No place at sister junior school

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There has been a massive influx of families to our local area which means for the first time our (very average) infant and junior schools are over-subscribed.

Admissions policy for the Junior school is that children at the sister Infant school take priority, but my neighbour didn't realise she still had to apply within the timescales, so doesn't have a place. What are her chances at appeal?

So her child is due to start juniors this September? How did she not realise? Surely her infants school sent something home?

The LA will have had to have found a place at another school however. She'll have to go on her preferred school's waiting list and keep her fingers crossed.

What is the late admissions policy ? Presumably she'd currently be near the top of the waiting list so she may yet get a place for September.

I don't know Jenai. This isn't an area where we've ever had to think about school admissions. If you wanted your child to go to the local school they just did. I think she thought moving up would be automatic - the schools are on the same site, I think lots of people don't even realise they're separate schools.

I don't know about late admissions policy - will have to get her to check.

You still have to apply though, surely?

Maybe the schools have been remiss or at least not sufficiently proactive in making sure parents know that they do indeed need to make an application. I don't think that would be grounds for appeal, but hopefully one of the resident experts will be along shortly to advise.

She is unlikely to win an appeal on the basis that she didn't realise she had to apply. She needs to argue that her child will be disadvantaged by not being admitted to the junior school. She must try to convince the panel that the disadvantage to her child outweighs any problems the school will face through having to admit an additional child.

She should also throw in the argument that she did not realise the need to apply and that the LA or school should have done more to make sure parents were aware but I would regard that as a long shot. She shouldn't make that her only argument.