Page 2 | Primary school disappointment

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

dotdotdot22 · 23/05/2024 09:45

So it's waiting list offers day today. Hoping people get some good news! Anyone know how it works? Do you get an email if you have an offer and no news if you don't? I'm not holding out much hope.

SallyWD · 23/05/2024 10:12

This happened to my friend and they successfully appealed on the basis it was too far and public transport was too difficult to manage with working parents.

prh47bridge · 23/05/2024 13:58

SallyWD · 23/05/2024 10:12

This happened to my friend and they successfully appealed on the basis it was too far and public transport was too difficult to manage with working parents.

They may think they won on those grounds but, unless this was a very long time ago, they almost certainly won on different grounds. Appeal panels are told not to take transport issues into account unless the child is disabled or has SEN.

If this was a primary school appeal and it was an in-year application, they could have won on the basis that their child should have been treated as excepted due to there being no schools with places within a reasonable distance from home.

SallyWD · 23/05/2024 14:04

prh47bridge · 23/05/2024 13:58

They may think they won on those grounds but, unless this was a very long time ago, they almost certainly won on different grounds. Appeal panels are told not to take transport issues into account unless the child is disabled or has SEN.

If this was a primary school appeal and it was an in-year application, they could have won on the basis that their child should have been treated as excepted due to there being no schools with places within a reasonable distance from home.

Show quote history

It was 8 years ago. The mum told me they won the appeal because they didn't drive and there were no other schools within walking distance. Public transport was available but not great and not practical for working parents.

SallyWD · 24/05/2024 10:00

prh47bridge · 23/05/2024 13:58

They may think they won on those grounds but, unless this was a very long time ago, they almost certainly won on different grounds. Appeal panels are told not to take transport issues into account unless the child is disabled or has SEN.

If this was a primary school appeal and it was an in-year application, they could have won on the basis that their child should have been treated as excepted due to there being no schools with places within a reasonable distance from home.

Show quote history

Just add - I think there is some flexibility within the appeals process. Yes, the appeals panels might be told not to take something in to account (i.e. transport) but it some cases they will consider it.
We've just won a school appeal ourselves (against great odds) and there were a couple of issues we were told wouldn't be taken in to account. However, when it actually came to it, they very much listened to these issues and took them seriously.

prh47bridge · 24/05/2024 11:19

SallyWD · 24/05/2024 10:00

Just add - I think there is some flexibility within the appeals process. Yes, the appeals panels might be told not to take something in to account (i.e. transport) but it some cases they will consider it.
We've just won a school appeal ourselves (against great odds) and there were a couple of issues we were told wouldn't be taken in to account. However, when it actually came to it, they very much listened to these issues and took them seriously.

Show quote history

Appeal panels do go off piste sometimes, but not as often as appellants think. The decision letter should set out the panel's reasoning. I have dealt with a few cases where the parents believed they had won (or lost) for a particular reason, but the decision letter said something different.

Original poster

Bobskeleton · 24/05/2024 20:01

@dotdotdot22 our waiting list opened a couple of weeks ago. DD was ridiculously high on the waiting list for our first preference, in the 80s.... However, I don't know how but she has been offered a place at that school, which I have accepted 🙂
The process here was we received a letter from the school quite quickly with forms to fill out. Then a few days after that I got a letter from the council asking to to confirm what school I will be refusing.

OP posts:

Modernfamily2011 · 24/05/2024 21:44

@Bobskeleton - Amazing news! You must be so pleased 👏🏻

Itsallaboutme2021 · 17/04/2025 16:13

Bobskeleton · 16/04/2024 13:09

Not really looking for anything other then to vent a bit.

Our daughter was offered our 4th choice.

It's not a bad school but quite a way from where we live and difficult for public transport.

Came as a bit of a shock with a big heap of feeling deflated. Especially when the LA managed to place 96% in their 1st or 2nd places.

Will see what the the waiting lists are like in a few weeks.

Suppose I'm just offering up a place for anyone else to have a little moan. If anyone else has any similar uplifting stories I'm all ears.

At the end of the day I know everything will be ok.

I’ve opted a similar post…. Have a look on my page and read some of the responses they have been great. 👍🏼

NerrSnerr · 17/04/2025 16:23

@Itsallaboutme2021 this post is from a year ago and the OP's daughter got a place in a school she wants.