Appeal on Monday...any advice????

[kerry4kids]

Hi all,

Got my appeal on Monday!!..Just want abit of advice..My dd was refused a place at our local va Catholic school..A box was left untick ( the part that comfirms you are a practising catholic)..My dd was put into cat 5 (other baptized catholic), when she should of been put into cat 3 (baptized catholic in one of the 3 parishs)..I have a dd in yr6 & will not be at the school, although i did transfer her out of her old school last year due to our move that happened a bit later then expected (dec 10)..anyway our new priest, our old priest & the priest of the school my ds goes to aswell..Im appealing on the grounds that my dd was put in the wrong cat (shes 65th on the waiting list!!) & the fact that last year we where practising catholics when both my dd where attmited into the school!!..

As your older daughter will not be at this school when your younger daughter starts she does not get sibling priority. I think you knew that but thought I'd better point it out just in case.

Without seeing this school's admission criteria, it sounds to me from the description you have given that the difference between category 3 and category 5 is down to whether or not you live in the 3 parishes. If that is correct and you do live in these parishes you have a good case for appeal. However, if you are relying on the box that wasn't ticked that is another matter. For a mistake to lead to a successful appeal it must be made by the school. A mistake by you or the priest should not result in success. Equally, if you live outside these 3 parishes it is unlikely that worshipping in one of them should place your daughter in category 3.

If it really does revolve around the unticked box you could try to argue that the school shoul have known you were practising catholic because of your older daughter but I don't think that is a particularly strong argument.

You may, of course, get an appeal panel who are willing to be generous and give your daughter a place even if they shouldn't under the rules. Give it your best shot.

Hi prh47bridge..

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you..my nerves are shot!!...On the admission criteria cat 3 is practising catholic in one of thr three parishes ( we live in the area for St Marys which is one of the churches attached to the school)..The reason the goveners put my dc into cat 5 IS because a box was lefted unticked!!..On Monday i did question the member of the governers as to why my dc was 1st put in as cat 3 then scribbled out & cat 5 put inits place..also mentioned as too why a * check please was at the bottom of the page between home address & priests ref??..Both these questions where left unanswered by the governers..When i was asked what else i would like to say i did state that last year on applying for dd1 & dd2 i had no problems with getting them into the school ( although during the period upto Dec 10 well travelled by bus!) & that our faith had not changed but our adress & church had..The appeal pannel also wanted the question as to if the children in cat 2 & cat 3 where in fact in attendanced to going to mass weekly..To that question the goveners said that it was hard to show if families attend mass weekly..I think i gave it a good shot..Shall soon find out!!..