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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

admissions nightmare

39 replies

jenkins32 · 19/04/2014 22:32

Help! I'm looking for advice my daughter did not get in her preferred school with her sibling (out of catchment) or any of her other preferred school and I didn't but the catchment school down (foolishly) and she got a space at a school 14 miles from the older siblings school my kids are only 4 and 5 so there is no way I can take them both to school at the same time etc... All the schools have no spaces so I am trying to get on as many waiting lists as possible and appealing. Her catchment school only has 57 for its pan 2014 what does this mean as the classes don't have 30 kids in surely it meant there was space for her?? Does anyone n
Know why they didn't give her a space there and instead allocated a space in a school miles away?? In the schools website it says its classes average 25??

OP posts:

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Blu · 20/04/2014 12:48

No, because she didn't apply to her closest school at all.

I expect different LA s have different rules, but in ours if you don't apply to your nearest school or schools that could have given you a place they won't pay for transport elsewhere. From their point of view, why should they?

Anyway, I am sure this is all a moot point to the OP!

SavoyCarrot · 20/04/2014 12:59

Did you put the one down that you have a space at at all? Or is that the nearest school with a place after your three choices?

titchy · 20/04/2014 13:24

I don't think it matters whether or not you apply for a nearer school. What matters is if you COULD have got a place if you had applied then you're not eligible, but if you wouldn't have got a place even if you did apply then you are eligible. It has to be that way otherwise parents end up wasting a preference just to ensure they get transport.

BleachedWhale · 20/04/2014 16:20

She says in her OP that she didn't put her catchment school down.

OP: do the schools have actual catchment areas or are you meaning catchment as in 'Near enough to get in on distance'?

I am wondering whether you would have any grounds for appealing for the school yr dd1 is in? For example, did she have to go to that school because it has a hearing impairment unit, or is wheelchair accessible ? Or did you live in catchment of that school and then have to move to escape DV, for example?

Did you have reason to believe that you would get a place in DD1's school?

I can see you are in a difficult position.

admission · 20/04/2014 21:14

If the school has an admission number of 57, then that is what the LA will admit to. Having said that when it comes to an appeal situation, the legal maximum for each class, assuming that there is sufficient space, will be 60 (2 classes of 30) and as a panel member I would certainly be looking to take the intake up to 60 if there were appellants with a sufficiently good enough case
So I would be looking to appeal for the catchment school and be starting to construct the best possible case for entry. Part of that is going to be around the distance to the offered school and where your other child but the majority of the appeal needs to be about why the catchment school is such a good school to go to. That may mean you need to revise your thoughts about the school and come up with some good reasons - start with before and after school facilities and clubs etc that the school has but stat looking very carefully at the school website and anything else you can get about the school.

BleachedWhale · 20/04/2014 22:03

Can you appeal for a school that you didn't apply for?

Or would the OP make a late application and then appeal if turned down?

Tulipsandclogs · 20/04/2014 22:29

Thedoctorineofsnatch.. I questioned everything at the time, had I not the new head wouldn't have looked into the new starters. They took my little one and another out of catchment sibling. I would not of had my children attending different schools. Horrible situation for Jenkins, and I do suggest she questions all new starters as she should have a high priority. Most importantly good luck Jenkins, biggest thing ever them starting school.

BleachedWhale · 20/04/2014 22:37

But she didn't apply to the school!

prh47bridge · 20/04/2014 23:44

Or would the OP make a late application and then appeal if turned down?

Yes. You are entitled to apply for a place at any school at any time. If the application is rejected you are entitled to appeal.

tiggytape · 21/04/2014 09:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

jenkins32 · 21/04/2014 19:02

Thank you all for all your comments all really helpful and worthy points. So my next step. Of action is to apply via late applications to school I hadn't previously including her catchment get put on their waiting list and should I appeal if they reject her at her catchment? Also I should accept her space at the school she was given others I'm looking at. Home schooling which I can't do. Thanks again for the help very appreciated just to put my mine at ease and help me plan what to do next.

OP posts:

Original poster

jenkins32 · 21/04/2014 19:37

OP posts:

Floggingmolly · 21/04/2014 19:49

the majority of the appeal needs to be about why the catchment school is such a good school to go to
How would op argue this while simultaneously explaining why she didn't actually apply to the school in the first place?

PatriciaHolm · 22/04/2014 10:49

She doesn't need to explain why. There may be all sorts of reasons people change their preferences. All she has to do is persuade the panel that the detriment to her child to not being admitted is greater than the detriment to the school of admitting.

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