home education has meant our child is not able to access secondary school

[woodlandwonder]

I am wondering whether there is anyone who has had a similar situation happen. We are in Manchester and the admission criteria for oversubscription places anyone at a state funded primary school and academy before anyone else. This has meant that our home educated daughter has not got in, is 87th on the waiting list and on appeal we have lost. We are awaiting their reasons. Despite the admissions code stating they are not allowed to disadvantage a social group our appeal has failed. We are considering ombudsperson, judicial review etc. Has anyone done this? Children at independent schools are also caught by this criteria.

[https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/304598/ada2147_manchester_schools_-_12_october_2011.pdf It wouldn't be the first objection.] The link is to the adjudicator's judgement from three years ago. A parent whose child went to a Jewish primary school outside Manchester objected to this specific aspect of Manchester's admissions policy and the adjudicator didn't uphold the complaint. So I'm afraid it is considered legal.

the link again!

I must be looking at something different to everyone else! I can only see priority given to named primaries or linked schools.

Thank you AllMimsy that is exactly what I was looking for. I can now leave the matter as being a case of them's the rules. It has been hard just because when we asked the head teachers they said that we would have a good case at appeal and because when we asked the council directly they gave us 3 different responses and then when we asked for clarification stopped responding to us altogether. We are looking at school options and happy to home ed until then. Many thanks for all respondents for taking the time to help out.

I agree the admission criteria seem unfair- it would be far more equitable to simply restrict priority 4 to those living within Manchester LA. However, it really hacks me off when people blatantly lie in their thread titles! She can access secondary education- she has been offered a place at a school. Why the deception, please? [cats bum face]

Thread title doesn't say she can't access secondary education. It says she can't access "secondary school" which given this is a forum rather than a formal piece of writing could be taken to mean either secondary schools in general or (as the OP intended) a particular secondary school.

This doesn't sound right at all. Was it because this was a faith school?

And being a local resident, I wouldn't send my child to any of those schools who still have spaces , because quite frankly none of them are particularly good.Unless King David had a space - but if you are not Jewish then that's probably a nine starter.

I hope you get sorted- my friend won and appeal on Saturday and another friend of mine had a successful mid year transfer appeal.

Where are you in Mcr?

None starter I meant.

I am a little surprised at the Adjudicator's decision. However, as Tiggytape says, the objector did not raise the question of feeder schools. If someone were to take this to judicial review based on the Greenwich judgement I think there is an arguable case, although that doesn't necessarily mean it would succeed.

The other way to get this changed, of course, is to kick up a fuss with local councillors. If enough people complain they may do something about it.

Mighty what doesn't sound right? If OP is in Dids or Chorlton then the schools (RC and non faith) are prob full of kids from Manchester primaries as they are over subscribed. I don't disagree that the schools with places are not the best, but the LEA have applied their own published policy and will argue that OP has a choice.

Yes. She did have the choice to read the policy and send her child to school for a bit. She appears to have done neither but other parents have. The OP seems peeved that her DDs local roots do not trump other applicants. If this is not the case, then why mention it. As so many are on the waiting list, it is reasonable to assume they are local and peeved too!

Sorry! Just meant to add that this is really about insufficient places at the popular schools and how they are rationed. I think you could argue that going to a local school, or feeder school, (and do we know if the preferred school has named its feeder schools?), means you have engaged with the educational provision in the area. It is really a case of Manchester wanting parents to opt in and then get an improved admission position. Is it any different to opting in by passing an 11+ exam which gives an exclusive right to a place at a grammar school? I just think planning is key in all educational situations and this is no different.

Tiggytape although the priority extends to dozens of schools miles away within that category the distance from home comes into play. This was the reason I mentioned distance as it is also part of the criteria. I had no intention to deceive by my title. We can get our daughter into a school. I suppose because we do home ed at the moment this doesn't seem urgent so in some ways it gives even more choice whereas at times I would just like no choice as this would make the whole business simpler.

My purpose of posting was to see whether others had come across the same issue and to get better informed. It also raises awareness of the issue as trying to get clarification from the authorities was very tricky. Even at the appeal the local authority representative deferred to the head teacher about the purpose of category 4. Also for others it is important to know that the appeal system is rather bizarre as the panel and LA do not give any indication of their thinking about your arguments so you come away not knowing what they are thinking and unable to ask for clarification. With hindsight we would have asked more questions to the legal representative about the compliance with the code so we could know their views. If anyone else is facing this type of appeal then I would more than happy to share further.

I am skeptical about the use of feeder schools in secondary admissions, it seems to consolidate 'good' schools limiting their catchment to 'good' pupils from equally 'good' primaries, shutting everyone else out.

We got into our senior school on distance although out of catchment, it's in a new area where housebuilding has stalled so there are more places available than kids in catchment. A lot of people got places that would otherwise have been stuck with some pretty dire options. Now, though, they have started a feeder school system, taking on several outstanding primaries out of their catchment rather than the distance option they had before, this means they are only taking from outstanding primaries, in and out of catchment, and no-one else has a chance. I can't see how this does anything but restrict the school's intake to some very easy-to-teach kids from affluent areas, I'm sure their results will improve (they are good already) but it wont be from their teaching....

I think its class warfare. Some people hate children who attend private schools and want to prevent them attending a vaguely popular school as a way of revenge. What they don't realise is that other children get caught in the crossfire of their class hatred/ politics.

If I was the OP I would put my daughter in a manchester primary and see what happens with the list of continous interest. Sometimes you have to be prepared to play the system.

For me, I can't really see why you don't just do straight distance as category 4.

I think, in this case, it could be to do with the shape of the Manchester City Council area which is very long and narrow, so many people from other LAs in Greater Manchester would have priority over people who live in Manchester itself if they did not have this policy. I doubt if home ed people were even considered in this.

OP I would definitely recommend trying to get into a feeder primary if you can, it will help with making friends in advance of moving up as well as hopefully helping your position on the list.
Otherwise if you are happy to continue homeschooling for all or some of year 7, once you are applying in-year for a place in our area the feeder-school rules disappear so you may have more luck then.

I am skeptical about the use of feeder schools in secondary admissions, it seems to consolidate 'good' schools limiting their catchment to 'good' pupils from equally 'good' primaries, shutting everyone else out

Actually it can be used for exactly the opposite reasons. Where I live, the primaries are small with most having 1 or 2 form entry. That means they rarely get a balance of children from different social classes as distance is a key element in admissions.

By carefully drawing up the catchment areas of feeder schools, all the secondaries have a good balance of wealthy and poor areas. The only exception is the whole area is one which has a faith element and thus recruits mainly mc parents who can play the game.

It would seem that the Manchester policy might work for the majority as this discussion has not been inundated with disgruntled parents. Most admissions policies favour some children above others, either by identifying feeder schools, catchment areas, exam criteria, social or educational need or faith. Some people fall between all these policies but it is extraordinarily difficult to please all of the people, all if the time. Manchester LA seems to use the policy "you have to be in it to win it". Reading the rules is important for everyone but given there is no history of challenge, we must assume it is legally watertight.

I think Cecily is right. Manchester LEA is small in area and long & narrow in geography. There are only 23 high schools and some like Parrswood are literally on the border with another LEA. It is over subscribed. If distance alone was used lots of Stockport children would 'win' on distance eligibility and lots of Manchester children end up with a school miles away. Chorlton High would be similar as very close to Trafford LEA etc etc. I suspect the priority list was done to address this is days when competition for e.g. Parrswood was bonkers. It's less silly now as Stockport schools have improved and most are good if not outstanding. I think HEd was prob not considered?