provide this information?

[theghostofposhlymanor]

I received my DDs allocation for primary school place last week and rang the council today to ask a few questions to see if there was any chance I could appeal for our 1st choice of school.

I asked them how far away they'd measured our house from the school, and what the furthest distance a child was allocated a place at the school. I also asked them where we would be on the waiting list for the school. They said they can't provide this information - we just have to appeal and see what happens.

I din't understnad how I can appeal if we don't have this information? There are 3 classes of 30 children admitted in reception so the only grounds for appeal would be if they measured our distance from the school incorrectly as far as I know.

I also don't know if there's any point sitting on the wiating list as I don't know if we are near the top or right at the bottom!

Are the council obilged to provide us with this information?

Thanks clam.

I'm tempted to do that moondog if I get nowhere tomorrow. Problem is the deadline for appeal is next Thursday. Can I write my appeal letter without this information, but then provide it later?

Hmmm.
How long have you been sitting on tihs?

Yes, you can use your letter to give the main points/arguments, and then fill in with further detail at the hearing but don't try to ambush the panel with a lot of fresh argument, as it may cause delay while the case is adjourned.

We got our offer letter last Wednesday. Bearing in mind Friday and Monday were bank holidays we've not had much time to try and get the information together.

And it doesn't help that we can't speak to the LEA directly - we have to speak to the switchboard and they get the admissions dept to ring you back. And they aren't very helpful.

Our only argument would be the distance thing as the class size is 30 and we have no other grounds for appeal.

To confirm this cut off date for appeals is not sacrosanct. It is a date that suits the LA to allow them to organise all the appeals and I do accept that they need all the time that they have for the appeals. By all means try and keep to their schedule as it will mean that your appeal is heard with all other appeals for that specific school but do not believe that you will miss out by missing that date. You will not.
I would suggest that in your appeal form you simply put down what information you have now in a general statement and then say that you will confirm more details as soon as they are available. You can add to your appeal documentation at any time up to the appeal, though a large amount of extra information introduced on the day is not recommended as it may lead to an adjournment so the La can study the documents.

Just to agree with advice you have already been given, when I applied for appeal I did it online and just wrote a few sentences to very basically outline my case in the box that asked for reasons for appeal. Then when I had got together the massive stack of evidence and information that I wanted to submit, I sent that off in the post about four weeks later.

The LEA were very helpful on the phone, and they said this was fine. They said they really just needed to know that I was definately going to appeal by the date given so that they could give me a hearing date and time and organise it along with all the others. They also sent me a little information about appealing, which helped slightly. Ring your LEA, they probably have someone that deals with all the appeals that will answer all your questions and explain the whole process to you.