Admissions help needed urgently, can anyone help?

[Suei57]

Hi, my DD is moving to a new area in the next 6 weeks. The local school has given my youngest GDD a place, but not the older GDD. Can she appeal? and where does she start? She's in a real state over it. She's currently second on the waiting list.

Many thanks in advance.

What age is the older GDD?

Yes I believe she can appeal.

She's 9, her younger sister is nearly 7. How would we go about appealing? Thanks for your reply.

Yes she can appeal. Assuming you are in England the letter saying that your older GDD didn't get a place should include details on how to appeal. If it doesn't (or there hasn't been a letter) she should contact the admission authority (the LA if it is a community or VC school, the school itself for other types of school) and ask them how to appeal.

Your daughter will need to show that the problems her daughter will face through not being admitted to this school outweigh the problems the school will face through having to cope with an additional pupil. If you or your daughter post more details you will get some good advice on here.

I note that your daughter hasn't moved yet. If your GDD's existing school is not within a reasonable distance of the new house the council must find her a place somewhere if all the local schools are full. They will need proof of the move. Some will accept a solicitors letter confirming exchange of contracts has taken place, others won't do anything until your daughter has actually moved.

Thanks prh47bridge. When my DD has moved, the round trip would be approx 40 miles per day, dropping the youngest DD at the local school, then taking the eldest to her existing school.

I'm pretty sure that there would be places in other localish schools, but the sisters would very much want to be together. The eldest DD has had anxiety issues regarding school in the past, so my DD is really concerned about how she will cope with the prospect of a new area combined with being separated from her sister.

Is the waiting list renewed in the new school year? She hasn't received the letter yet, although admissions department confirmed that eldest GDD hadn't got a place.

Thanks for your advice, much appreciated.

How long would the school run be if she kept them both in their current school whilst waiting for places at the same school in the new area?

When we moved I had to drive over 50 miles per day to get my children to school whilst waiting for suitable places at schools in the new area. Even now my school run is in excess of 30 miles per day due to location and ne child needing a specific school placement.
40 miles per day if she has a car and can manage the schedule around work isn't too bad in a temporary basis, you soon get used to it.

The council doesn't have to come up with places for both girls at the same school but it must come up with places somewhere.

Note that it is time rather than distance that determines whether the existing school is an unreasonable distance away. If a one way journey from home to school takes less than 45 minutes it is viewed as reasonable. So if the journey takes less than that the council is entitled to say that they don't need to come up with a place at a more local school despite the distance.

The admission authority is not required to operate a waiting list for any year other than Reception. Your daughter will need to check with the school or council to find out whether or not there is a waiting list and what will happen to it in September.

Just to encourage your DD, I have had to appeal to get DS2 into the same school as DD twice, once for primary, once for secondary and have been successful both times.