Third choice school…any advice on waiting list and appeals?

[Bootiesandsocks]

We got our third choice and I’m so gutted. We only moved to the area in November and didn’t know any other parents so were really scrambling to get a feel for all the options.

I’m regretting even putting our third choice on there now, it’s become clear over the last few months that it would be a terrible fit for my son.

Does anyone know much about waiting lists and appeals? How do we find out where we are on a waiting list?

Is anyone planning to appeal?

Accept the place so that you stay in the system, if you don’t then the local authority are no longer obliged to provide any other help.
Then put your self on every waiting list that you’re interested in. On what grounds would you appeal. Appeals at yrR are pretty hard to win unless you can prove the admissions have been allocated in error.

Or a medical reason?
Or a change in circumstances?

Thank you, I will accept the place. How do I put him on a waiting list? In the portal it says “on waiting list” next to my first two choices. Is there a way to check?

I’m not hopeful about an appeal either. My son has a feeding tube and I think we should have had an EHCP, but in January we were still waiting for his care to be transferred to the local teams. We talked to the head of our first choice school and he was confident we would get a place because they were always under subscribed, so I really wasn’t worried about the EHCP and now I’m kicking myself!

Not sure that an EHCP would have helped anyway given our third choice is closer, but it’s also riddled with behavioural problems and I’m worried my son will get bullied. We’re going to call the health visitor this morning to discuss the EHCP and next steps anyway.

Even if you had applied for the EHCP when you moved, it probably would not have come through in time, so please don’t kick yourself.

Is there information about the furthest distance offered to the first school and how much further are you from that?

Waiting lists are handled by the LA until start of term in September, which point they are handled by the school themselves. So if you want to know where you sit on the waiting lists, then contact the LA.

You need to gather medical evidence that your son’s needs are best met at the other school and appeal. Can you get a letter from his hospital team?

You should automatically be on the waiting list for your first and second choices. You say the portal says "on waiting list" for those two, so your son is definitely on the list. If you want to find out where you are on the list you will have to ask the LA. However, they will be very busy at the moment.

Regarding an appeal, most primary school appeals are infant class size cases. This applies where admitting the child would result in a class with more than 30 pupils in Reception, Y1 or Y2. If your appeal would be under infant class size rules, you would only be able to win if you could show that a mistake had been made and your son should have got a place. No amount of medical evidence that his needs are best met at the appeal school will help. Many appeal panel members hate infant class size rules because they've come across cases where the child really did need to be at the appeal school but, because no mistake was made, they have been unable to admit them.

An EHCP will help. If you get an EHCP, you can ask for your preferred school to be named. There are only limited grounds on which the LA can refuse to name your preferred school. They certainly cannot refuse just because other schools are nearer. Once you have an EHCP naming your preferred school, that school will have to admit your son.

Timescales for getting EHCPs are long, so I would request the assessment of needs (EHCNA) as soon as you can. You can do the EHCNA – it doesn't need to be the health visitor or nursery/preschool staff. Try not to get discouraged if it's refused the first time – lots are, but are overturned on appeal.

It's worth looking around and seeing if there are any other schools that would be better for your son that the one you're currently allocated. I don't think there's any limit on the number of waiting lists you can be on.

OP - you are doing the right things, checking you are on the waiting lists and pursuing the EHCP.

You should be able to check whether any acceptable schools were undersubscribed - and you could apply there. And as others have said you can now apply to and go on other waiting lists.

None of this would disadvantage you should a place come up for your first preference.

This won’t make any difference as it’s not grounds for appeal. It may have helped at the time of application, if you could have proved that this school could provide something that other schools can’t in terms of your child’s medical need. It can’t be done as part of the appeal process unfortunately. Accept the place and stay on the waiting lists whilst applying for the EHCP. Good luck 🤞

Have a look at the admissions data on your local authority website. You’ll be able to see which schools are undersubscribed for September. It may be there is another more suitable alternative you could consider in place of the one you have been appointed in case you are unsuccessful on the waiting lists for your preferred schools.

Ok - I went through something very similar two years ago when I moved back to the UK after living abroad. The waiting list really does move.

Firstly, email your local authority. Ask it your child’s position on the lists for the other two schools. Also ask the key dates for re-confirming interest, and when it moves to in-year applications.

You will need to read the offer letter carefully but usually accepting your offered school does not remove you from the waiting list from the schools further up your wish list.

If you are within 10 places of the top of the list, you are within a fair chance of getting a place. Keep your fingers crossed!

I was advised differently by our LEA - they said that the place for medical evidence was for the appeals process