My child have been turned down by all 6 preference school

[angelusavalon]

I was not being picky or silly, I choose 6 schools that are near my home, they are mostly schools with average standards. I would have been happy with any given choice. But all 6 schools turned down my application and I was given a school that is four miles away. My child will have to take two buses to reach that school, which will take about an hour journey. I have declined the offer for that school and waiting to see the outcome of the second time round offers. I feel so sad and green with envy for other mums given their 3rd or 4th choice. I am afraid of the outcome of the second round. What chances do I have?

I would have recommended accepting the offer. Accepting would not have made any difference to your chances of getting a place at one of your preferred schools. Now that you have rejected the offer the LA does not have any obligation to find another place for your child and there is no guarantee that any place they do find will be any closer to your home. As the offered school is four miles away your child would have been entitled to free school transport.

You have the right to appeal for as many of your preferred schools as you want. You can win an appeal by showing that a mistake was made in the admissions process and your child should have been admitted, or by showing that the problems your child will face as a result of going to another school outweigh the problems the school will face through having to admit another child. However, I cannot tell from the information in your post whether you have a realistic chance of success at appeal. You should certainly check the reasons you didn't get into each of these schools. If you have been placed in the wrong admissions category for any of them or they have got the home to school distance wrong that would a good basis for an appeal.

You should make sure you are on the waiting list for all of your preferred schools. You may get a place through the waiting list if enough other children drop out.

I am in the same boat, with no allocation at any of the 6 schools. 4 were selective and 2 were fairly local but not my nearest.

My daughter is distraught. We have been placed in the dumping ground for our London borough and it is 2.5 miles away which is an hour on the bus on a good day.

I have been put on the waiting lists and am thinking of appealing but not sure what grounds.

I cant stop weeping but am taking my dd to see the "new" school tomorrow. im dreading it!

If I swap roles with her father and she stays with him the bulk of the week (0.5 miles away) and receives the child benefit, it will put her in a good chance of two schools for their waiting lists- is it too late for that?

Not too late for that but the LA may be suspicious. If they think it is a temporary move to get a school place they are entitled to treat your daughter as still living with you.

Thanks for the advice. I dont think I could bear for her to leave my home for her fathers any length of time so thats not really an option.

I am now going to put my house on the market after Easter anyway to upsize, as well as appeal and hopefully, I can start the next school year in a stronger position in someones catchment area.

Im going to move anyway so it might as well be this year. x