Academy & faith primary school not allocating by waiting list.

[Ing777]

Hi,

We are on the waiting list for September entry to reception. The school is an academy and a catholic school.

A few weeks before the schools closed for summer vacation, one of the mums who was below us on the waiting list was allocated a place to the school. The child has no special needs or circumstances etc. I emailed the headteacher at the school, and the heads reply was that ''the school is confident we have applied our admissions criteria but am not at liberty to provide personal details relating to individual applicants''.

I happen to know the mum who was offered the place.There are a couple of other parents even before us on the waiting list who would happily have taken a place if they were offered one. I feel the school are playing around with the waiting list and being an Academy and faith school not adhering to it. Does anyone know if there is any organisation I can complain to to look into the waiting list allocation as it is an Academy and faith school?

How do you know she was below you in the waiting list?
Are you absolutely certain she is not in a higher category, e.g. that her child is adopted and she is keeping it quiet?

The only thing you could do is appeal, but you would only won if their error (awarding the place to the wrong child) cost you the place that would otherwise be yours. If the error was made but you still wouldn't have got the place (because others are ahead of you on the list), you won't win.

Hi, Thanks for your replies.

We were given a number in terms on where we were on the waiting list by the school. Besides as per the admission policy, she is in a lower category than us. As people who worship at the local church are in Category 1 and she worships at another church and is in category 2.

Her child is not adopted. Appeals are unfortunately over now. I'm sure it's the Academy and faith school doing as they please once again!! Does anyone know if this can be taken to the adjudicator or if not any other authority? As it is an academy, I don't think the council has much say in the waiting list.

You can appeal at any time.

Appeals are never over

That's okay, you don't need personal details regarding a particular applicant, you need the category and distance for the furthest place currently allocated in reception. And also check which category they have you listed under in case that is the thing that's wrong.
Then yes, appeal!

As others have said, appeals are not over. You can appeal at any time. If you believe your child has been deprived of a place you should appeal. Higher authorities won't get involved until you have appealed.

Hi all,

We had appealed initially but we lost. Now the other mum had also appealed and lost too. Subsequently, we were all put on the waiting list with me being ranked much higher than her. However, a few weeks later she was offered a place at the school. Therefore wondering if any higher authority would look into how this has happened as the head is not being helpful at all.

Sorry to hear this. But... my DS has a need. He is unaware of it. His friends are unaware of it. Playground mums are unaware of it. It's confidential. This may be the case here.

As ASAS says, it may be there are good reasons why this child has been ranked higher than yours. As you have already had an appeal this is not an easy situation. You could ask for a further appeal on the grounds that circumstances have changed but the school not accept this. Your only other option is to refer the matter to the EFA.