Reception Allocation - Can I appeal?

[Maria2Day]

We got our third choice and are heartbroken! Son already attends preschool at the school in catchment, and we’ve lived in the village 10 years (my partner’s been here his whole life!)

At a loss of what to do, I’m really struggling with this and have cried every day since. It just doesn’t seem a fair system, I get there has to be something but still!

The stats published on our LA website says that for the school we did get, last person offered was 1900m away but were 2200 away?? Surely this is an error, either on their published info or our admission? If it’s the latter, is it grounds for appeal? It wouldn’t necessarily help us get into the one we want but, what if it could?

Any advice would be much appreciated xoxo

You live further away. Why do you think there has been an error?

How far away are you? And does it say how the measurements are taken?

It could be an error, but are you sure your distance is to the right point? Can’t see why it would help with the school you want though. Do you know why you didn’t get offered that one - any chance of a mistake there?

It’s very hard to win on appeal for primary school unless there has been an admissions error, and your post doesn’t read like there has been?

If the school is oversubscribed, it’s oversubscribed. Class sizes in primary tend to be more strict than in secondary, from memory I think primary classes are capped at 30 by law.

Your best bet is to stay on the waiting list, there can be a lot of movement between now and September.

How far away did the person at the first choice school live - and how far are you?

Have you got your numbers mixed up? You state you live further than the max admitted distance so struggling to see what's so confusing here. Living 2km away from a school in loads of areas wouldn't even remotely stand you a chance of getting in, especially if it's a good school and highly competitive. Did you review previous years distance and did you actually stand a chance of getting in based on previous years data?

Well yeah this is what I’m thinking, the head at our preferred (current) school said maybe that’s grounds for appealing but it doesn’t mean it’s an error that could have resulted in us getting the one we want! I think I’m clutching at straws here! 😩

You’ve read the post wrong, the distances refer to the school we did get

What is the intake and where are you on wait list

I’m like 500m from the preferred school and last offer was 450 or something! Annoyingly our school favours siblings over catchment which would’ve made a difference!

If I understand you, you think that there is an error on distances for the school you got (you live further than where it says the furthest child lives). So, you think maybe the error is systemic and also occurred at the school you want - and maybe you do live close enough. Like, maybe, your house location is incorrectly documented?

I think there’s an error on the school were offered, we live much further away than their last place offered

30, don’t know the waiting list yet I don’t think we can find out until after late allocations? And there are already 5 other families in catchment also waiting (don’t know where they all live…)

Argh. Ok well atleast it means they do have your address correctly & you’re probably number 1/2 on the list. I think you can find out in a week or two.

Yes! Thank you! Explained it better than I did… If they have used the wrong post code for example, would it be grounds to appeal? I don’t know if it would have made a difference to the outcome so would I need to prove that it could have? Or is them making a mistake good enough to say yep our bad, have your school 😂

I would agree but then they seem to have it right for the first choice school? But no harm in checking. I’d phone them

I’ll leave it to those who know more than I do, but I think I that you have to show that, had the right information been used, you would have got in. Seems worth trying.

Yeah people have said about the movement thing, the other school might be just fine but it breaks my heart to have to separate him, he’s only really just started making friends and he’s so happy there! I’ve been preparing him to move up from reception to big school, didn’t once factor in that we wouldn’t be going there!

No, the mistake needs to have made a difference to the outcome for you to get a place on appeal. So if the furthest distance was 450m and you were measured at 500m but actually should have been 480m, you would not get a place but you would possibly move up the waiting list.

Sorry you’re feeling so upset. It can be pretty rubbish. I am a teacher.

preferences make absolutely no difference if oversubscribed. LAs will use this filter:

1. Looked after children or EHCP
2. siblings
3. distance

Schools have absolutely no control over admissions. I’ve only ever seen one appeal won and that was a child with an EHCP issued 4 days before school places were allocated.

Do you know where you are on the waiting list for the school you wanted? You can phone admissions and find out there’s always slight movement.

Does your LA prioritise all siblings (in catchment and out of catchment) over first born children in catchment?

Thats really crazy if so. Siblings in catchment should definitely get priority but I find it crazy that a sibling from 15 miles away could get in over a first born child 0.15 miles away.

Despite that, I don’t think you can appeal against a school you have been given. You can only appeal to get into a school you haven’t been allocated. So instead of proving why you shouldn’t have been allocated the school you got you would not to prove why you should have been given the primary school you wanted. Which is notoriously difficult (although not impossible) for reception entry.

I know it’s mad how they do it! The school we get goes siblings in catchment, catchment, siblings - which is awful because my daughter is unlikely to get into that school if there are a lot of applicants so they’ll be separated! Again no one cares about this stuff, it’s just numbers

Our LA has sibling priority regardless. Neighbouring LA has all in catchment ahead of siblings out of catchment to stop people getting one in then moving

Ours does that too.

So if you get one child in and move miles away you will be lower than catchment which I think is right.

I’d love to know how many siblings there are out of catchment! Some I do know that go to the preschool and they live locally but not all of them! I think because so many of us have been distraught they’re reconsidering their allocations policy which is great but doesn’t help us now 😩😩