School appeal - urgent

[monyk12]

Dear parents,

This is a desperate post re schools and appeals; apologies if not allowed, I can delete if needed.

I have appealed for reception for my daughter and I am looking to find information, reasons, motivations on how to build a successful school appeal.
I am concerned that the offered schools is unsuitable for my daughter and the hearing is tomorrow.
Any information welcomed.
Many thanks in advance.

I see. We are going to throw out everything at them since the selection process is not fluent and transparent.

What is not transparent about it? Their admissions criteria should be available on their website or from the local authority. Are you measuring the distance from your house in the same way that they are measuring it, it will indicate on the admissions criteria exactly how they measure the distance, and if it's not the same way that you are measuring it, then that won't help your case either.

You need to focus though. Trying to throw everything at it will confuse your case. Your appeal letter will state if it is an Infant Class Size case, which are very difficult to win.

I'm assuming from this you haven't actually got proof that the distance is wrong, and so are trying different options and seeing if something will stick. I hate to break it to you but distance is the only thing you should be focusing on. If it's actually wrong then you have a strong case and may win. Everything else is a waste of time, and isn't relevant.

None if this is relevant unless they got the distance wrong

I know @viques . Me and my husband are very upset.

The area is very big and schools serves a larger community, therefore siblings criteria with potentially exceptional circumstances were in place.I don't have the furthest distance - I have requested this, but have no received a reply.
Checking on the previous year admissions code - 0.207miles was the last distance, so very tight. We are 0.4miles and have other compelling criteria too, which I am hoping that will be considered.

What do you think is wrong with the oversubscription criteria? They are normally published on the school's website

Also, have you found the admissions number and established if this is an ICS appeal?

To take your other points:

Distance first - 0.4 miles from our house
Discussed above - this is only relevant if a mistake has been made - either that they've not made an offer when they should (greatest distance in your category was eg 0.5miles) or if you think the distance they have for you is incorrect, and that the true distance is less than the greatest offered

Attendance to after school activites

Not relevant, if ICS

Concerned about attendance if we cannot organise school drop offs and pick ups

Not relevant if ICS, and nor relevant at any appeal unless there are exceptional circumstances (such as mobility issues, normally of the prospective pupil, but occasionally as exceptional social need when it's mobility needs of the principal caregiver)

Safety reasons

What are these?

Least but not last the consistently outstanding Ofsted report

Not relevant, and I would advise against using this as an appeal argument (no matter how strongly it is on your mind)

Sounds very disheartening, but I a prepared for the worst. The whole point of the post is to get ideas on how to defend out case, so if you have any ideas, that would be more greatly appreciated. Thank you

I'm sorry but none of the reasons you have given so far are compelling.

You don't have any compelling reasons. You need to find out the furthest distance offered this year. Last year is irrelevant. It sounds like you just live too far though. Sorry but doubtful you'll succeed.

I can go on regarding the how it impacts my daughter emotionally to be separated now from her friends

Can you show professional evidence about why she is so very badly affected that it would actually be perverse to go to a different school? Many DC go to schools that are new to them at this point, and unless there are truly exceptional (and evidenced) circumstances, this is not an argument that will help you

How it impacts our family and jobs - we start working at 7 am and finishing after 8pm

Not relevant

As the school was oversubscribed they have to publish the letter dtating how many applications, furthest distance anf how many rejected etc. It should be on your concil website if you search primary schools/admissions/oversubscription or something similar.

Only way you have a chance of winning the appeal is if they have calculated distance wrong. None of the other points matter

Unless they've made a mistake on the distance the you don't have a case that will win at appeal.

I think you need to accept there's no case to defend, you're not going to win.

We only have one daughter, whilst other have 2> kids, therefore they have preference in getting a slot - so every kid should receive fair allocation regardless if they have siblings or not.

Distance first - 0.4 miles from our house
Last year distance was 0.21 miles. So I don't think is improved this year.

Attendance to after school activities

For is relevant - we work FT with long hours including weekend, so this services in a schools is very important to us as a family.

Concerned about attendance if we cannot organise school drop offs and pick ups

There are exceptional circumstances (such as mobility issues: the person who is doing the school drop offs has restrictive mobility issue and we highly rely on the nanny to do the school drop offs and pick-ups; further more, nanny was present in our life since the day our daughter was born and we don't want to replace or get rid of her as she is amazing;

Safety reasons

Compared with the school she was oferred which has an above than national and borough average criminality rate, with hightly transited public roads increasing the risk of accidents and endagering personal safety, be believe that the location of the Academy schools has less criminality rate.

Least but not last the consistently outstanding Ofsted report

Not relevant, and I would advise against using this as an appeal argument (no matter how strongly it is on your mind)

Also do you have any compelling strong reasons that you consider are good to use?

I think you need to accept there's no case to defend, you're not going to win.

This ^^ literally nothing you've said is a reason for appeal and you're coming across as very incoherent.

You are not going to win an appeal as there is nothing to appeal. Your child wasn't admitted because others live closer and have siblings at the school. Honestly tomorrow will be a waste of everyone's time, you'd be better focused on preparing your child for starting at the school she's been allocated.

Again, none of those points are relevant.

If you can pro e they got the distance wrong, or there's medical evidence for your daughter you may stand a chance.

Christ do not mention the high criminal rate in the offered school location you'll sound like a loon - if it's good enough for the kids that do go there it's good enough for your kid.

And you have a nanny so why the problem with attendance...?

The only argument you would have is if they’ve made a mistake.

Distance first - 0.4 miles from our house
Last year distance was 0.21 miles. So I don't think is improved this year.

Assuming the distances haven’t changed much from last year you aren’t going to win. All of the other things you’ve said are irrelevant.

You can stay on the waiting list but if you’re 23rd your chances for September are minimal.

From what you've said, you don't meet the admissions criteria for the school. So you can't win and you don't have a case.

Being unhappy with your allocated school isn't ground for an appeal.

Pp’s have not given a useless opinion, they’ve tried to help you by explaining that according to the regulations that the panel will be following, you have no grounds on which to base your appeal.

Also do you have any compelling strong reasons that you consider are good to use?

None of your suggestions are specific to your child. Others will equally feel it is a better area, have to juggle logistics etc. Running down the allocated school will not help.

The only reason to succeed at an ICS appeal is if you can demonstrate a mistake was made in applying the admissions criteria and that mistake denied your dc a rightful place. You have not even yet shown the distance used was incorrect, let alone that 0.4 miles should have been close enough. Frankly it was always a long shot.

It's not a useless opinion it's just one you don't want to hear. You can't win an appeal if there is no solid reason for winning so going tomorrow and spouting any of what you've said in this thread is absolutely a waste of everyone's time.

There is no reason your daughter should have a place at this school and no compelling evidence for an appeal. It's not what you want to hear but it's the truth.

And you are not defending your case but arguing for a place at this particular school.

No one here can give you some magic words to say tomorrow to win your appeal which seems to be what you want. You unfortunately not have a case.