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Primary education

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Original poster

Can I appeal for a school that wasn't one of my original preferences?

15 replies

MrsGannicus · 06/05/2015 17:46

Just that really. Sounds a bit odd I know, but we didn't get any of our 4 preferences for a reception place and have been allocated a school 4 miles away (School A).

A few people on our road got a school 2000m away (School B - again, not one of their 4 preferences) and we are thinking that this would be more convenient. I've checked the furthest distance offered by School B and they went out to 5000m. Can I appeal for a place at this school?

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KaputKiss · 06/05/2015 17:53

Yes I think so. We only put one school down (sibling claim) and did get awarded the school we wanted. Since then, we moved house and I have put dc3 on the waiting list of a school closer to our house by phoning the local authority admissions. They put her name down and told me she is actually top of the waiting list!

YonicScrewdriver · 06/05/2015 17:55

You have to apply first! Do they have any spare places?

YonicScrewdriver · 06/05/2015 17:55

But you can apply/go on waiting list now. It's just you can't appeal till you've applied and been turned down.

Original poster

MrsGannicus · 06/05/2015 18:02

We are on the waiting list for this school. We should find out where we are on the waiting list tomorrow (Surrey). We feel we should have been centrally allocated this school. But not sure how we can say we've been turned down if we didn't apply originally.

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YonicScrewdriver · 06/05/2015 18:13

Oh I see.

Are they marginally closer than you - at their end of the street?

YonicScrewdriver · 06/05/2015 18:14

If school B is now full I'm not sure there's much they can do.

Original poster

MrsGannicus · 06/05/2015 18:22

They are marginally closer than us, but the school took people further away.

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YonicScrewdriver · 06/05/2015 18:28

Yes, that does sound odd.

Is there anything on surrey's website about this?

MangoDaiquiri · 06/05/2015 18:29

But did the school take people further away who didn't get any of their preferences? Because I would assume that the 5000m cut-off was the furthest distance offered to those who originally applied. Then there were a couple of places left over which were allocated to the closest applicants who didn't get any of their preferences. I would think you just missed out and therefore got allocated a place at the next nearest school with places.
Worth clarifying with the council whether that is what happened and also double checking the distance from the school that they have measured you at.

YonicScrewdriver · 06/05/2015 18:34

Good point mango!

PatriciaHolm · 06/05/2015 18:45

I suspect that is exactly what has happened. Do check the distance they have for you from the school, but if the other children live a little closer then it's almost certainly what happened.

You can appeal, if you have applied now and are on the waiting list, but If the admissions number in reception is 30 or a multiple of (or classes in KS1 are amalgamated to make 30 at any point) then the appeal will be class size and you have very little chance of winning I'm afraid as you have to essentially prove the LEA made an error which cost you a place, which in these circumstances is highly unlikely.

Unexpected · 06/05/2015 18:54

The children who have been allocated a place at school B probably all originally applied for school B. It may not have been top of their preferences but if they had it on their application form and it was the closest school for which they met the admissions criteria then that is how they will have ended up there. You didn't apply for it and were allocated a place at the closest school with spaces remaining after all those who applied were taken into account.

Unexpected · 06/05/2015 18:55

Sorry, didn't read properly, making dinner at the same time! I see some people got allocated that school from your road. As another poster said, they probably live further down the road towards the school than you.

Original poster

MrsGannicus · 06/05/2015 19:47

Yes, the people in my road do live a bit closer to it, but I also know someone who is further away than us and didn't put it as one of the 4 preferences and still was allocated that school.

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prh47bridge · 06/05/2015 20:37

You can appeal but you are unlikely to be successful. You didn't name this school as one of your preferences. As you didn't get a place at any of your preferences the LA had to find a place for you elsewhere. Whilst that will normally be at the nearest school with places there is no rule that says they have to do that. They can allocate people without places however they want. Surrey's co-ordinated admissions scheme simply says that they will offer a place at an alternative school with places available. They do not specify how that school will be chosen so I cannot see any grounds for arguing that a mistake was made.

The other thing to remember is that Surrey measure using straight line distance from the pupil's house to the nearest school gate. Someone may be further away by walking distance but closer by straight line. And someone may be further from the main gate than you but closer to the nearest gate to their home.

If you appeal on this basis I'm afraid I would expect your appeal to fail.

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