dd1 refused a place at both preferred schools, I need to appeal....HELP!

[junkinmytrunk]

dd1 has been refused a place for bothe preferred schools and given a place at a horrible school further away.

My 1st choice is where she currently attends nursery but is a very overly subscribed school.

2nd choice is the school round the corner that has had a lot of money put into it and is on the up but is normally undersubscribed.

I will have to walk past both these schools the attend where she has been placed.

I'm so angry, its the last thing I need right now. I was expecting to be refused a place at her school but really thought she'd get in round the corner. It just doesn't make any sense.

Need to fill in the form to appeal but don't know where to start!

nicecup of tea - i guess if you choose not to accept any place then the local council may assume you are going private or home schooling

places do come up at the last minute or even a year or two on so you could start at one school and change

thats not so bad - people change nurseries and other childcare more readily, and often move house, so maybe don't worry if that is what you do in the end

Met up with an old friend today, who I found out has been helping in the admissions dept of our school of choice. She says over 85% of this year's intake are siblings ARGHHHHH. It just gets worse...

NiceCuppa, we've got a similar situation this year with a very high sibling intake. I'm feeling very worried too. When do you expect to hear? I hear on 27 April... Gulp ...

Another desperate mum here without a place for first born!
So we are under obligation to take our children to school but LEA is not under obligation to provide you a place within a certain distance? Does anyone know?
We are two working parents, there is no way we can go to the available schools and still make it to work.
is that ground for appeals?

imaginaryfriend - call me paranoid, but we don't even apply for yr7 until this October, so I'm getting worried waaaaaay in advance . Still, best to know what we'll be up against in advance (though hopefully not such a massive siblings contingent to the last intake). I think I need to chill [looks for zen smiley but settles for ). Good luck for April 27th! Keep us posted...

LUA: nope, childcare convenience is NOT grounds for appeal.We have been steered to a school 2 bus journeys away. We also ahve a 2 yr old, and I work so totally impractical.

Councils are legally obliged to place child within the borough. However you can appeal on grounds that the decision made was one that no rational council would have made.

THere's lots of good websites that can help with appaels (we are going through it at the minute) if you CAT me i'll give you the details.

Thanks for the info Xoxo, I wonder what is the definition of Borough in Manchester? Woukd it be the whole city?

I would love to know anything about appeals. We have to do one, but not sure how!

Got a feeling its you local council based....mine is tameside, iy you go to your local gov site you may get some pointers.

THeres a fab book for sale via BBC website or ebay: schools appeals. about £3

or there's a charity that will give you a leaflet download for £1, but the book is much more comprehensive.

first poiunt of contact should be your local education authority thought as they all set out the selection criteria and thats different sometimes for each school.

it's very complicated! and hard work.

Thanks for the BBC book tip, guess will have some homework tonight!

I just phoned LEA and they tell me that basically is all due to the fact that I choose a small school as my first choice. So in my second choice I live much closer than a number of people that got in, but because it was my second choice I had no chance! It is a totally unfair system! Which gives you basically one choice!
I am so mad!

Lua, out of interest roughly what area of manchester are you? Friends have struggled this year in Tamseside, some strange things going on!! luckily my ds is already in and my other two will follow. Very stressful for friends though. They now have to wait til after easter for any further news

Hi MSL, I am in southern manchester almost border with trafford.
The LEA admitted that they are changing their criteria for next year, to avoid problems like ours (i.e. they will consider all choices at once). But why do we have to pay the price for a bad administrative decision?
Did your friends get any more info out of the LEA?

Well, thay are saying its walking distance, but she can't figure it out, plus the school allocated means a walk up a busy main road, which at one point narrows under a railway bridge, not safe imo for lo's. Plus it will affect her business as she is a childminder....v upset for her really. Apparently at my school this year there were a large amount of siblings. It's so stressful.

Mankyscotslas: I really feel for you. PLease, please get your local councillor involved and your MP too. Local press also really helps, especially if the walk to school is dodgy. It is so horrible but you really have to gird your loins, throw your humility away and get stuck in.
I've been involved in a very public local campaign to get a primary school to take on another class - and they have agreed to do it. So, it can be done.
Good luck.

Xoxo - Good on you!
I second your opinion, make a fuss! Part of me says it will all be resolved somehow, but my blood boils over the whole thing!

In case it helps, if your friend is in manchester LEA the criterion of distance is supposed to be meassured as "the crow flies"

I moved house after applications/appeals etc finished when I was trying to get DD1 into her first school. We opted for a village school because the pressure of numbers often isn't as bad as in the towns, and you are less likely to be left with rubbish choices. I seem to remember that if the LEA could place your child in a school within 2 miles of home, they could be expected to walk (?!! even for reception), but any further than that and the LEA would be obliged to provide transport, even if that meant a taxi. Don't know if that still applies, or whether it varies from area to area anyway.