Appeal help late application

[sukilou]

hi everyone
I'm on the verge of crying all the time and it is all my stupid fault
Back at the beginning of Nov I suddenly thought ooh shouldn't it be the time for secondary applications for my daughter, so i looked on the internet and found to my horror that we had just missed the date.
I rang my daughters primary school to find that they had sent all of the forms to the yr5 (at the time) classrooms back in July.
Nothing ever came back with my daughter so i'm guessing the application has been dumped in her tray and then emptied during the summer holidays.

Any way we sent the application off late and attached a covering letter with the reasons for this
Today we have finally been offered a place and it definitely isn't a school that we want.
We have also been told that as of today she is number 25 on the waiting list, originally there were at least 74 ahead of her who got apps in on time but were out of catchment and they take priority over late apps

Our daughter is in the (said) feeder school for bramhall high, our son attends bramhall high and we are in the catchment for bramhall high.
But because of the late application we now have to appeal.
we have no medical grounds
but our daughter is very very shy even with her close friends sometimes and to break them up and sent her to an area that she hasn't ever been to and knowing nobody this is really going to affect her.

Any help towards building a fantastic case would be great
louise

[cntrymum]

I had put only one grammar school and one comprehensive school in my son's CAF. As my son could not qualify for the grammar school, he has been offered the comprehensive school as his second choice. When I spoke to the CSSE, they informed me that my son could have got other grammar schools if I had put these schools in the original CAF at a higher preference position than the comprehensive school. I sent a new preference list to my Essex LEA through e-mail by adding two more grammar schools with the original preference. On 22 March I received the rejection letter from the Essex LEA.

When I spoke to a lady at the admissions, I was told that they have put the name of my son at a lower priority waiting list. This list will be used only when the waiting list of on time applications is exhausted. This makes my son at the bottom of the waiting list as we changed the preference and it has been treated as a second application. They also mentioned that School Admissions Code does not apply in this case as it is a second application.

I have posted this message in a separate thread "Essex waiting list criteria" and I was suggested by user "Admissions" that I should write to Essex LEA to get in writing what criteria they have used to put my son in the waiting list. This I have done both through e-mail and post; I am still waiting for their response.

I have recently appealed to the School Adjudicator (last week). But as I was not expert in any of these matters, I have not added any documents other than stating the fact. I don't know if the adjudicator will take any step or not. I need your help to support me if you can to appeal or add documents to the adjudicator. Will it be possible for you prh47bridge to help me as well?

If you look at their booklet at page 13 "Further applications made after 1 March 2011" ....
They are wrong to prioritise the waiting list on the basis of the date when it was applied.

Today I have found this information. The School Admissions Regulations 2008 (Statutory Instruments 2008 No. 3090, Education, England) interprets applications into three different types (i) application made in the course of a normal admission round (ii) late application and (iii) in-year application.

Following clarification is given about interpretation of a late application at page 2 of The School Admissions Regulations 2008 in Interpretation at section 3. ?(3)

For the purpose of these Regulations an application is a late application if?
(a) it is for the admission of a child to a relevant age group;
(b) it is submitted before the first day of the first school term of the admission year; and
(c) a determination relating to the application is not made by an authority on or before the offer date

As per this definition, my application with revised preferences is a late application as it was submitted on 10th March 2011 and the determination relating to my application was not made before the offer date. This should be treated the same way as other late applications. It should also be noted that no limit is imposed on the number of applications can be made during late application period, it is only restricted by the closing date before the first day of the first school term of the admission year.

I have not written the above Regulation bit to the Adjudicator. Do you think this information will be useful and I will be able to add them now?

[cntrymum]

I had put only one grammar school and one comprehensive school in my son's CAF. As my son could not qualify for the grammar school, he has been offered the comprehensive school as his second choice. When I spoke to the CSSE, they informed me that my son could have got other grammar schools if I had put these schools in the original CAF at a higher preference position than the comprehensive school. I sent a new preference list to my Essex LEA through e-mail by adding two more grammar schools with the original preference. On 22 March I received the rejection letter from the Essex LEA.

When I spoke to a lady at the admissions, I was told that they have put the name of my son at a lower priority waiting list. This list will be used only when the waiting list of on time applications is exhausted. This makes my son at the bottom of the waiting list as we changed the preference and it has been treated as a second application. They also mentioned that School Admissions Code does not apply in this case as it is a second application.

I have posted this message in a separate thread "Essex waiting list criteria" and I was suggested by user "Admissions" that I should write to Essex LEA to get in writing what criteria they have used to put my son in the waiting list. This I have done both through e-mail and post; I am still waiting for their response.

I have recently appealed to the School Adjudicator (last week). But as I was not expert in any of these matters, I have not added any documents other than stating the fact. I don't know if the adjudicator will take any step or not. I need your help to support me if you can to appeal or add documents to the adjudicator. Will it be possible for you prh47bridge to help me as well?

If you look at their booklet at page 13 "Further applications made after 1 March 2011" ....
They are wrong to prioritise the waiting list on the basis of the date when it was applied.

Today I have found this information. The School Admissions Regulations 2008 (Statutory Instruments 2008 No. 3090, Education, England) interprets applications into three different types (i) application made in the course of a normal admission round (ii) late application and (iii) in-year application.

Following clarification is given about interpretation of a late application at page 2 of The School Admissions Regulations 2008 in Interpretation at section 3. ?(3)

For the purpose of these Regulations an application is a late application if?
(a) it is for the admission of a child to a relevant age group;
(b) it is submitted before the first day of the first school term of the admission year; and
(c) a determination relating to the application is not made by an authority on or before the offer date

As per this definition, my application with revised preferences is a late application as it was submitted on 10th March 2011 and the determination relating to my application was not made before the offer date. This should be treated the same way as other late applications. It should also be noted that no limit is imposed on the number of applications can be made during late application period, it is only restricted by the closing date before the first day of the first school term of the admission year.

I have not written the above Regulation bit to the Adjudicator. Do you think this information will be useful and I will be able to add them now?

[sukilou]

STOP PRESS

This morning I have emailed admissions saying I believe they are in breach of the code blah blah
Please place my daughter at the front of the waiting list

Low and behold this afternoon my husband gets a call saying they have now offered her a place at the school we wanted

[Kez100]

Yipppppeeeeeee

Well done those who have helped you!

What a relief for you.

[goinggetstough]

Super news!

[sukilou]

Cheers
Thanks to all that helped, and a huge thanks to PRH and admission.

The only thing is that i know there are others still in the position I was in in Stockport, but they don't know the info that you gave me.

I just wish I could do more to help others

[prh47bridge]

Great news Sukilou.

If you want to help others, refer Stockport to the Schools Adjudicator. The only requirement for a referral is that you are a parent in Stockport. The fact that it won't make any difference to your daubhter doesn't matter. My offer to help with a referral still stands. I want the Schools Adjudicator to understand what Stockport are up to.

cntrymum - I've taken a look at Essex's admission arrangements and they seem to be trying to get round the Admissions Code by operating two waiting lists. If you have submitted the form for a referral to the adjudicator you should hear from them within a week of them receiving it giving you a contact person and confirming who the adjudicator will be. You can add further information if you want. However, I wouldn't bother referring to the School Admission Regulations. They aren't really relevant to the issue. The definition these regulations give of the three types of application is generally understood so you aren't adding anything to the case. I am happy to help in any way I can. If you would like me to look at and advise on stuff you want to submit to the adjudicator PM me.

[prh47bridge]

"daughter" not "daubhter"! I obviously can't type this late at night!