Appeals and waiting lists for primary schools

[drspouse]

We heard we didn't get our first choice, our second choice is OK but not great for DS and we'd put in specific information about why the first choice would be better but we think they just ignored it.

In our area you automatically accept the allocated school and you have to fill in a form for either waiting list or appeal. So we'll fill in the form but we'll see if we're near the top of the waiting list in which case we probably won't bother appealing.

Anyone else?

Tiggy they could well be nearer tho. In our area the cut off is typically eg. 0.455 So 0.455 radius us all round the school. That means an area almost a mile wide. That a lot of streets near us. Missing the cut off by 0.07 is close and hopefully they will be near the top to grab the first place declined by someone' else. However those at 5-10 on our wait list went up and down it several times before Sept as people moved into streets less than 0.455 away. A friend of mine went from 7th to 13th within the first 6 moths

We aren't quite that close but at least have the appeal aspect to go through too. And we are close enough that we are not worried our DS will be the only weird child who commutes miles to the school (given our neighbour's two older DCs go and we know one or two older DCs moved a long way away and were supported to carry on at the school despite pretty difficult home circumstances).

Given that we now know that none of our evidence was submitted even before decisions were made (let alone before the deadline), but obviously some of it was unavailable (with our paediatrician's appointment only being 4 days before places were announced), I'm a bit unclear as to what we are appealing on.

I assume it's like someone who moved house i.e. circumstances have changed and we are NOW in category 2 whereas before we weren't (so, they didn't ignore our evidence because they didn't have it and/or it didn't exist).

So what does that count as? Is it Infant Class Size or if not, what's the other option?

Whether or not it is an infant class size case has nothing to do with the evidence you submit, nor is it something you can choose. It is all about the size of classes in Reception, Y1 and Y2. If any of those classes would have 30 pupils if the school is full this is an infant class size case.

An appeal cannot change your position on the waiting list. I'm afraid a change which would have put you into a different admissions category is not relevant. All that matters is whether the LA put you into the correct category based on the information they had at the time.

We do have two separate forms to fill in, though, depending on whether it's an infant class size appeal or not.
As we have new information that we didn't have when we originally applied (rather like someone who moves house) I assume that if they decide our School 1 is the only suitable one for DS, we'd go above siblings and distance, but below LAC, on the current waiting list?

Catchment areas here aren't circles or anything approximating them; the one I'm in has the school at one of the boundaries. A couple of metres in one particular direction and you're in another catchment so we're actually nearer our preferred school than some of the outermost families. It's just the way the geography works as there are 3 school very close to one another in a north - south line. Will ring in a couple of weeks to find out but looking at the map it is very hard to be nearer than us while still being out with catchment.

Which is not to say someone couldn't move into the catchment and bump us down but the council seems to have changed the rules to the effect that if we moved into our preferred catchment they wouldn't accept our new address unless we were applying under change of preference. I was so surprised that I asked DD's preschool headteacher but no, I was right, they've changed it.

We do have two separate forms to fill in, though, depending on whether it's an infant class size appeal or not

Very strange. Many parents wouldn't know which it was. I can't see any justification for having separate forms. It definitely isn't your choice. It is entirely down to the size of classes in infants.

I assume that if they decide our School 1 is the only suitable one for DS, we'd go above siblings and distance, but below LAC, on the current waiting list

The appeal panel cannot change your position on the waiting list. All they can do is decide whether or not to admit your son. If you win your appeal your son will be admitted immediately. If you lose he it will be up to the LA to decide whether or not your son should be in a different admissions category based on the evidence you have provided.

There are definitely two forms available and one is just called Appeals (voluntary controlled and community schools) and one is called Infant Class Size Appeals.

In effect what you are saying, if I understand you, is that yes, if they decide our DS should be in a different admissions category then he WILL move up the waiting list.

