Catholic not got a place at RC School and want to know about appeals...

[CHOCOLATEPEANUT]

My dd who has a nursery place at a RC School has just been turned down for a reception place.I know that a lot of children would be applying.

We live out of the area(Scool in Salford and I am just over border in Bolton) but school is nearest RC one (we are practising Catholics)and is only 1 mile away.

Also I was told by Education office not to put 2nd choice down (another RC school slightly further away) as I would be offered this in the event first one was full.I have not been offered this but a list of those schools left with limited places and the only RC ones are 4 miles away.

I am very upset and worried as its vital that dd is educated in RC school but appeal docs more or less say that if the class size is upto 30 they cannot find me a place.

Anyone any experience of this and is it worth me appealing?

I know I have probably been rejected because of postcode but school admission critera states that if over submission then those nearest to school as crow flies will get place and therefore a postcode should not matter as I could be nearer than others

[CHOCOLATEPEANUT]

Update

Got a letter from Chairman of Governers (our priest)

Appeal rejected as he has spoken to Head and is satisfied admission policy has been adhered to. DD is 2nd on waiting list

aghhhhh

[1dilemma]

I'm sure they wont hold it against you (or dd) on a separate note we wanted to write and complain about something to the school but were too scared too we then decided if we were too scared to we had to make ourselves otherwise what would we do if it was something really important? WHenever I see the head she always makes me feel as if I've been really naughty!

[CHOCOLATEPEANUT]

Was wondering that myself.Say somebody doent take a place offered? Also got a letter today asking why dd was off school for one day.We did ring (she was ill) and wonder if thats going to be a deciding factor

[1dilemma]

Hope it all works out, I've moved up a giddy 3 places (unfortunatley only 25%) of the list here. Was a bit shocked that they allocated places to the WL that were turned down before the date for accepting had passed supposing someone had changed their mind?

[CHOCOLATEPEANUT]

I am kinda hoping that a child may drop out or even that they have filled 29 places with the view that one of the several people appealing would get the remaining place!

I would not take a place of a child offered one as I agree it would be very unchristian even if that child should not have got the place which i think could be the case.I think there are several of us who would fit into the how far from school and we are all pretty close.It would have to have been measured accurately thats for sure and as I said before my postcode would have stood out.

I nearly started crying tonight when I picked her up as a lot of mums were very sympathetic and dd's teacher came over and said how sorry she was as dd has fitted in so well and really enjoys it. I said I had to tell her she may have to go to another school and she said it was ok as she would make new friends and teacher said thats how socialable she is {sniff}

[amidaiwish]

attending the nursery can't be part of the criteria - because it discriminates against working parents who can't feasibly use the nursery.

it works the same here shouldbeworking

[shouldbeworking]

That's what I was thinking Nemo. Arn't there quite strict guidelines re class sizes in primary schools. If that's the case it would mean removing the offer of a place to another child in order to offer a place to op's child. Can't honestly see them doing that myself. If this is case then the best op can hope for is that another child doesn't take up offer of place and her child is first on waiting list.
At our local rc primary school if a catagory is over subscribed they offer places by distance. That is as the crow flies from the school gates to the child's home address ( not grandparent's or cm's address who brings child to school). This has meant that a friend's son, who had a place in nursery class has not got a reception place and 5 children who did not attend nursery have got places because they live closer- in one instance this is one house closer down the street. Unfortunately attending nursery is not in the stipulated criteria.

[Nemoandthefishes]

Agree about the priest most of them chair the board for the infant schools and do hold a lot of sway..however unfortunately if the school is completely full then there really is little they can do!! they cant take a place away from someone else to fit your child in..thats not very christian now is it!!

[TLSM]

Cp I really would have a cry with the priest I know it may sound over the top but if you really want to get your daughter in I would let him know how badly it is effecting you! My SIL did this when her DD didnt get in the RC school and a week later somehow she was in! its worth a shot! anyway good luck I know how it feels I was lucky enough to get my DS in to our RC linked to our church but it is really very popular and you know half the kids are only there because the school gets brilliant results!

[CHOCOLATEPEANUT]

I know that there are a few people in my category that is baptised catholic living out of parish so its not a case that they run out of places before getting to us.The thing that bothers me that people living further away have got a place over me.

