School application submission withdrawn

[Gingerandsalt]

Hi I’m in a real pickle any advise welcomed. I applied in good time for primary school reception place for my son. When I checked the acknowledgment email I noticed I had put the wrong house number. I duly went back into the online account and changed the number. I also sent proof of address, all within the deadline. I thought that all was then ok. However I found out today that because I didn’t press a “resubmit “ button when I changed the house number my original application was withdrawn and so the application wasn’t considered! My son therefore hasn’t been offered any school place.
I have been advised to substantiate late application which I have done but wondered if anyone else had ever experienced this ridiculous issue and if I can appeal another way rather than having to play the waiting game again. It’s simply not fair ! Thanks

These things are seldom clear-cut. Do you have anything that shows the (in time) date on which you tried to change the house number? Do you have a dated receipt for the evidence of your address? If so, you can argue with the LEA that, as far as you were aware, you had submitted all information correctly and on time and (as they had not alerted you to any problem) they should accept your application as on time. The practical difficulty, of course, is that they've already made the first allocation of places but you can try to convince them that they should put you back in the position you would have been in, if they had accepted your application as in time.

My friend had "withdrawn" on hers when she logged in yesterday. Phoned up and it was a mistake. Definitely check with them before panicking about schools.

Ah sorry ,just read that you've already checked with them ,sorry.

Thanks for prompt responses! I don’t have anything with date I changed number but know it was on same day as I submitted the proof of address for which I have an automated response. I think the Council can actually see on their system when I made amend! I’m so furious! Keep speaking to council advisors who just apologise that there’s nothing they can do!

As I said, there's no rule (as far as I'm aware) about how this sort of situation should be resolved so it depends on your persuading the LEA to budge.

I guess the LEA is saying, in so many words, that it's your problem that you did not hit "resubmit" and the (I assume) lack of an acknowledgement for the amended application should have alerted you that something was wrong. But I think you can argue that it should have been evident to the LEA that you were pursuing an application - why else would you have sent proof of address? - and so they should have seen that something was amiss and checked with you.

Have you spoken to the head of admissions? Speaking to the LEA call centre isn't likely to get you very far.

Don’t know how to speak to head of admissions! But just having that title gives me something to push the call centre people with. It doesn’t help I’m sleep deprived and baby brained due to having 5 month old baby! Thanks again will continue to pursue

I’d ask for screenshots of the admissions application portal where it clearly outlined that by logging in again your previous application was automatically voided.

I’d also ask why you got (I presume) email confirmation when you applied the first time but no such confirmation of your application being cancelled.

Thirdly i’d ask why receiving your address confirmation (as evidence by your receipt) from an application they could see had been made at some point didn’t flag up a check by an officer.

And yes, insist on speaking to actual Admissions, not the call centre. Actually I would do all the above in writing to admissions.

Just say that you wish to speak to the head of admissions. Better still (if you can) find their email address in the LEA’s admissions booklet or on the website and have the conversation by email, as then you have a paper trail.

I think you would stand a decent chance at appeal on the basis that the LA has acted unreasonably, although I hope an appeal won't be necessary. It sounds like they had everything they needed to show your correct address and that you had applied on time. Refusing your application because you didn't click a "resubmit" button really will not do. If they need you to click a button they should warn you about it (it isn't difficult to make a web page say "are you sure" when you try to navigate away) and I really don't see how they can justify withdrawing your original application because you unsuccessfully tried to amend it. I believe they should have stuck with your original application but used the address on your proof of address. That is what I would expect any reasonable person to do.

Agree with PanelChair that you need to talk to the head of admissions. If you have a telephone conversation follow up with an email saying what you understood from the conversation. That will create a paper trail in case you need it.

Hi just to let you all know. I wrote to local councillors, the school and head of admissions. All were very helpful. Head of admissions looked into the situation and finally recognised that ultimately their system had not sent me a reminder to resubmit and so they processed my application as if it was submitted on time. We got into first choice of school 😀👍 thanks for all your advice and support!

Great news - well done!

Wonderful news always nice to read updates

brilliant news, nice to have a school admissions one that ends well.

Good to hear that the LA did the right thing without making you go through an appeal.