En-mass appeal

[BrieAndChilli]

Have posted about this previously but it has now gone to another level.
Ds2 will be going to school in sep 2015. My older two go to a school we are not in catchment for (in wales and rural and council have catchment map on their website, it's basically our back garden fence)
We have now had a letter from the school via the Playschool expressing everyone's concern that it is a high sibling year (22) and how to apply and make sure applications are done correctly etc as well as reiterating the fact that siblings are higher criteria than catchement
The parents of children in catchment but not with siblings have now requested a meeting with the school governors and the LEA. This is being spearheaded by a tracer at the school who has just moved to the very edge of catchment in order to get her eldest a place at the school.
Obviously up til now those of us out of catchment but with siblings haven't been too concerned as we knew we had sibling priority but now are slightly worried the other parents may be able to appeal en-mass and get priority criteria changed around
Has anyone had any experience of this??

Teacher not tracer

Since the local authority has already published its criteria for this year (that is, for 9/15 admissions) then it can't make a difference. They can't move the goalposts when many people will already have submitted their applications.

They might adjust admissions criteria for future years perhaps. Siblings over catchment is fairly standard, and no system is fair to everyone.

Yes, changes to criteria can be made.

No they cannot be made willynilly and the correct procedure and timetable has to be followed.

Any changes to critera for Sept 2015 would have to have been consulted on in 13/14, and the new criteria published by April 2014.

Ok that seems to tie in with everything we have read. As application packs come out this week for primary and secondary are already out I am assuming any change would have to made to the whole of the county which will be much more hassle than a few families not getting catchment school??

Half if me feels it will be fine and we are all panicking about nothing but the other half of me thinks what if they make enough noise and win??

I expect if they make enough noise and win, that winning would come in the form of a bulge class. As pp have said they can't change the criteria for next September, only the one after now.