Sorry appeal question , please read....

[mumatron1]

I wanted my dc to go to a c of e school.
The admissions criteria said you had to attend church twice a month for a year before applying. I done this. However,when it came to getting my supplementary info signed, they would not do it as I hadnt come to church with my dc.
It did not say this any where on the admissions criteria.
Also my eldest child was also attending the school when I started to go to church and I spoke to the head and he also said I needed to be attending the church, he did not say anything about attending sunday school etc. I also emailed the church secretary about admissions. She also said I should attend church. So I did.
The actual criteria says

1. Children who have been baptised, or have received a service of thanksgiving, who themselves or a parent, are practising members of the Church and who live within a radius of 0.6500 miles of St Stephen?s School. These distances will be determined using a Geographical Information System

I was recognised when I asked my form to be filled in but they said they couldnt actually confirm if Had been attending twice a month. Apparently at the sunday school they had a register!

Basically, does anyone think it is worth me appealing?

Hi Schools nightmare thank you for your reply.
My child is baptised and does live in the catchment
32 siblings got a place (out of 60 places)
11 children got a place in category 3( i have no further info on the distances of the successful ones)
I did tick the faith category
And I did protest alot! That they were not following there own rules!
I have since seen on a governors meeting form that they
11. AOB: ?
?

Rev Philip informed Governors that the Church was to consider how they could/should further refine the way in which the SIF operates so that there is increased onus on the parents to ensure that they meet the criteria set

This is since I protested!

17 Children got in on category 4- the furthest distance being 0.378 miles and we are 0.39 miles!

Thank you for your help!

On the information you have supplied this is a straight forward case of the school governing body as the admission authority doing their own version of the admission criteria and not what it actually says. They have now compounded the error by effectively admitting it at a GB meeting. That "fact" is also wrong because the church cannot consider it is the GB who have the responsibility. Given that the GB will have a majority of members who are appointed by the Diocese it will probably eventually amount to the same thing, but it is wrong.

I would get your appeal in, especially a written copy of the GB minute. On the evidence that you presented you should have been considered under cat 3 and offered a place. If the appeal panel do not agree with you, you need to go to the LGO. The bottom line is that the very small word "or" should read "and" at which point the school would be able to use the sunday school register.

This is certainly worth an appeal particularly if you went to the church associated with the school. If the admission criteria give priority based on the parents' church attendance they must have a system in place to track that. I would argue strongly that the school and church are failing to comply with their own admission arrangements in that they say church attendance by parents gives priority but in practise only give priority based on the child's attendance. If the panel accepts your evidence you have a very strong case.

I have just emailed the school with lots of the facts you have listed. So I am going to see what they say.

Thank you everybody!