I rwally hope that she can get a place and if not at one of the other more local Catholic schoools.

Re the point on Catholics needing to go to Catholic school if they go to church and so on. The Catholic teachings flow from church to teh school as they are closely linked.My dd will be educated as any other child with the addition of spiritual guidance which of course she recieves at home and at church service.For a child though school is very important in the foundations of Catholic teachings.For us its very much part of what we are as I can go back many generations of Catholics who were taught in Catholic schools.

[1dilemma]

But surely nametaken they have to apply the rules and if those rules say eg parish member then distance, they can't differentiate between parish members IYSWIM? (Not that I necessarily agree with allocation of places at any school BTW)

[oldwomanwholivedinashoe]

catholic school to pass on catholic heritage, rites of passage, observances, traditions. Its the only place some catholic chilren learn out catholisism. Catholic schools will take non catholics as long as the admissions policy is followed - which means that all baptised catholics living in the parish with siblings at the school get first dibs. If there are any places left (which there often are0 then non catholics can go.

[oldwomanwholivedinashoe]

The admissions criteria for schools is very clearly laid out and IMHO if you werent given a place this means the places ran out before they got to your category in the admissions. It must be a popular school. The ed. office gave you very bad advice and you could appeal for a closer RC school but chances are you'll have to take what you've been allocated. sorry.

[amazonianwoman]

SpeckledHen - tried to CAT you but got a msg saying you've chosen not to accept the contact another mumsnetter feature.

My email address is

a n d r e a - k e l l y @ ntl world dot com

[CHOCOLATEPEANUT]

go ahead I think I will be ok without book.

[amazonianwoman]

Thanks speckledhen Will let chocolatepeanut have 1st refusal - it's her thread, I just butt in

[SpeckledHen]

amazonianwoman it is 'how to win your school appeal' by ben rooney. first person to cat me with their address can have it.

[CHOCOLATEPEANUT]

dh dropped letter off at school this morning and was told to take it to church as our priest is the Chairman of the Governors!!

Hoping that makes a difference as at least he does know us.

[MrsMattie]

I don't think they are under any obligation to offer you a place in a RC school. I know that in my area, RC schools are vastly oversubsrcibed and many RC children go to non denominational schools. There simply aren't the places to offer every practising Catholic a place at a Catholic school. Worth an appeal, but you may have to think again...

[nametaken]

well round here, the priest and the chair of governors are very friendly and the priest can and does intervene. After all, the priest is one of the members of the board of governors don't forget, and it's them that make the decision.

[amidaiwish]

that's how it works round here 1dilemma.

[1dilemma]

Thought you had to get baptised within 6 months of birth. What I'm wondering is people say get the Priest to speak up for you but I thought all they could do was write a letter confirming that you had attended Church etc etc and after that it was distance (ie what I'm trying to say is it's not a question of how religious you are once you have the requred Baptism/church attendence). Does anyone know if I'm right?

[CHOCOLATEPEANUT]

I think I have two strong arguments

bad advice from lea

and

evidence that they have not applied admission policy correctly

if I get any RC school close by I will be happy though

thanks for all your advice
x

[shouldbeworking]

My ds was turned down for a place at a catholic high school. We were given incorrect advice re which school to put down as first choice ( dh and I didn't have a preference between two local catholic high schools as they are both good.) ds's teacher advised us to put out of catchment school because she thought he'd do better there. He didn't get a place at either school. We used this bad advice in our appeal and also proved that the first choice school had incorrectly applied it's admissions criteria. We still didn't get a place at first choice school but using bad advice given to us did get him into other school.

Sadly just wanting your child to attend a particular school is not normally enough of a basis for appealing the decision they have made. You usually need to prove that they have applied their criteria incorrectly. i.e. that they have awarded a place to a child who was in a lower priority criteria catagory than your child iyswim. Having said that it appears you have been given really bad advice by lea so I would definately use this.
Be prepared for a fight though. It took from Feb till early July to get my ds a place at a high school. Huge amounts of letter writing and phone calls.!!
They kept going on about health and safety and overcrowding.