Can you appeal first choice?

[Xxsamkelxx]

Hi.
When the time came for visits to schools etc to apply for reception I had just started a new job and was in 6 months probation and was unable to get meetings with local schools. After much deliberation I ended up going with a school based purely on the time I had spent there over the years dropping another child off and thought my daughter would settle knowing the surroundings. After closing date I was finally able to visit a few schools and decided I really liked my 3rd choice (catchment school) and my daughter adored it there and settled straight away. I tried to change my preference but was advised she would go as late submission and to wait and see what happened as it's her catchment. Unfortunate situation now is we did get our first choice. Our email says that if we didn't get first choice we would get instructions for appeal. If we got first choice we would just be sent acceptance slip. Has anybody appealed a first choice and is it possible? Sorry for long message and thank you for you time.

No but you might be able to ask to go on waiting list for catchment school.

As this is reception, it is highly likely that Infant Class Size rules apply. Does your school3 admit in multiples of 30?

You can only win an ICS appeal if there has been an error in handling your application (or the criteria are unlawful, or the decision is plain perverse), and it does not sound as if there was an error as your DD was offered your first preference school and would therefore have been taken (correctly) off the lists for your lower preferences.

The advice not to change your application after the deadline was also correct - because late applications (including late changes) are allocated only after all on time applications and it is possible that if you had gone down that route you would not have had an offer from any of your preferences.

Your best course of action now is to accept the offered school, and go onto the waiting list for the one you really want. Accepting school1 will make no difference whatsoever to where you are on the waiting list for school3, and removes the risk that you will be left with no place in September if school3's list doesn't move.

That's great and was what I was kind of thinking. That's exactly what I will do. Thanks for your help.

To confirm you should accept the current offer. You should then contact the LA admission team in writing and ask to be put on the waiting list for 3rd preference school . Some LAs have a real blind spot around not understanding that people can change their mind on schools, so you must ensure that any email says that you have accepted the 1st preference school but that you now want to go on the waiting list for school 3 which you now feel more comfortable with then school 1.

I would get this done first before anything else because as others have said, you are quite likely to be near the top of the waiting list of school 3 as you are in catchment. The LA will start filling any rejected places in school 3 as soon as practical, so you need to be on the list. Only when you have in writing that you are on the waiting list for school 1 should you consider applying for a place for September at school 3. Again the LA may well not understand this change and you need to be specific in writing, that you under no circumstances are you rejecting the place at school 1. I do think you best chance of getting a place is off the waiting list as so many schools now have the infant class size regs to negotiate with the PAN in place in the school.

How did your daughter adore it there and settled straight away (your third choice)? Is the place you were allocated for next September or has she already started last year?