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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Didn't get preferred school

35 replies

sugarbabe73 · 01/03/2011 09:42

hi i live in Essex my son's first choice was sandon school chelmsford but he has been allocated william de ferrers, South woodham ferrers> he is very upset and we want to appeal as all his friends are going to Sandon. Any tips on how to appeal and what to give as my reasons

OP posts:
mumof4sons · 01/03/2011 09:57

I also live in Essex. My son didn't get any of his 3 choices. We were allocated a place at a really crap school in the area. I am fuming.

What happened to 'every child should get the place of their choice'?

MappandLucia · 01/03/2011 10:01

Sorry for you both. This was me this time last year - we got none of our 3 'choices'.

We went to appeal and won so am happy to advise.

Don't to be too disheartened at this stage though as there is always lots of movement on the continued interest lists (we were just really unlucky).

mummytime · 01/03/2011 10:02

The first thing to do is to get your sons name put on the waiting list for his preferred school and any other schools you would prefer to the one offered. Then decide if you are going to appeal. If you are you need to start that fairly soon (the book How to Win your School Apppeal can help).

However it ha never been guaranteed that everyone gets their first choice, and would actually be impossible. Schools are not infinitely expandable.

AliceBBC · 01/03/2011 10:50

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet.

coccyx · 01/03/2011 10:51

What grounds would you appeal on though?
Not possible for every child to get their first choice

LauraPhoenix · 01/03/2011 11:16

My DS1 didn't get his preferred school either.

We are very upset.

I too am looking at appealing. I've been looking around for advice and guides and there are a few sites out there. I bought it from www.schoolappeals.net in case anyone is interested. I haven't had a chance to read it though.

coatgate · 01/03/2011 11:20

Doesn't your post come early? Ours does not arrive until after lunchtime so will not know DDs school until much later...............

Themumsnot · 01/03/2011 11:24

We had ours by email first thing this morning.
Not that we had a choice of school. DD will be going to the catchment comp.

Original poster
sugarbabe73 · 01/03/2011 12:50

It was his catchment school that he didn't get into. Thanks for advice i will ring and get put on waiting list.

OP posts:
prh47bridge · 01/03/2011 13:32

You do, of course, have the right to appeal. If you do you will get plenty of free advice on here from people who understand how the admissions system works.

The first question to look at is whether the LA has made a mistake. For example, have they placed your child in the wrong admission category. If they haven't it will be down to balance of prejudice. That means you have to show that the prejudice to your child through not being admitted to the preferred school outweighs the prejudice to the school from admitting an additional pupil. You therefore need to concentrate on things the preferred school offers which the allocated school doesn't and which would be particularly useful to your child. Talking about how awful the allocated school is won't help your case. Things like friends going to the preferred school, transport problems, childcare problems and the like generally don't help you to win appeals.

Personally I would avoid the services that charge you money for helping with appeals. You are generally better off doing it all yourself.

Original poster
sugarbabe73 · 01/03/2011 13:53

Sandon school which was my son's first choice says on admission policy that it gives priority to those living closest, we are 4 miles away it is our nearest school. Our primary school is the feeder school to Sandon.
I will certainly look at what both schools offer and see what will help with appeals

OP posts:
Panelmember · 01/03/2011 14:18

Prh47bridge (as ever) has hit the nail on the head.

Saying "It wasn't my first choice" or "but he wants to go to the other school" won't cut much ice at appeal. You need to highlight how and why your preferred school is more suitable for your child and better able to meet his needs. Saying "but all his friends are going to this school" is also not likely to win the appeal for you. The panel will very probably take the view that for very many children going to secondary school means making new friends and most children cope perfectly well with this. On the other hand, if your child has particular vulnerabilities or social needs which mean he needs to be with children he knows, you can mention this at appeal.

As prh47bridge also says, the advice given on MN is (dare I say it) at least as good as you will get by paying for a guide or an adviser's services.

Panelmember · 01/03/2011 14:21

PS If your primary school is a feeder school then you should certainly check what the admissions criteria say about priority from feeder schools and that the criteria have been correctly applied. Likewise, check what the criteria say about distance to school. The problem may be that, although it is your closest school, they have still managed to fill all the places not taken up by siblings etc with children who live closer than you do. Double-check everything.

gril66 · 01/03/2011 16:28

Hi,we didn't get first choice either. Two of my other children already go there and my daughter has Aspergers , though not bad enough for a statement, so she has always assumed she would follow her siblings, the same as I did. Lots of tears all round today so if anyone can give me any advice on appealing or if we even stand a chance it would be greatly accepted.

Panelmember · 01/03/2011 16:36

Sorry for your disappointment, gril66.

Does the school not give priority to siblings? Or are you out of catchment and so lower down the lists than in-catchment siblings? Have you double-checked that the admissions criteria have been correctly applied?

The general advice given above still stands, but I wonder whether your daughter's needs around her Aspergers have been taken into account or might give you stronger grounds for appeal. Is it important that she should be with her siblings? If you can get a letter from a health care professional saying that in their opinion (not just in yours) it is important for your daughter to attend the same school as her siblings then even without a statement this will add weight to your appeal. Similarly, does the school have any special expertise with or facilities for children with ASD? Can you identify other ways in which it can cater for your daughter better than other schools?

gril66 · 01/03/2011 18:51

Thank you for your reply. We are out of catchment siblings. My other two both have statements for Autism etc which is one of the reasons I want her to go there as they have good SEN and have been bril with my other two.

