Is this grounds for appeal?

[WhoahThereCrazyHorse]

DD has not been allocated any of our choices, but a school some way away that we're not sure about. I think I've discovered that the school we've been given wasn't the closest one to us with spaces. There's a closer one that has spaces, but we wouldn't want this either. Is the fact that they've allocated schools against their own criteria grounds for appeal for one of the schools on our list, even though the closer school we should have been allocated still wouldn't be acceptable to us?

Hopefully that makes sense!! Thanks in advance of any wisdom...

Sorry, I don't think this would factor in an appeal. You appeal for the school you want and not against the school you've been offered. The fact that you think you might have been allocated a different school which you still wouldn't want is irrelevant to any potential appeal for a school you do want. If you think the allocated school means that a mistake has been made, then that is a different issue.

My understanding is that the basis of an appeal is always why that particular school is required for your DC, not about the school you have been allocated. If you think the application has been handled incorrectly then you need to show that she would have got a place at the school you are appealing for if your application had been handled correctly. The fact that a different school has places is only relevent if you are prepared to accept that place. The thing to make sure is that they have the correct address for you as an error here could explain why a closer, not full, school has not been offered.

No, although if you wanted the closer school with places you could ask to be allocated it instead.

A mistake in administering the admissions process can be grounds for a successful appeal. But only if the mistake meant your DC was deprived of a place they would otherwise have been offered

This mistake in alternative offer doesn't affect your eligibility for your preferred schools. You could however insist on the closest school, if that's what their policy says. But as you don't want that school, it would be a bit pointless.

Ok, got it. Thanks all, v helpful.