Sibling appeal question

[Mamamamamamamam]

This is planning ahead a bit but: I may try and get dd2 into a different school from the one dd1 is currently attending. Dd1 is on the waiting list for this school and it’s one of our catchment schools. If dd2 gets in dd1 would presumably then go to the top of the waiting list as she’d be in catchment and have a sibling there. But my question is, would I have grounds for appeal if dd2 didn’t then get a place? Just because they’re siblings so logistics, one of them having to do after school club if I was doing 2 school runs, benefits of them being together (as they’re very close), etc? Or would that be insufficient? It would not be an ICS appeal as dd2 would be going into y3 and the PAN is less than 30 anyway. Hope this all makes sense! Thank you!

Sorry, that didn’t make sense, I meant to put dd1 in the last few sentences! Let me try again!

This is planning ahead a bit but: I may try and get dd2 into a different school from the one dd1 is currently attending. Dd1 is on the waiting list for this school and it’s one of our catchment schools. If dd2 gets in dd1 would presumably then go to the top of the waiting list as she’d be in catchment and have a sibling there. But my question is, would I have grounds for appeal if dd1 didn’t then get a place? Just because they’re siblings so logistics, one of them having to do after school club if I was doing 2 school runs, benefits of them being together (as they’re very close), etc? Or would that be insufficient? It would not be an ICS appeal as dd1 would be going into year 3 and the PAN is less than 30 anyway. Hope this all makes sense! Thank you!

I don't think you could use doing two school runs as the basis for an appeal even if they'd been allocated two different schools, never mind when you choose two different schools yourself!

You can't claim they are close and need to be together yet put one of them in a different school, surely? It does sound like a ploy to get both daughters in to the same school but I don't think the reasons you have given will help.

How far down the waiting list is DD1?

Fair enough. It does seem a bit unlikely when you put it like that. Yes, you’re right, just really wanted to find a way to get both of them in!

The first thing you need to check is the exact wording around siblings on the admission criteria. In some LAs the wording is that it is only the elder sibling that gives the younger sibling priority, not the other way around.
You might also assume (as long as the sibling link is still valid) that they would be top of the waiting list but that might not be true there could be a sibling in catchment who lives nearer to the school than you.
You do not have any right of appeal just by having a sibling in the school. You are allowed to ask for a place at the school at any time but if the school is full you will not be admitted. What you can do is once you have been rejected is ask for an appeal. You are allowed one appeal per academic year, unless there is a material change in your or the school's circumstances.
Whether you would win an appeal on the basis that you deliberately got DD2 a place at the school so you could argue that you can't be in two places at the same time is very debatable. Most panels would be looking for some better reasons than that to admit.

Would dd1 be in yr2 or under?

Oh ok, you answered that. Might be easier once dd2 gets in but not sure if you can appeal.

honestly i do not think you can plan ahead on this one, there is nothing to say DD1 will be at the top of the list when/if DD2 gets a place and visa versa, Where is DD1 on the waiting list now?

IME the wording of sibling priority in the admissions criteria for most over-subscribed schools is specifically worded so that admitting a younger sibling doesn't give priority to the older one.

You may be lucky, and may have found a school where it is simply 'a sibling at the school' that confer priority s- but for example some say 'a sibling on roll in Years 1-6 at the time the child would be admitted', or 'an older sibling', so a younger sibling getting a place in reception wouldn't help move the older one up the waiting list.

The argument that you cannot be in two places at once is unlikely to win an appeal in these circumstances, because you could have had both at the same school, ie the current one.

As it is not ICS, then you can appeal on balance of prejudice ie why the disadvantage to the school in going over numbers is outweighed by the disadvantage to your DD if she did not get a place. So it is all about your DD, and what she needs in a school which this school is uniquely able to provide. School run logistics are not part of that.