Geistesabwesenheit · 01/03/2011 19:30

Panelmember's comment: 'You need to highlight how and why your preferred school is more suitable for your child and better able to meet his needs' is what you need to build your appeal on.

I did this for DD (appealed directly to the school as it's a foundation school) and she eventually got in. Assuming you're writing directly to the school rather than LEA*, I would also put in writing that you wish to go on the waiting list with immediate effect.

*I don't what sort of school you've applied to, the info I've given is relevant to applications for foundation schools.

ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 01/03/2011 20:33

It'd be the same for a non-foundation school, except you'd be addressing your remarks to the LEA and, through them, to the appeal panel.

coolascucumber · 01/03/2011 20:48

Sorry you didn't get your first choice Sugarbabe, but if it's any consolation Willy D's is a really good school, DD (Y7) attends and loves it and is making great progress. Her older brother has been on the waiting list for 3 years and we still can't get him a place there ( high birth rate year).

There are loads of clubs, teachers who are interested in the pupils and their subject, right balance for homework and regular progress reports. Discpline is excellent.

But we went through appeal process and it is incredibly stressful and didn't help DS at all.

inspireddance · 02/03/2011 17:11

gril66 - You stand a good chance of appeal if your DD has been diagnosed with ASD and her siblings go there. Show how the school can better meet her needs (Does she have an IEP or similar that sets out her needs?)

Panelmember · 02/03/2011 17:27

Not necessarily, inspireddance. A diagnosis of ASD won't be enough on its own to automatically overturn the decision not to offer a place - the panel needs to be convinced that the preferred school is better placed to meet the child's needs than other schools. Appeal panels work on the basis of whether the 'prejudice' to the child if they're not admitted is greater than the prejudice to the school in having to take another pupil. Having siblings at the school hasn't been enough to get a place there so far, because (I think) this is one of the LEAs where out of catchment siblings come a long way down the priority list. Again, it can be argued at appeal that there are strong reasons why the youngest child (more than any other child in a similar situation) needs to be at school with their siblings but the outcome of the appeal is not a foregone conclusion.

Greenshadow · 02/03/2011 17:34

Sugarbabe, we were in this situation last year - DS, along with about 17 others, didn't get in to his first choice, catchment school.

The school itself was apparently surprised by this and appealed to the county on behalf of the 18 children and were granted permission to take an extra class just for this year.

Is your son the only one not to have got a place, or were there lots of others?

mexicanmum17 · 02/03/2011 19:13

I dont know what to do.... all this procedues are very alien for me. I been triying to get my life back in track for the past two years, after been in a preatty bad marriage(drug abuse involve),when I was appliying for schools,I was going true a bad time and have my hed all over and I really didn't have a clue wich school to chose so I just put one that I really like in camdem and some other ones in islington, my son goes to a catholic school at the moment and the mayority of children went to other catholic school, I coulnd apply for that type because I didnt went mass every sunday.we were very isolated during so long, because of my ex that i had to take my son theraphy for a while, because all the emotional things we went true,we became homeless fo a while because the place we lived was put for sale and I just got somewhee now in januay.. so I want to appeal the decision do you think should I explain all this to the board of appeal???The school i want my son to go have a system that alocates a student of a older yea to mentor the new comers, and that is very re assurent becuse my son is very aprehensive and ansious so I know that that was the best choice for him but insed he got a school that fo my view is where they sed more of the minority and i feel a bit of predujice abut it?? I may be wrong but i felt discrimanated!!!! so im confuse dont know what to do?

and what will happend if I do not accept the offer they give me?

Panelmember · 02/03/2011 19:33

MexicanMum - It might be better to start your own thread for your question but I'll try to help here.

Did I understand your situation correctly? You have moved since you applied for schools for your son and you have also (I think) changed your mind about the school you want your son to go to. These are the things I think are important.

  1. Make sure that your son is on the waiting list for all the schools you are interested in, especially your preferred school.
  1. Make sure your local education authority (Camden? Islington?) knows your new address. Waiting lists are held in the same order as admission priorities, so if you have moved nearer to the school, this should place you higher on the waiting list.
  1. When you make your appeal, you will have to convince the appeal panel that the 'prejudice' (that is, disadvantage) to your son if he is not given a place would be more than the prejudice/disadvantage to the school in having to admit another pupil. You need to highlight all the reasons why your preferred school would be the best one for your son - don't make rude comments about the school you have been offered, as they won't be relevant.
  1. You mention that your son has been seeing a therapist. If your therapist (or another health care professional) will provide a letter to say that in their opinion (not just in your opinion) your son is vulnerable and the school you prefer will be best at meeting his needs because of its mentoring system - and if other schools don't have mentoring systems - this may help your appeal.
  1. I'm not sure what you're trying to say about discrimination. If you want to argue that you have been discriminated against, you will need to assemble evidence that applications from people of different ethnic origins are treated differently. You could ask the LEA to provide information about applications and offers made.
  1. If you refuse the offer of the school place, your son will (obviously) have no school to go to. This will not increase your chance of winning your appeal. In fact, the appeal panel may feel that you are trying to put pressure on them. The appeal - as I said - will be decided according to the relative prejudice (disadvantage) to your son and the school.

I expect the other admissions specialists will be along soon!

pixelchick10 · 02/03/2011 19:34

mexicanmum - I think you should do that - appeal and explain that you son has had a difficult time over the past two years and needs a nurturing kind school, with a good buddy system for newcomers - if you can bear to, tell them all the details about your son's background and justify why the school you want him to go to would help him rather than the other one. Best of luck to you.