Missed out on a place in our preferred school by 2 meters

[Tak3n]

Now that is a kick in the teeth :(

LEA said we are second on the list, which was good, but then I asked the school and they said in the last 3 years the original list was the ones that started term time...

anyway any advice on appealing as according to their website I am 400 meters away from school, she said the last place was awarded at 408, so I thought that means we would win an appeal, but she was adament that map is a rough guide and in the detailed one they use we are 410 meters

Only if you can prove that any error that has been made (e.g. in measuring of distance) would have made a difference to you getting in ahead of another child. Assuming it's Infant Class Size, which I would guess it is.
What's the school you've been given like?

The information on their website will almost certainly be based on your postcode so will be measuring from a point somewhere near your house to the school. For admissions they will be using a very accurate computer system to measure the distance from your house to the school. Assuming they use straight line distance it is very unlikely that they have got the distance wrong unless they have measured from the wrong house. If they use shortest walking route or similar there is more scope for mistakes.

ty, she said it was a straight line and down to 2 decimal places, so I guess that is not much chance, and it is for reception class

Total bummer, but still a good chance that someone will drop out - even if they haven't in previous years, you know you are in pole positon if they do...