So to take the situation where someone moves into the area after the applications deadline and couldn't yet provide proof, but they can do so after the places are announced, the applications team applied the distance formula correctly based on their old address when they first applied. Their circumstances have now changed and they are now closer than someone else on the waiting list i.e. they have higher priority, so it's not that the admissions team made a mistake and they should admit them even if it makes the class too big.

Or someone whose older DC starts at the school after Easter before the YR child is due to start in September. When they applied for the YR place the information was correct but now it is incorrect. So again the admissions team didn't do anything wrong but now the four year old in the family is in a higher admissions category.

Am I understanding that correctly?

Ok I think I understand now!

Right got all our documents in a row (but the paediatrician's report has our DC2's DOB wrong making it sound like DC2 is older than DC1 but by less than 9 months... possible but unlikely...). The paediatrician didn't write a special letter but the concerns are clear enough on the general GP letter.

Going to post 1st class signed for later today.

LEA admissions team say that they will be able to tell us next week if there is already a space (e.g. because people have moved away already and don't want a space) and if not by the end of next week we'll know our position on the waiting list.

Anyone else got any news??

Tomorrow is the last day for parents in our county to reply and either accept/decline. Then we need to wait until 13th May to hear any news about waiting lists....such a long wait again.

My county won't tell us where we are on the list yet, presumably as the deadline for responses is 9th May:

"The Continued Interest List will be accurate at the beginning of July 2016.
This will be after the second round of applications on the 9 May 2016, if we can offer your child a place from the waiting list before July you will get sent a letter on the 9th May 2016."

Odd, as the booklet says it's 13th June for the first run of the waiting list, so not quite sure what to think! Unless they're trying to say "you are super super high up but we can't actually tell you that".

Or they've got the date wrong.

That all sounds very confusing Commander.
At nursery they have a list of who is going where - - two of DS best friends are going to our third choice as are several other children we know quite well (it's a big school) but it makes me feel better about not really wanting the one we've got - he won't be missing his special friends.

3rd on waiting list for preferred school. 60 intake. I think we'll be OK but we still have the appeal to come.

Help help help.

Just emailed to find out whether they knew when appeals would be and when they hoped to give us a specific date.

Appeals are the second week of our two week holiday.

We are holidaying in the UK and we are about 3-4 hours away so it's possible to come back but it would leave one of us with the DCs and obviously would break up our holiday (and heaven forbid if it's on the Friday we're booked to come back on the Saturday and our tickets rely on a F&F railcard etc. etc. plus neither of us wants to travel with two DCs!)

Would they move our appeal to another week on this basis? I assume they are still holding them the week after and/or two weeks before (non holiday weeks) for other areas of the LEA? There are more than two "areas" in the LEA based on how they split up admissions.

The only way to find out is to ask. The LA should try to rearrange but if it is impractical the panel can decide the case on the written evidence.

I have emailed, fingers crossed.

No, no change possible - they say they have hundreds of appeals so have to schedule them on these dates.

It strikes me that by making the deadline for waiting lists the same as the deadline for apeals, more people are going to appeal - if they let you go on the waiting list for a month first and then appeal, some people would get their place and some would get used to the idea of their allocated school.

We are going to ask the SW if she may be able to come to the appeal (she says that generally her overseas adopters have just been lucky with school choice so hasn't had to do this before, so we aren't sure if it's in her job description). I don't think she'll want to go on her own though.

I am not sure we need someone to come with us, but what kind of person would parents usually ask?

In most cases, parents don't take anyone, to be honest. Sometimes military families will bring an advisor, if they are appealing using the military covenant as part of their grounds; there is generally no reason to bring anyone.

Have you determined whether the appeal is ICS or not?

It is ICS, the school takes 60. We are basically appealing to have them accept we should be considered on medical/social grounds meaning we'd be second priority after LAC, hence higher on the waiting list.

drspouse appeals and waiting lists are totally separate. If you win your appeal your child will be offered a place at your preferred school, rather than moved up the waiting list.

No, he won't be offered a place, because it's full, he'll be moved to a different (higher) category.