GOING TO APPEAL for Primary place in CEVAP school --- HELP!

[appealmum]

Sorry to leap in unintroduced and unannounced. Am in need of advice as I have 24hrs to turn around appeal papers (which I haven't even got yet) to get dd1 into yr2 at new primary where we are moving in August.

It's all been rather last minute (as I'm sure you can tell).

We have got a place at the school for dd2 in reception, but dd1 did not get a place for yr2. We are not in the catchment area. Can anyone give me badly needed advice on how appeal procedures go, as I cannot find very much info. on line, and any hot tips as to what I should write in my appeal statement (which I must write tonight!!!!!).

All information gratefully recieved.

Have just helped friend write her appeal statement - she is 10 miles out of catchment (it's a village school she wants) and she won!. BUT, sadly for my friend, we had very special circumstances, her ds had been in the nursery since birth, his younger bro is at the nursery, her dp walked out of the family home 6 months ago and only sees the kids sporadically, and grandad has just died, so we appealed on the grounds that it would remove the only stability currently known to the child, thus having severe and long-lasting impact on his emotional and social wellbeing etc etc.

You could try saying how close the girls are and stress how it would be logistically impossible for you to get 2 kids to two different schools at the same time. Perhaps your job might be in jeopardy as a result of this, having severe financial repercussions on the family ??? etc.

It might be that the school (head/governors) etc are sympathetic to your plight but be prepared for a grilling from the local authority bod. It's his/her job to be the tough guy in these situations usually. They will ask what exactly is wrng with the school(s) in your catchment area and why you can't send the girls there etc.

I wish you courage, strength and lots of luck.

Thank you fullmoonfiend. I am sorry to hear of your friend, what an awful situation, hope things improve for her.

Am hoping tomorrow that I might be able to get ds3 into the nursery and therefore fortify my position.

I must be the thickest mother in the world, as when I made the applications for the dds to get into the school, I completely forgot (doh) about ds3 needing a place at the nursery. I only hope the school don't think that I am so brainless we don't deserve the place anyway!

can you appeal on siblings ground,I have been told to do that for ds2 as dd1 is already at the school I wanted ds2 to go to,(she got in because she has a statement)

am sorry i am a bit confused

dd2 got a place for reception
dd1 has been refused yr2? but completed yr1?
third child needs nursery place?

i have appealed twice many years ago and won both.

my main argument was - how the fuck am i supposed to get (n mycase) 3 kids to 2 diff schools 5 miles apart at the same time ?? eh eh? well!

and i could say that becuase my eldest who had secured a place had already been at that school for 2 years and i thought withdrawing him at that stage would be very detrimental socially and educationally.

could you use that argument>?

second time got priest to write me a letter ( catholic school)

Sorry - beenhaving supper.. We are moving up to Suffolk in august. Have been in the school system in London up til now. dd1 is going direct into yr2.

(So panicked can't clearly tell story properly!)

I would have thought that in your circumstances once one of your children started at the school their sibling would be top of the waiting list for a place in that class. A friend of mine moved her three kids and there wasn't space for one of them but she heard the day before term started that she had a place. Another did have to send one son to a different school for a term but then a place came up. It's not ideal, but if you hang on in there things should work out for you.

any news yet appealmum?

Hi Appeal Mum
I am sorry I have just read this thread tonight.I hope your appeal went well if you already have it. If not get the book How to win your school appeal by Ben Rooney at the library or bookshop such as books etc. I found it very useful for my school appeal which I had last Tuesday and am still awaiting the outcome. I would advise you to read the book and make sure to have planned some questions to ask the school and also have prepared the answers to possible questions the panel and the school may ask. Best of Luck. I feel we may not have a chance of winning as there were 11others but I feel better despite the stress and emotional stress of doing it and I would do it all again. At least I tried. Good Luck. Cairde

Help, same as the post above really - the night before and last minute preparation going ahead for our appeal in the morning, we are trying to get our middle son (currently Reception) into the same school as our elder one (currently year 2)

We failed last year on the grounds of admission numbers exceeding 30 (its a Catholic school and we are not Catholic). We have had a really hard year juggling the 2 children between the 2 schools both having same start times.

I have just read that it may be possible to combine all of the KS1 year groups so that we don't exceed the magic 30 number - currently year 1 only has 29 children.

Would anyone know if this is the case - we have the appeal at 11am tomorrow so any urgent replies would be very welcome.
Thanks K.