Would this have any bearing on being given a place at first choice school?

[Feminine]

We are returning to the UK next year (Feb).

Our first choice of secondary school for ds13 is currently oversubscribed...we will need to appeal (apparently)

We will be living with my family ,I have a brother(16) who attends the school right now.

Any chance that my family connection will help? The bus will obviously already be collecting my brother ...I know that has no true bearing on admissions etc...but is it a extra point?

I don't really want DS to have to go to the next choice school ,its fine; but a bus in to totally unfamiliar areas/ and country is something I would like to avoid :)

Thanks.

I just realized this should be in secondary

You need to look at the specific admission requirements for the school. However unless a place becomes available this will be irrelevant (just possibly relevant if there is more than one person wanting a place that becomes available).
It will be relevant to your appeal, new child to area could travel with a family member, the strong need for your son to go to that school. However it also depends on how over full the school is.

Your brother's attendance at the school will not give you priority. As CustardCake says, transport and childcare issues are unlikely to lead to a successful appeal. If there are reasons why your son needs to be with a family member or why he should not have to travel alone it would help if you can get independent evidence to support your case, e.g. from a medical expert. However, if this is simply your preference it won't help you at appeal.

Look at things like after school clubs and any particular strengths this school has compared to the allocated school and see if there is anything that would be particularly beneficial to your son. Don't be negative about the allocated school. Concentrate on showing positive reasons why your son would benefit from going to the preferred school.

Thank you all for the advice and hints.

I should have said it is the school bus from the LEA that will be collecting my brother(very rural area) -I was tired yesterday!
To my mind,it would seem silly to send 2 busses to the same address -that is me though -no expert

My DS will perfectly able to go to a different school and travel there, I just wanted some things to be familiar. In fact TBH both schools look like they will tick most of his education boxes.

I take on board on what you have all suggested, its a great help.

If you are truely in a rural area and it is a school bus, then you can also say that it is important that they go to the school where the few local children go to, having just moved back from abroad but also given the rural location, it is imperative that he builds up this local friendship group. Going to a school which none of the locals go to ( I hope) will not help this re-integration.

Thanks admission fingers crossed eh? :)

First choice school is 4 miles away ...second is more like 8!

Thanks admission fingers crossed eh? :)

First choice school is 4 miles away ...second is more like 8!