Secondary School Appeals - Priority Area Not Clearly Defined

[JohFlow]

I am thinking that as part of my DS's appeal; contesting whether the school's priority area is clearly enough defined. To clarify; our house is likely to be very close to the catchment area border.

Within the materials from the LEA is a basic black and white 'map' (line drawing) of the catchment area (this does not overlay an actual map, so there is no indication of streets/towns/landmarks on the outskirts or scale). The written description says that 'part' of some towns fall inside of the limits others do not, and only one outer border is defined in the description.

The LEA are keeping things very close to their chest - suggesting that a map will be with us just before the appeal. I have asked for someone to verbally clarify the outer limits of the boundary close to our property but feel that I got an evasive answer.

Do I have a point to make and what what would make it stronger (e.g. legislation etc)

Thanks

I'm not an appeals expert, but I'd have thought that unless you were led to believe from their original documentation that you were within the priority area and made your decision based on that this wouldn't really work as a reason to admit, unless you are in the priority area after all and a mistake was made.

For future admissions though the School Adjudicator would doubtless rule that the priority area must be clearly defined.

Catchment areas must be clearly defined (Admissions Code paragraph 1.14). If it is not clear to you whether you are in or out of catchment that is a problem. Unfortunately that doesn't necessarily mean you will win your appeal on this basis. To win you would need to show that the error has cost you a place. If the panel take the view that you are outside the catchment area even though the LA has failed to make that clear to you your appeal would fail.

If you would like to tell us which LA/school is involved I will take a look and see if I can find a clear published definition of the catchment area. Feel free to PM me if you don't want to post the information publicly.

PRH is right in what they say about the appeal.
As an appeal panel member my immediate question to you would be why did you think you were in catchment zone. Answer appears to be you thought you were but did not check. So my next question would be OK why did you not clarify this with the LA between September and November when you had the opportunity to do this within the time period of an on-time application.
Unless you actually queried the issue in this time period and believed you were inside the catchment zone you are on a loser at the appeal. I think you need to rethink your strategy for the appeal

Is this a map of the 'last distance' offers that have been made so far? Or does the admissions criteria name a priority area? Was this area defined in a map available before applications were due?

The admissions criteria gives a priority area Blu? No map was available before applications were due - no.

Having looked at the admissions booklet the map to which the OP refers appears to be intended to show the rough locations of the various schools, not the priority areas. The school concerned does have a formal priority area. This is defined by a list of parishes included plus a definition of how one parish is split, some being in the priority area and some being outside it. There is no map. By the way, this is not a church school. The obvious question is whether the parish boundaries are clear and whether the school and the church agree about where those boundaries lie. If everyone agrees that the OP lives outside the priority area any uncertainty about the boundaries is irrelevant. However, if the church (or the LA) think the OP is within the priority area as defined by the school's admission criteria but the school disagrees the OP has a case.

So what made you think you wherein the priority area iftherewas no map

Goodness ! You'd think that someone should be able to rely on the vicar to be accurate about the parish . But I can see that while that disadvantages someone who wasted a preference with no hope, it doesn't actually mean that the school / LA have been anything but correct in implementing the criteria.

Goodness ! You'd think that someone should be able to rely on the vicar to be accurate about the parish . But I can see that while that disadvantages someone who wasted a preference with no hope, it doesn't actually mean that the school / LA have been anything but correct in implementing the criteria.

Hmm, shame they didn't get in via an appeal victory, really, given that consulting the priest was offered as a legit and official means of establishing your inclusion in the parish within the admissions criteria. Oh, what luck that a place materialised!

You wonder how governors manage to launch such crap admissions criteria.