Secondary admissions: social and medical need

[Blu]

Would an application be disadvantaged if it failed on distance criteria, but then the social and medical factors were raised in appeal?

What are the advantages of presenting the SEN or social and medical factors at the initial application?

(for a friend)

Strictly speaking if the school/LEA didn't make a mistake the appeal panel shouldn't overturn the decision. Clearly if SEN etc weren't on the form the lea can't take them into account! Why wouldn't your friend want to make the bet case on the application?

Shortness of time now, finding out the pros and cons of the system...

To your friend I would say

You absolutely have to put the medical and social needs in on the initial form if you want to have them considered for the normal round of admissions. The cut off date will be the end of this month, so you really do not have much time to get this organised. What you need is a definitive statement from your consultant about the condition and why this is the only school that will be appropriate

To be brutally honest if it came to appeal, it had not been raised initially and then because you missed out on distance, you raised the medical needs at appeal, I think that as a panel member I would immediately be wondering about the reasoning behind the late statement of medical needs. To be taken seriously, rather than appearing to be the best way of getting a place at the preferred school, I would need compelling medical evidence from a consultant to even think about it.

Thanks - that's what I thought. I don't want to say much, but the situation involves bereavement of a parent and the need for feeling safe and secure at school and a school with excellent pastoral care. The family have been supported by CAMHS. Should the CAMHS and GP write the letters of evidence?