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?

Oh dear am so sorry. Where are you on the waiting list?

Oh SoH. I'm so sorry. It is such a cruel process and I feel such sympathy for you.

I know you've been round this loop before but has anything changed with regard to childminder availability or wraparound care?

We're first on the waiting list but it won't move and given the current application for 200 houses in the village, people will move closer to the school than us and we'll fall further down the list.

No wrap around care. No childminders. I feel like I've let the dc down. If I'd worked harder and pulled my finger out, we'd have managed to move into catchment but I chose to be a sahm and we're stuck and ds is the one suffering. What a failure.

Nobody is going to build and move into a house before September. If you are first you must be reasonably close and somebody will move away, get a place at another school on appeal, or decide they can afford private. You WILL get a place by January. Will nursery keep him? Is there another nursery for a term? Are you also on all the CM and nurseries' waiting lists?

I wouldn't give up hope either. DS1 went to a very oversuprscibed school where we had to attend church twice a month for eighteen months beforehand to attend. The class max was only 15 children and yes one child left before the end of the Christmas term and 1 non-church attending child got in.

In our current village our over-subscribed school with 30 children in reception had 2 places free by the end of th first term. People move house/jobs/move to Indy/home educate/decide a school isn't for them all the time.

Does the current law provide priority admission for secondary schools including grammar for children who were adopted from overseas? Thanks

@shahs2 I'd suggest starting your own thread (probably on Secondary Education). Most people won't spot your post.

No. It does not prevent schools giving priority on those grounds but there is no requirement for them to do so.