Sibling ASD - grounds for successful appeal?

[RochersFerrero]

Hi

We’ve just moved to a new borough. We have 2DCs and applied to the same primary schools and order of preferences for both kids.

DC2 was offered our first choice and is now attending reception.

DC1 (year 3) has just been offered a non placed offer/school (today) which I declined as it’s 3.1 miles away.

We have our appeal in 2 weeks.

Is it enough to say that I will have the added challenge of collecting DC1 at another school with DC2s autism?
I feel DC2 will be distressed and over-tired if I was to take her along with me to pick up her sibling at a school 3.1 miles away.

No transport was offered, not that I would have accepted anyway. We only have 1 car which DH needs for work, so I can only walk or use public transport for the school run with the kids.

Our first choice school is 0.4 miles from us.

Please share your thoughts and experiences.

Thank you

On what grounds do you appeal? Is it not a case of accepting the given school and go on wait list for 1st choice school. There is a lot of movement in the first few years of primary IME

What's the basis for your appeal?

Presumably your child is on the waiting list for the school your youngest attends.

I don't think your 4 year old having to go and collect their sibling from a school 3 miles away even using public transport is a valid reason for declining the place and denying your eldest an education.

Generally logistical arguments alone won't win an appeal. That is considered your responsibility. You also need to focus on how your DD1 would benefit from the chosen school, as the appeal is about her.

My understanding is that this is unlikely to be a successful grounds for appeal
If DS2 is now in reception, the important thing is whether your school prioritises siblings, if it does, then your DS1 will jump up the waiting list as a sibling will trump a non-sibling. There are unlikely to be many siblings on the wait list.
How severe are your DS1's needs?

I agree with pp - I don't think these are good grounds for an appeal, but if you accept the place and remain on the waiting list for your preferred school, you'll be top of the list when a place comes up (assuming there is a sibling criterion?).

I'm afraid that won't work, but you could presumably put both children into the further school, if they are both mainstream schools, which would resolve the two-schools issue.

If the offered school is over 2 miles away by the shortest safe walking route (3 miles if your child is 8), your child would be entitled to free transport. I'm afraid that declining the place because it is 3.1 miles away and saying you wouldn't accept free transport even if it was offered won't play well with the appeal panel. It will feel to them like you are trying to bully your way into the school you want, which will make them much less likely to give you the benefit of any doubt.

The arguments in your post are highly unlikely to win an appeal. As this is a Y3 appeal, you can win by showing that the disadvantage to your child from not being admitted outweighs any problems the school will face from having to cope with an additional pupil. Your problems with the school run and your other child are won't disadvantage DC1, so aren't relevant if the appeal panel stick to the rules.

If the other school is only 3 miles away, logistical reasons would not be a successful appeal point.

It takes about 5 minutes? to drive 3 miles. Collect the sibbling first then autistic dc